Monday 17 June 2013

♡Sexism in Advertising♡

This post isn't as light-hearted as my other ones because today I am choosing to focus on the portrayal of women in advertising. Now I want to keep this post short and sweet to highlight the more important points and besides, when it comes to issues relating to gender/sexism I could go on for days, it makes me really passionate.
I'll be showing you a collection of recent sexist advertisements from different companies and please remember that these are not the only ones out there - if you think about it they are everywhere. Woman are also sexualised in movies, tv shows and other forms of media, not just in advertising. Many people think that sexism in the media is something of the past but that is simply not the case.
"Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her"
"You know you're not the first"
These are mainly American adverts but there has recently been an Australian ad that has caused controversy over here:
Masterchef, I assume, attempted to be as witty and on point as a Mad Men episode — but ended up failing miserably, as fans have taken to social media to voice their frustrations. There are of course varying opinions on whether this ad was sexist or not but in this day and age, when we are still fighting so hard for equality, it's not productive at all to be pitting men and women against each other.
It isn't just females that should be offended by this ad, as males are also reduced to silly, out-of-place archetypes as well. It may seem like a bit of harmless fun but this is exactly where all our problems stem from. Gender stereotyping keeps us thinking that 'girls are like this' and 'boys are like that'.
Donald Draper from Mad Men once explained that advertising is the stroking of the ego, sexism and patriarchy are rampant within our society, which advertising capitalises on.
This is just one example of how women are dehumanised and demoralised by society and it is our job as to consumers to stand up to these companies and to say enough is enough.
We need to stop responding to these advertisements the way companies want us to - we need to let them hear our anger, be it through email, mail, phone calls, social media etc. As consumers, we need to be aware of how companies view us, do we want to be purchasing from places that view women in this way? Do we want to be supporting them?Real reform needs to take place.
If none of the above has made you outraged yet, check out this Canadian video too:

And if you have the time, check out this Documentary film, Miss Representation, a film which, "exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media's limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself." It is definitely upsetting and angering but definitely worth watching.

Anyway, on a different note, I booked an appointment for a tattoo appointment for two days away! My next post will show you the before and after pictures and I will talk about the whole experience, so stay tuned!

xx

5 comments:

  1. I wasn't really aware of these ads, maybe i'll see that documentary, seems very interesting!
    Almost forgot to say: good luck getting the tattoo!

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  2. I knew most of these ads, but a couple of them , like the donor one, were new and pretty freaking shocking. I've recently been working on a scrapbook project about my own sexuality, and finding images for it in mainstream media has been depressingly easy. Of course there is a difference between just a naked body and a sexist advert, but sometimes I do wish there were as many pics of naked men in the press as there are of women.

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  3. I've seen some of these ads before, and they always make me uncomfortable - especially the American Apparel and the D&G ones... ugh. The documentary seems interesting, definitely going to watch that on my free time. Thanks for such a meaty post! :o (And not the Pamela Anderson meaty kind.)

    Good luck getting the tattoo, hope it doesn't hurt too much! D:

    I just started a new fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog. Would you kindly take a peek at it? c:
    http://junniku.blogspot.ca

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    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late response, I love your blog and I actually included you briefly in my latest blog post! xx

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  4. Please check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/APSDW (Advocacy for the Prevention of Degradation to Women - APDW); we share in your same opinion and are passionate about changing the way women are viewed in our society.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave a comment! I read all comments and when I do it leaves a smile on my face ♡ If you've asked a question I will definitely answer it so check back to read my response :)

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