The first image shown advertises tape worms to make you lose weight without eating less. Tape worms. The thought of it probably makes a few of us a bit queasy. Why would this be allowed to run? They mention that fat is shortening our lives, so there's the medical/health aspect to it. People have always been conscious about their weight and appearances, so the ad makes tape worms look like a safe and logical solution. The ad portrays a woman choosing from a large variety of tape worms, prepared in different ways. In America today, back then, and everywhere, women have always been more directly pressured to look a certain way. However, the idea of tape worms itself is still in people's minds today. On an episode of The Tyra Show, there was a guest who sold tape worms for the exact same reason. People may suggest that the product is simply for health reasons, but it is implied that you should be skinny for aesthetic reasons.
Again, in the second ad, women seem like an easy target. Though the advertisers are appealing to men to buy their cigarettes, they're saying that women are easy to seduce. A mere puff of smoke will make her follow you anywhere. It's degrading to women, and makes men seem arrogant. This ad doesn't even cover the health risks one can get from smoking.
The ads showing a "doctor" smoking a Camels brand cigarette and the one showing the "happy" family (from eating lard) are bordering hypocritical. I say bordering because I can't make out the fine print and it may be trying to explain that it is less harmful than other brands. However, that doesn't really make up for the fact that they're trying to make smoking appear like a healthy habit. No matter what, the effects of smoking are harmful to your body, and the same thing goes for the lard. Lard is fat. People already take drastic measures to meet the media's image of the ideal women, but to eat lard? People say eating does cheer them up if they're having a bad day, but to eat the fat as is? Doctor's today wouldn't even suggest that to feel happy.
Women have always seemed like an easy way to sell products. Whether it's by selling their bodies or by stereotyping them, there has always seemed to be a major prejudice. For example, the ad to the left completely says that men shouldn't have to cook because that's what the wives are for. The ad at the very bottom is supposed to be advertising a radio station, but all that's really seen is the back of a girl wearing a tank top and underwear. When you think of radio stations, that's not what most people have come to mind. The last ad I have here shows Brad Pitt wearing a watch. The company is using their endorsement to sell the product and are appealing to women who find him attractive.
Advertisements today may not seem as stupid or blunt as they may have back then, but they aren't perfect either. Advertisers play on stereotypes and objectifying people to sell their products. Sadly enough, it works.
3 comments:
I really enjoyed reading your blog! It makes me so frustrated as well, that women are still being unfairly portrayed in the media today. You make a good point addressing that issue.
I agree with you when you say that there is major prejudice against women, especially in advertisements and that is something that needs to be changed. It's wrong to portray women as easy targets, as it's discrimination based on gender. I also agree with you when you say that advertisements have too many sterotypes. In my opinion, companies should really try to improve the way women are portrayed in their advertisments.
You covered practically everything in your post! I totally agree with what you said. Advertisements - no matter if it was 50 years ago or not, have and still are targeting women. They are almost always misleading and used many techniques to cover up their true motives. I'm pretty glad that the advertisements are somewhat improving over the years. I still can't believe that the earlier advertisements were promoting the use of lard and tapeworms. I think and hope that advertisements these days would start to list true and genuine facts about their products without all the extra sugar coating.
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