Thursday 31 January 2013
footnotes
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing-
2. Baily, B. 2011, P.11
3. Mcluhan global villiage= http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/26/marshall-mcluhan-conservatism-medium-is-message
4. http://www.frankwbaker.com/sex_in_media.htm
5. Shanahan, J, 1999 .P. 18
4. Rosin, H. 2012, P.6
5. Mulvey, L, 2008, P.4
6. http://www.frankwbaker.com/sex_in_media.htm
7. Mulvey, L, 2008, P.4
8. www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/dde0301.doc (Document)
9. http://www.mybodybeautiful.co.uk/Sexualisation%20of%20Society/Sexual_Objectification_Page1.htm
10. Mulvey, L, 1975, P6-18
11. Gauntlett, D, 2002, P.1
12. Coad, D, 2008, P21
13. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing
14. Gauntlett, D, 2002, P12
15. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2270333/Glamour-girl-Dakota-Fanning-just-laughed-sexually-provocative-UK-banned-perfume-ad.html
16. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php
17. Whitford, M, 1988, P.100
18.http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/Social_progress_can_be_measured_by_the_social_position_of_the_female_sex/236673/
19. Mulvey, L, 2008, P.4
20. http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/gender-theory/
21. ibid
22. http://mediaalevel.edublogs.org/2010/07/02/the-male-gaze/
23. http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/ram0202.html
24. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/audio/2011/jul/20/big-ideas-podcast-medium-message
25. Gauntlett, D, 2002, P.1
26. Lacey, N, 1998, P139
27. ibid
28. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/17/beyonce-heat-ad
29. Strinati, D, 2004, P171
30. Erens, P, 1990, P3
31. http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell6.htm
32. ibid
33. http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/b/o.htm#bourgeois-society
34. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX5WwmMkESQ
35. ibid
36. Shakespeare, W, ,P7
37. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/02/sexualization.aspx
38. ibid
39. Gender theory Jeremy Orlebar- gender is performative
my critical investigation full essay...
Detailed Essay Plan for Media A2/ Mest 4 Coursework By Chandni Chopra 13yWorking title
How are women overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertising, paying particular attention to adverts such as Beyoncé’s 'Heat' advert and YSL advert featuring Kate Moss.
Angle:
What effect do these over-sexualised adverts have on today's diverse society and younger audiences? Does this conveys the message of misogynist or is to attract the audience’s attention?
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Hypothesis: Radical Feminists will argue that adverts have represented women as being weak, over-sexualised and as sexual objects; however, institutions have continued to do this and will in order to keep its target audiences interested.
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Introduction:
“The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women."
Postmodernists will argue that society has become ever more diverse, therefore the way women are represented and stereotypically portrayed in the beauty industry has also changed. Why? Simply, because of advance technology and changes in societal attitudes and belief that it objectifies women as a "natural source". This investigation will arguably raise a debate as to how women are overtly sexualized in contemporary perfume advertisements such as Beyoncé Heat and YSL- Parisienne, and wither it treats women as objects so that it can attract the audience’s attention and sell its product globally (McLuhan). However, some will argue as a oppositional reading (Hall-Reception theory) that women are sexualized in perfume adverts because "sex sell," but some will criticize this and argue that it may be to convey a message of misogyny. This is so that the media effect such as the cultivation theory is used to have an impact on the passive younger audiences or simply because it's a way for women to dominate the advertising industry.
In the 21st century advertisements, perfume adverts have portrayed women as weaker and fetishistically, in which this case it represents the modern society in the West as being uncivilized. Like, Edward Syed put forward the idea of orientalism- this is where the West is civilized and the East is uncivilized; audience can challenge this theory by arguing that women have become sexualized in countries which are civilized such as the UK. However, by portraying women like a sexual object in Western countries audiences can challenge this theory and argue that the UK is 'uncivilized'. For example, the way the demographics in Saudi Arabia will react to modern, western adverts to the demographic in US, will be completely different. As Hanna Rosin had stated: "In the West, meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been unimaginable even twenty years ago." The reason why contemporary media has changed the way women are represented and sexualised, is so that it can keep up with the way audiences read a text and to keep up with the consumer society, which is to be living in a rich and luxurious lifestyle (Dyer-consumer society).
