Studies show that each American is exposed to 150 advertisements a day. That's a lot of advertisements, and it's bound to have an effect on people. Advertising appears almost anywhere, with the internet being the fastest growing segment in the advertising market. Besides for making people want to buy things they don't actually need, advertisers distort our cultural beliefs and contribute to the sexism, racism, and power hierarchies in our society.
Is it true that "beauty in the eye of the beholder?" According to advertisers, no. A beautiful women, "never has any lines or wrinkles, she has no scars or blemishes. Indeed she has no pores." (Kilbourne) Women are always portrayed as being unnervingly thin unlike any of the people we encounter on a day to day basis. This promotes plastic surgery, and eating disorders, especially for young people who are easily influenced. Aren't advertisers trying to target audience members? If their goal is to get people to say "this is a product made for someone like me," why Why do they cast people so different from us?
Women are objectified, and discouraged from speaking up. This ad shows Lady Gaga smiling in a compliant way and Cyndi Lauper with her mouth shut. It seems as though they do not care that there are purely portrayed as sex symbols, used to appease males. This smile demonstrates that it is "normal" to be objectified, and opposing to it is wrong. Some advertisers go so far to actually have the mouth zippered, not even attempting to hide the sexism. Men are always portrayed as the strong ones, having power over women. There is also racism in advertisements, with white people in most ads.
The ad above has it all. "The longer you wait..the better it gets," is the slogan for this aged Whiskey product. The woman on the right, is a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is also merely a sex symbol with the leather bra-like top, big breasts, and non-existant tan stomach. Supposedly the woman to the left, is her 7 years earlier. Her hair is frazzled, her outfit is dull, and she is lacking a tan This advertisement is setting the standards for what is beautiful, and this has to change.
It is imperative for everyone to know what they see in advertisements are FAKE. Computer technology allows for these people in advertisements to be flawless, according to American standards. Programs like photoshop are used to erase lines in the face, shed unwanted pounds, and distort the facial structure. Even so, these mirages of perfection creep up on people's self esteem. Advertisers need to incorporate normal, average Americans in their ads.
Dove is trying this out, in their campaign Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. They put ordinary women in their advertisements, and encourage women to feel comfortable with themselves.hey even try to educate Americans on the truths of advertising agencies. This benefits their company as it gives their products a more natural down-to-earth appeal. According to Kilbourne only 8 out of 3 million people are supermodels. So why show mislead the world into believing the opposite?
I agree with your point of view. The worst thing is that not only girls starve themselves to be thin, but they don't even know that the thinness in adds is FAKE, it is made by photoshop. The examples you discuss are amazing, I couldn't believe it when I saw it. Even though Dove says that they are trying to use ordinary women in their adds, in the video you posted is clear that they changed her appearance dramatically and not only with make up and hair style, but with a lot of photoshop. It's crazy. People grow up looking at such adds every day and it stays in their mind that skinny and sexy is good, but everything else is bad. It's sad...
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