Since the beginning of print advertisement, women have been portrayed in a derogatory tone. Unfortunately this trend continues to plague the advertisement of products in a variety of markets. With women at the center of the campaign, the slogan “sex sells” is constantly put into action. This paints an unrealistic picture of standards for women that is next to impossible to be replicated by the general public. Some of the messages communicated through advertising are that women are inferior to men, are confined to the home, and that women must look perfect at all times – perfect hair, skin, makeup, and of course, a thin, tan and toned body. The message tricks women of all ages into thinking that they must live up to a certain standard, causing women to continually work toward something that is unattainable, rather than simply living their life as unique individuals.
Looking back at how women have been portrayed in the media, it is astounding to see the images and texts that subjected women to a degrading image in the media. For example, an ad for a brand of coffee shows a man with his wife, over his knee, and he is about to spank her for not finding the "freshest coffee". While an ad like this would never succeed in our society, that does not mean that salacious advertisements do not continue to plague how women are portrayed in the media. Currently, women continue to be seen as objects in the world of advertisement. Whether it is a skimpy bathing suit worn by a supermodel to promote a new burger, or a naked woman holding perfume in a provocative way so that the bare minimum is covered.
This shift in how women are perceived in the media and advertisement is largely due to the evolution and transformation of “beauty” in our society. For example, the ideal woman used to be portrayed as fair skinned and voluptuous. A full figured woman with fair skin was seen as wholesome and fertile. However, as the century has progressed, the image of the idea woman has shifted to someone with tanned skin and a slimmer figure. However, this has led to an increase in negative body image across many demographics of women. It is reported 69% of girls in a study said that models in magazines and advertisements influenced their idea of the perfect body shape (1). It was also found that the more exposure a woman had to the “idea” bod image, the lower the woman’s satisfaction with her own attractiveness (1). In another study, 47% of girls were influenced by magazine pictures to want to lose weight, yet only 29% were actually overweight (1).
It is unfortunate that we have allowed our society to set the beauty standard for which we judge the “perfection” of a woman. The most important message that needs to be communicated to young girls as they grow up, and throughout their teen and adult life, is that beauty lies within uniqueness. There is little beauty in conformity, and when society and media have the power to dictate someone’s worth based on beauty, that uniqueness is killed. A no-tolerance policy for extreme advertisement editing and derogatory themes of women in the media is the best step for improving our society’s ideals surrounding beauty.
1. Eating disorders: body image and advertising . (2008, December 11). Retrieved from http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/eating-disorders-body-image-and-advertising/menu-id-58/
Looking back at how women have been portrayed in the media, it is astounding to see the images and texts that subjected women to a degrading image in the media. For example, an ad for a brand of coffee shows a man with his wife, over his knee, and he is about to spank her for not finding the "freshest coffee". While an ad like this would never succeed in our society, that does not mean that salacious advertisements do not continue to plague how women are portrayed in the media. Currently, women continue to be seen as objects in the world of advertisement. Whether it is a skimpy bathing suit worn by a supermodel to promote a new burger, or a naked woman holding perfume in a provocative way so that the bare minimum is covered.
This shift in how women are perceived in the media and advertisement is largely due to the evolution and transformation of “beauty” in our society. For example, the ideal woman used to be portrayed as fair skinned and voluptuous. A full figured woman with fair skin was seen as wholesome and fertile. However, as the century has progressed, the image of the idea woman has shifted to someone with tanned skin and a slimmer figure. However, this has led to an increase in negative body image across many demographics of women. It is reported 69% of girls in a study said that models in magazines and advertisements influenced their idea of the perfect body shape (1). It was also found that the more exposure a woman had to the “idea” bod image, the lower the woman’s satisfaction with her own attractiveness (1). In another study, 47% of girls were influenced by magazine pictures to want to lose weight, yet only 29% were actually overweight (1).
It is unfortunate that we have allowed our society to set the beauty standard for which we judge the “perfection” of a woman. The most important message that needs to be communicated to young girls as they grow up, and throughout their teen and adult life, is that beauty lies within uniqueness. There is little beauty in conformity, and when society and media have the power to dictate someone’s worth based on beauty, that uniqueness is killed. A no-tolerance policy for extreme advertisement editing and derogatory themes of women in the media is the best step for improving our society’s ideals surrounding beauty.
1. Eating disorders: body image and advertising . (2008, December 11). Retrieved from http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/eating-disorders-body-image-and-advertising/menu-id-58/