Today's beauty industries have used women as a "object of fetishistic display" simply because 'sex sells'. This is so that it can appeal to both the mass and niche audiences, alongside "for male viewer's pleasures". This is because "when sexuality is used in advertising certain values and attitudes towards sex are being sold to consumers along with the product." Historically, perfume adverts such as Charlie-Revlon in the 1970's had their main focus on the product rather than the breast or buttocks of the women. It had also sexualized and objectified women less than adverts in today's society. For example, the advert had used more close-ups of the product and had the heroine (Vladimir Propp) in a silk jump suit, paying particular attention to her dialogue and not how she sexy she looked. Also, the silk dress she is wearing can connote (Barthes-connotation and denotation) purity and her virginity as to her being the innocent one, in comparison to the Beyoncé heat advert. This is where is Beyoncé is wearing a short, red, silk dress , the red silk however connotes 'heat' which links with the perfumes name and connotes how Beyoncé personally feels erotic and hot which attracts the 'male gaze' (Laura Mulvey). The comparison (Levi-Strauss Binary opposition) between these two adverts are that women back then were treated as being pure however, now they are treated as being a sexual toy who are there to benefit men. For example the makeup used is also natural which gives her a clear look and enable her to look attractive but to denotes a sense of self-respect as to how "young women are especially susceptible to objectification, as they are often taught that power, respect, and wealth can be derived from one's outward appearance." This is why Charlie-Revlon had used the women in a dominating role rather than the women undressing herself as the zeitgeist reflects back to the 'spirit of the age'. An example, can be the 1961 advert "That touch of perfume" by Avon, this advert had used diegetic sound of the women speaking which informed (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that women were given equal chances and were treated as important as men. In contrast, to the a Yves Saint Laurent advert- Parisienne, this advert had used diegetic sound of Moss erotically expressing erotic sounds and conveying that she is gaining feeling pleasure from the male touching her, however the audiences cannot see who the male is which creates further enigma (Barthes), but the scene continues with the male touching her and drives the "narrative forward."
As a preferred reading (Reception theory- Stuart Hall) this can connote that women are always there to benefit men, but it can also connote Towards the middle (Todorov-Narrative structure) of the narrative is that by having her body positioned where the male position is "active and female position is passive". Moreover, this advert also shows how sexualisation of women has changed because "the media has changed, and people’s attitudes have changed." Reflecting back into the 1970's, if audiences had seen Beyoncé’s heat advert then, they may have felt shocked as to how they are degrading women and sexualising them. On the other hand, if the audiences see the Revlon advert today they may not appeal to it as much as the Beyoncé's advert. This is because attitude have changed and the way audiences want to perceive a text has also changed due to them "Passively inviting our gaze," as older generation audiences such as old men, who are dependent on the media will watch this advert on moving image platform (T.V.) and wouldn't question about the negative portrayal of women and just would accept that it is a norm.
On the contrary, the media may not be to blame, as to why women are overtly sexualized negatively in contemporary perfume adverts. Post-feminists will argue that both men and women have equal power and that society has moved from being patriarchal to a post-feminist era, where both genders are given the same equal opportunity in the advertisement arena. This is because it clearly depends on the heroine (Vladimir Propp-character type) itself is and how she wants society to see her being represented as, simply because there are a two ways (Reception theory-Stuart Hall) in which the audiences will read a text:. For example, from a males perspective they believe that "women want to be treated as sex objects," due to some stereotypes being true (Perkins-some stereotypes are true). Whereas, modern female audiences as an oppositional reading may suggest that some women willingly choose themselves to sexualise by using a phallic symbol in order to add emphasis on their sexuality this is because if she doesn't use her sexuality to sell the product then it can interpret that she lacks “femininity ". For example, Advertising Standards Authority had banned the perfume advert 'Oh Lola' by Marc Jacobs that featured a young teenager both in print media platform and moving image, by holding a perfume advert in between her thighs which was a phallic symbol emphasizing on her sexuality. The shot on the poster was in a long shot which enabled the audiences to see her body and her size eight figure, alongside the use of a short dress allowed audiences to focus on the phallic symbol and add emphasis to her legs. However, the Guardian stated that "41% of parents" claimed that the programs that had appeared before 9pm had contained unsuitable and inappropriate sexual content for children.
This had therefore, been banned because it was promoting sexualization of children and injecting negative messages in to younger audiences as to how they should behave and act in a certain way as the hypodermic needle theory suggests "that audiences are affected by what they see in the media"(Hypodermic needle- Katz and Lazarsfield). Despite this, the Daily mail had stated that the position she was in was "sexually provocative" which could then suggest that if young girls in the media are overtly sexualized alongside holding phallic symbols to attract the 'male gaze' but can have a "negative influence on girls' healthy development ", as it promoted anorexia to. This advert had also received a lot of complaints from the audiences and was stated by ASA that the 'giant bottle was provoking but not indecent,' which means that some images of women might be "reactionary or damaging or oppressive".
On the other hand, a pluralistic ideology will argue that some audiences are intelligent enough to not accept what they see being advertised and will not believe in what you can achieve by consuming the perfume. However, by overtly sexualizing women in perfume advert this may encourage women to take a social progress which can be "measured by the social position of the female sex." This means that audiences that see the advert as being inspirational can purchase this product and can make a social progress and can gain power with the use of their external image. Feminists will put forward the idea that the advertising industry exploits women so that it can sell its products and to serve the personal "pleasures" of men that they want to see. However, overtly sexualizing women in perfume adverts can be criticized as to how 'Femininity is not typically a core value for women today" as clearly depends on individualism. This is because we live in a post-modernist society, and therefore it is possible for females to choose what and how they want to look like in adverts as it is just a performance that "women choose to employ in everyday life" either for pleasures or to achieve a goal. Nevertheless, Dr Zurbriggen suggests that today's society should replace negative images of women in positive setting and show girls in a "uniqueness and competence" way. This is because it can have a negative impact on younger audiences who are passive and can create a moral panic in the media (Cohen) as to how perfume adverts have influenced young girls to wear makeup, heels and sexy dress, so that they can invite "the male gaze" and the male audiences can feel entertained and escapism (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz).
Moreover, the development of technology has enabled perfume institutions to reach to a mass audience and to target different socio-economic and countries globally, as McLuhan stated that "the medium is the message". Allowing products to reach to audiences quickly worldwide will increase the income for the institutions and will enable audiences to identify (Blumler and Katz) the product quickly. The media therefore have to sell their products in the modern industry by using more than one media platform. Rapid growths of social network sites have increased because of technology. As audiences have become more socially addicted to lean forwards media such as social networks the use of synergy enables them to identify (Blumler and Katz-uses and gratification) with the product as they may have seen it on television before. For example, Beyoncé’s heat adverts there are pictures featuring the singer used in the advert and videos of the advert on Facebook. Audiences can also see adverts on any media platform they like and have a variety of choices in how they perceive a text e.g. Print, E-media and Moving image. On the other hand, institutions have to be careful as to what platform they choose because "people's attitudes have changed" and if they keep using constantly the same images of women being sexualised or the same advert being broadcasted repeatedly, some audiences may complain as to how it is having a negative impact on audiences. For example, by using the E-media platform such as social networks-Facebook users can be targeted at easily and reach out to a mass audience, the primary audiences would be teenagers 13-17 years old who are mainly using Facebook and Twitter the most in order to gain access to up-to-date information. However, social networks enable audiences to get more information about the product and if they want to participate in a debate or post a comment they can sign up to the perfume adverts official homepage. However, the fact that male audiences can also leave comments that they see as being appropriate but is actually sexualizing women and objectifying them, this can be seen as scopophilia as to how men will look at women for sexual drive. The advantage is that the institution can sell and advertise the product online as well and target different generations which is an effective way to connect with consumers. Allowing audiences from around the global to get interactive with institution of the product is also beneficial for publicity to be created and virally spread.
In contrast, an example of how perfume adverts sexualize women in the Moving advert can be the advert YSL- featuring Kate Moss. This advert was broadcasted by a UGC (user generated content) on YouTube by a fan. Once, the way audiences would have received a text was by passively accepting what’s on T.V. However, technology has enabled audiences to no longer see text passively but also become users to. This advert had sexualised women in many ways for example; the extreme close-up shot had been used towards the middle of the narrative (Todorov-Narrative structure). The type of focus used was a shallow focus and this was where the camera was mainly focused on Kate Moss' neck as she was using the prop of a flower as a way of her imagining that it is male figure that is sexually touching her up. This shot had been used in order to enable audiences to believe that if they had purchased this product they too can have their partner to act seduced and feel erotic. The producer had also used this shot so that the audiences can focus on the prop used- a white rose as being a sexual weapon as to wherever she touches herself with it is a way that reminds her of the man touching her. This can link as to how when she used the rose to touch herself, the edit transforms this as a montage editing into the next shot were the audiences can see only a pair of hand and the male figure is active and the female is passive. Which clearly suggests that women are often represented in ads from an explicitly sexual angle: their desirability is what sells. However, the way adverts have sexualized women has changed since the 1960's this can be proved by the advert Chanel N0.5 commercial. This advert was different compared to adverts today as the main focus of the advert was to give the women sophistication and giving the women a professional look. However, the difference is that the Beyoncé and YSL advert had sexualized women as the emphasis was given as to how erotic they feel. Therefore, the way society has changed is that audiences in today's society easily accepts what is shown on the screen without challenging (some do) The effect modern perfume adverts would have on the audiences of the 19th century would have been shocked and how women are exploited with their body .
Furthermore, the last platform used by institutions is the Print platform this is where the Heat perfume advert had used Beyoncé in a seductive pose and had overtly sexualized her. This poster had used Beyoncé in direct-mode of address which connotes as a preferred reading (Hall-reception theory) that she wants to have power but realistically it is a way to get the audience to feel that she is inviting the audience’s attention as Mulvey stated that it was . The way she is posing by lying down with her legs open can connote that she feels passionately turned on. Moreover, the way her hair is highlighted in blonde can connote that she is maybe putting on a white mask (Frantz-Fanon), this is because it "the dumb blonde stereotype is common, in Western societies at least, because it serves the purpose of the patriarchal ideology". Audiences can see that Beyoncé is represented as the stereotypical 'dumb blonde' which exists in western societies, as it serves the patriarchal ideology. The shot used is a long shot which enable audiences to see her short silk red dress which connotes heat (brands name) and gives her a sexy look as to the male audiences can voyeur on her (Laura Mulvey). However, in the 1960's perfume posters were completely different to the Beyoncé heat advert. For example, the poster of Coty L'Aimant Perfume Ad in 1960 original vintage Ad, had used the perfume as the main intention as to the shot types of the women and the perfume are both the same size.
On the other hand, in Beyoncé’s ad the main focus is on her and the product has been used in a small shot which connotes that the product is not as important as Beyoncé, who is trying to attract the audience’s attention. For example, the Guardian (online site) had stated that 'sexually provocative Beyoncé advert is ruled unsuitable kids' and ASA said that the "perfume advert should not have been shown during family programming and should now be aired only after 7.30pm". This shows that the institutions care more about how much profit they make rather than how they sexualise women and how they harm others e.g. younger audiences by not waiting to broadcast something after watershed. Broadcasting adverts that contain sexual imagery and treats women as objects is better to be broadcasted after 7.30pm as targets the main primary audiences who are adults mainly. In Dominick and Rauch study (1974) conwe haven't really changed that much since the Victorian times-we are offended by band manners and nudityducted 1000 prime time television commercials and found that the sex objects and housewife/ mother role stereotypes also existed in that medium. Statistically, this informs and educates (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) the audiences that the study carried out by these two people had identified that even on Prime time television commercials found women stereotypically represented as sexual objects.
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Furthermore, sexualisation of women can also link with symbolic annihilation which means that women are underrepresented and their interests are not being "accurately reflected by the mass media." This can either done by race, sex. socio-economic status or sexual orientation. Gaye Tuchman, a media feminist had argued that, television annihilates women and informs (Blumler and Katz society that women are weak and are a "fetished object" in comparison to overwhelming representing men in positive way in all kinds of moving image platform as "men are usually shown to be dominate, whereas women are shown to be submissive and passive". However, from a Marxist point of view they will argue that "advertising is a means of reproducing the existing capitalist society". This indicates that advertising carries out "crucial economic functions in managing consumer demand and in aiding capital accumulation, but it also helps to produce the sort of ideological ambience required by consumer capitalism." This can then inform audiences (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that advertising only benefits the Bourgeoisie, not simply because they "own the means of productions" but because they exploit the proletariat to produce profit so that it can support the dominate ruling-class ideology and helps the elite in society to maintain power and hegemonic control. Moreover, perfume institutions overtly sexualising women in order to sell their product so that the elite can have power and gain profit from the way they have sexualized the female. This therefore, informs us that adverts cannot be sold successfully without overtly sexualizing women as it will decrease the power of the bourgeoisie.
On the other hand, it can be argued that adverts have not just overtly sexualized women but has also created a sense of hyper reality (Baudrillard). For example, the way Kate Moss is erotically touching herself in her bedroom with the use of low-key lighting can influence the audience's mood and can relate to what can happen to a women at night due to the scent of the perfume (Uses and Gratfication-Blumler and Katz). The institution has not only used a male actors hand touching Kate Moss but, as an oppositional reading (Stuart Hall- Reception theory) it may be argued that the fact only a pair of hands have been shown creates enigma (Barth) and enables male audiences to feel as if they are the person who is in the situation. Some audiences however will view this as the institution trying to create a sense of hyper-reality where the simulacra has been replaced so that audiences can be persuaded to believe that this is what the product can do to you.
In conclusion, research has proven that to some extent women are overtly sexualized in contemporary perfume adverts simply because the way women are constantly objectified by male viewers and the fact that "you can do whatever you want to them" simply because they are "not real people, their dolls". However, the in-depth research has given an insight into how the advertising industry works and how women themselves accept these negative stereotypes placed upon them simply because women by virtue lack . On the other hand, the independent research has enabled to conclude that the advertising industry institution have tried to sell their products without sex appeal however by not having any sort of sex appeal adverts cannot be sold effectively. This is because the modern society has changed and the way a audience want to perceive (Stuart Hall-reception theory) a text has also changed. Some adverts enable audiences to feel a sense of identification (Blumler and Katz- uses and gratification) so that they can appeal to different audiences but also a sense of misogyny simply because "Frailty , thy name is women" which suggests that women lack inequalities that men have. Therefore, some challenge these boundaries and "replace all of these sexualized images" by replacing girls in "Positive settings" as "gender is performative".
How are women overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertising, paying particular attention to adverts such as Beyoncé’s 'Heat' advert and YSL advert featuring Kate Moss.
Angle:
What effect do these over-sexualised adverts have on today's diverse society and younger audiences? Does this conveys the message of misogynist or is to attract the audience’s attention?
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<!--[endif]-->
Hypothesis: Radical Feminists will argue that adverts have represented women as being weak, over-sexualised and as sexual objects; however, institutions have continued to do this and will in order to keep its target audiences interested.
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->
Introduction:
“The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women."
Postmodernists will argue that society has become ever more diverse, therefore the way women are represented and stereotypically portrayed in the beauty industry has also changed. Why? Simply, because of advance technology and changes in societal attitudes and belief that it objectifies women as a "natural source". This investigation will arguably raise a debate as to how women are overtly sexualized in contemporary perfume advertisements such as Beyoncé Heat and YSL- Parisienne, and wither it treats women as objects so that it can attract the audience’s attention and sell its product globally (McLuhan). However, some will argue as a oppositional reading (Hall-Reception theory) that women are sexualized in perfume adverts because "sex sell," but some will criticize this and argue that it may be to convey a message of misogyny. This is so that the media effect such as the cultivation theory is used to have an impact on the passive younger audiences or simply because it's a way for women to dominate the advertising industry.
In the 21st century advertisements, perfume adverts have portrayed women as weaker and fetishistically, in which this case it represents the modern society in the West as being uncivilized. Like, Edward Syed put forward the idea of orientalism- this is where the West is civilized and the East is uncivilized; audience can challenge this theory by arguing that women have become sexualized in countries which are civilized such as the UK. However, by portraying women like a sexual object in Western countries audiences can challenge this theory and argue that the UK is 'uncivilized'. For example, the way the demographics in Saudi Arabia will react to modern, western adverts to the demographic in US, will be completely different. As Hanna Rosin had stated: "In the West, meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been unimaginable even twenty years ago." The reason why contemporary media has changed the way women are represented and sexualised, is so that it can keep up with the way audiences read a text and to keep up with the consumer society, which is to be living in a rich and luxurious lifestyle (Dyer-consumer society).
Today's beauty industries have used women as a "object of fetishistic display" simply because 'sex sells'. This is so that it can appeal to both the mass and niche audiences, alongside "for male viewer's pleasures". This is because "when sexuality is used in advertising certain values and attitudes towards sex are being sold to consumers along with the product." Historically, perfume adverts such as Charlie-Revlon in the 1970's had their main focus on the product rather than the breast or buttocks of the women. It had also sexualized and objectified women less than adverts in today's society. For example, the advert had used more close-ups of the product and had the heroine (Vladimir Propp) in a silk jump suit, paying particular attention to her dialogue and not how she sexy she looked. Also, the silk dress she is wearing can connote (Barthes-connotation and denotation) purity and her virginity as to her being the innocent one, in comparison to the Beyoncé heat advert. This is where is Beyoncé is wearing a short, red, silk dress , the red silk however connotes 'heat' which links with the perfumes name and connotes how Beyoncé personally feels erotic and hot which attracts the 'male gaze' (Laura Mulvey). The comparison (Levi-Strauss Binary opposition) between these two adverts are that women back then were treated as being pure however, now they are treated as being a sexual toy who are there to benefit men. For example the makeup used is also natural which gives her a clear look and enable her to look attractive but to denotes a sense of self-respect as to how "young women are especially susceptible to objectification, as they are often taught that power, respect, and wealth can be derived from one's outward appearance." This is why Charlie-Revlon had used the women in a dominating role rather than the women undressing herself as the zeitgeist reflects back to the 'spirit of the age'. An example, can be the 1961 advert "That touch of perfume" by Avon, this advert had used diegetic sound of the women speaking which informed (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that women were given equal chances and were treated as important as men. In contrast, to the a Yves Saint Laurent advert- Parisienne, this advert had used diegetic sound of Moss erotically expressing erotic sounds and conveying that she is gaining feeling pleasure from the male touching her, however the audiences cannot see who the male is which creates further enigma (Barthes), but the scene continues with the male touching her and drives the "narrative forward."
As a preferred reading (Reception theory- Stuart Hall) this can connote that women are always there to benefit men, but it can also connote Towards the middle (Todorov-Narrative structure) of the narrative is that by having her body positioned where the male position is "active and female position is passive". Moreover, this advert also shows how sexualisation of women has changed because "the media has changed, and people’s attitudes have changed." Reflecting back into the 1970's, if audiences had seen Beyoncé’s heat advert then, they may have felt shocked as to how they are degrading women and sexualising them. On the other hand, if the audiences see the Revlon advert today they may not appeal to it as much as the Beyoncé's advert. This is because attitude have changed and the way audiences want to perceive a text has also changed due to them "Passively inviting our gaze," as older generation audiences such as old men, who are dependent on the media will watch this advert on moving image platform (T.V.) and wouldn't question about the negative portrayal of women and just would accept that it is a norm.
On the contrary, the media may not be to blame, as to why women are overtly sexualized negatively in contemporary perfume adverts. Post-feminists will argue that both men and women have equal power and that society has moved from being patriarchal to a post-feminist era, where both genders are given the same equal opportunity in the advertisement arena. This is because it clearly depends on the heroine (Vladimir Propp-character type) itself is and how she wants society to see her being represented as, simply because there are a two ways (Reception theory-Stuart Hall) in which the audiences will read a text:. For example, from a males perspective they believe that "women want to be treated as sex objects," due to some stereotypes being true (Perkins-some stereotypes are true). Whereas, modern female audiences as an oppositional reading may suggest that some women willingly choose themselves to sexualise by using a phallic symbol in order to add emphasis on their sexuality this is because if she doesn't use her sexuality to sell the product then it can interpret that she lacks “femininity ". For example, Advertising Standards Authority had banned the perfume advert 'Oh Lola' by Marc Jacobs that featured a young teenager both in print media platform and moving image, by holding a perfume advert in between her thighs which was a phallic symbol emphasizing on her sexuality. The shot on the poster was in a long shot which enabled the audiences to see her body and her size eight figure, alongside the use of a short dress allowed audiences to focus on the phallic symbol and add emphasis to her legs. However, the Guardian stated that "41% of parents" claimed that the programs that had appeared before 9pm had contained unsuitable and inappropriate sexual content for children.
This had therefore, been banned because it was promoting sexualization of children and injecting negative messages in to younger audiences as to how they should behave and act in a certain way as the hypodermic needle theory suggests "that audiences are affected by what they see in the media"(Hypodermic needle- Katz and Lazarsfield). Despite this, the Daily mail had stated that the position she was in was "sexually provocative" which could then suggest that if young girls in the media are overtly sexualized alongside holding phallic symbols to attract the 'male gaze' but can have a "negative influence on girls' healthy development ", as it promoted anorexia to. This advert had also received a lot of complaints from the audiences and was stated by ASA that the 'giant bottle was provoking but not indecent,' which means that some images of women might be "reactionary or damaging or oppressive".
On the other hand, a pluralistic ideology will argue that some audiences are intelligent enough to not accept what they see being advertised and will not believe in what you can achieve by consuming the perfume. However, by overtly sexualizing women in perfume advert this may encourage women to take a social progress which can be "measured by the social position of the female sex." This means that audiences that see the advert as being inspirational can purchase this product and can make a social progress and can gain power with the use of their external image. Feminists will put forward the idea that the advertising industry exploits women so that it can sell its products and to serve the personal "pleasures" of men that they want to see. However, overtly sexualizing women in perfume adverts can be criticized as to how 'Femininity is not typically a core value for women today" as clearly depends on individualism. This is because we live in a post-modernist society, and therefore it is possible for females to choose what and how they want to look like in adverts as it is just a performance that "women choose to employ in everyday life" either for pleasures or to achieve a goal. Nevertheless, Dr Zurbriggen suggests that today's society should replace negative images of women in positive setting and show girls in a "uniqueness and competence" way. This is because it can have a negative impact on younger audiences who are passive and can create a moral panic in the media (Cohen) as to how perfume adverts have influenced young girls to wear makeup, heels and sexy dress, so that they can invite "the male gaze" and the male audiences can feel entertained and escapism (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz).
Moreover, the development of technology has enabled perfume institutions to reach to a mass audience and to target different socio-economic and countries globally, as McLuhan stated that "the medium is the message". Allowing products to reach to audiences quickly worldwide will increase the income for the institutions and will enable audiences to identify (Blumler and Katz) the product quickly. The media therefore have to sell their products in the modern industry by using more than one media platform. Rapid growths of social network sites have increased because of technology. As audiences have become more socially addicted to lean forwards media such as social networks the use of synergy enables them to identify (Blumler and Katz-uses and gratification) with the product as they may have seen it on television before. For example, Beyoncé’s heat adverts there are pictures featuring the singer used in the advert and videos of the advert on Facebook. Audiences can also see adverts on any media platform they like and have a variety of choices in how they perceive a text e.g. Print, E-media and Moving image. On the other hand, institutions have to be careful as to what platform they choose because "people's attitudes have changed" and if they keep using constantly the same images of women being sexualised or the same advert being broadcasted repeatedly, some audiences may complain as to how it is having a negative impact on audiences. For example, by using the E-media platform such as social networks-Facebook users can be targeted at easily and reach out to a mass audience, the primary audiences would be teenagers 13-17 years old who are mainly using Facebook and Twitter the most in order to gain access to up-to-date information. However, social networks enable audiences to get more information about the product and if they want to participate in a debate or post a comment they can sign up to the perfume adverts official homepage. However, the fact that male audiences can also leave comments that they see as being appropriate but is actually sexualizing women and objectifying them, this can be seen as scopophilia as to how men will look at women for sexual drive. The advantage is that the institution can sell and advertise the product online as well and target different generations which is an effective way to connect with consumers. Allowing audiences from around the global to get interactive with institution of the product is also beneficial for publicity to be created and virally spread.
In contrast, an example of how perfume adverts sexualize women in the Moving advert can be the advert YSL- featuring Kate Moss. This advert was broadcasted by a UGC (user generated content) on YouTube by a fan. Once, the way audiences would have received a text was by passively accepting what’s on T.V. However, technology has enabled audiences to no longer see text passively but also become users to. This advert had sexualised women in many ways for example; the extreme close-up shot had been used towards the middle of the narrative (Todorov-Narrative structure). The type of focus used was a shallow focus and this was where the camera was mainly focused on Kate Moss' neck as she was using the prop of a flower as a way of her imagining that it is male figure that is sexually touching her up. This shot had been used in order to enable audiences to believe that if they had purchased this product they too can have their partner to act seduced and feel erotic. The producer had also used this shot so that the audiences can focus on the prop used- a white rose as being a sexual weapon as to wherever she touches herself with it is a way that reminds her of the man touching her. This can link as to how when she used the rose to touch herself, the edit transforms this as a montage editing into the next shot were the audiences can see only a pair of hand and the male figure is active and the female is passive. Which clearly suggests that women are often represented in ads from an explicitly sexual angle: their desirability is what sells. However, the way adverts have sexualized women has changed since the 1960's this can be proved by the advert Chanel N0.5 commercial. This advert was different compared to adverts today as the main focus of the advert was to give the women sophistication and giving the women a professional look. However, the difference is that the Beyoncé and YSL advert had sexualized women as the emphasis was given as to how erotic they feel. Therefore, the way society has changed is that audiences in today's society easily accepts what is shown on the screen without challenging (some do) The effect modern perfume adverts would have on the audiences of the 19th century would have been shocked and how women are exploited with their body .
Furthermore, the last platform used by institutions is the Print platform this is where the Heat perfume advert had used Beyoncé in a seductive pose and had overtly sexualized her. This poster had used Beyoncé in direct-mode of address which connotes as a preferred reading (Hall-reception theory) that she wants to have power but realistically it is a way to get the audience to feel that she is inviting the audience’s attention as Mulvey stated that it was . The way she is posing by lying down with her legs open can connote that she feels passionately turned on. Moreover, the way her hair is highlighted in blonde can connote that she is maybe putting on a white mask (Frantz-Fanon), this is because it "the dumb blonde stereotype is common, in Western societies at least, because it serves the purpose of the patriarchal ideology". Audiences can see that Beyoncé is represented as the stereotypical 'dumb blonde' which exists in western societies, as it serves the patriarchal ideology. The shot used is a long shot which enable audiences to see her short silk red dress which connotes heat (brands name) and gives her a sexy look as to the male audiences can voyeur on her (Laura Mulvey). However, in the 1960's perfume posters were completely different to the Beyoncé heat advert. For example, the poster of Coty L'Aimant Perfume Ad in 1960 original vintage Ad, had used the perfume as the main intention as to the shot types of the women and the perfume are both the same size.
On the other hand, in Beyoncé’s ad the main focus is on her and the product has been used in a small shot which connotes that the product is not as important as Beyoncé, who is trying to attract the audience’s attention. For example, the Guardian (online site) had stated that 'sexually provocative Beyoncé advert is ruled unsuitable kids' and ASA said that the "perfume advert should not have been shown during family programming and should now be aired only after 7.30pm". This shows that the institutions care more about how much profit they make rather than how they sexualise women and how they harm others e.g. younger audiences by not waiting to broadcast something after watershed. Broadcasting adverts that contain sexual imagery and treats women as objects is better to be broadcasted after 7.30pm as targets the main primary audiences who are adults mainly. In Dominick and Rauch study (1974) conwe haven't really changed that much since the Victorian times-we are offended by band manners and nudityducted 1000 prime time television commercials and found that the sex objects and housewife/ mother role stereotypes also existed in that medium. Statistically, this informs and educates (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) the audiences that the study carried out by these two people had identified that even on Prime time television commercials found women stereotypically represented as sexual objects.
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Furthermore, sexualisation of women can also link with symbolic annihilation which means that women are underrepresented and their interests are not being "accurately reflected by the mass media." This can either done by race, sex. socio-economic status or sexual orientation. Gaye Tuchman, a media feminist had argued that, television annihilates women and informs (Blumler and Katz society that women are weak and are a "fetished object" in comparison to overwhelming representing men in positive way in all kinds of moving image platform as "men are usually shown to be dominate, whereas women are shown to be submissive and passive". However, from a Marxist point of view they will argue that "advertising is a means of reproducing the existing capitalist society". This indicates that advertising carries out "crucial economic functions in managing consumer demand and in aiding capital accumulation, but it also helps to produce the sort of ideological ambience required by consumer capitalism." This can then inform audiences (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that advertising only benefits the Bourgeoisie, not simply because they "own the means of productions" but because they exploit the proletariat to produce profit so that it can support the dominate ruling-class ideology and helps the elite in society to maintain power and hegemonic control. Moreover, perfume institutions overtly sexualising women in order to sell their product so that the elite can have power and gain profit from the way they have sexualized the female. This therefore, informs us that adverts cannot be sold successfully without overtly sexualizing women as it will decrease the power of the bourgeoisie.
On the other hand, it can be argued that adverts have not just overtly sexualized women but has also created a sense of hyper reality (Baudrillard). For example, the way Kate Moss is erotically touching herself in her bedroom with the use of low-key lighting can influence the audience's mood and can relate to what can happen to a women at night due to the scent of the perfume (Uses and Gratfication-Blumler and Katz). The institution has not only used a male actors hand touching Kate Moss but, as an oppositional reading (Stuart Hall- Reception theory) it may be argued that the fact only a pair of hands have been shown creates enigma (Barth) and enables male audiences to feel as if they are the person who is in the situation. Some audiences however will view this as the institution trying to create a sense of hyper-reality where the simulacra has been replaced so that audiences can be persuaded to believe that this is what the product can do to you.
In conclusion, research has proven that to some extent women are overtly sexualized in contemporary perfume adverts simply because the way women are constantly objectified by male viewers and the fact that "you can do whatever you want to them" simply because they are "not real people, their dolls". However, the in-depth research has given an insight into how the advertising industry works and how women themselves accept these negative stereotypes placed upon them simply because women by virtue lack . On the other hand, the independent research has enabled to conclude that the advertising industry institution have tried to sell their products without sex appeal however by not having any sort of sex appeal adverts cannot be sold effectively. This is because the modern society has changed and the way a audience want to perceive (Stuart Hall-reception theory) a text has also changed. Some adverts enable audiences to feel a sense of identification (Blumler and Katz- uses and gratification) so that they can appeal to different audiences but also a sense of misogyny simply because "Frailty , thy name is women" which suggests that women lack inequalities that men have. Therefore, some challenge these boundaries and "replace all of these sexualized images" by replacing girls in "Positive settings" as "gender is performative".
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Bibliography
Books:
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Documents
Online newspapers:
Named No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this- Thursday 13 September 2007 Article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing - used it for opening line
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/02/music-videos-face-crackdown-sexualised-content Media Guardian Music videos get crackdown over sexualized content- used statistic for how many parents:
The Guardian: No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2059097/Dakota-Fannings-sexually-provocative-perfume-ad-banned.html
Sexualisation of Girls in the media is harmful http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php
The big ideas podcast- The medium is the message http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/audio/2011/jul/20/big-ideas-podcast-medium-message
'Sexually provocative' Beyoncé ad ruled unsuitable for kids http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/17/beyonce-heat-ad
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18243577 - Are these the most offensive ads of all time?
Moving image texts (Adverts)
Charlie Revlon commercial 1970’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sn8H42FZcI&safe=active
Enjolie commercial 1980’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_uhUhqrbk
That touch of perfume Avon- commercial 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAfQP4WpaNs
Jontue perfume commercial 1983 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDsPLNT2qq0&safe=active
Chanel no.5 1984 commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx3Na_7inPI&safe=active
Beyonce Heat commercial 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76lPciEip3A&safe=active
Kate Moss Parisienne 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SrqSc-GHS0&safe=active
Codes of gender- Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX5WwmMkESQ
Codes of gender- Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX5WwmMkESQ
University links used
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070813/ Analyses of broadcast media content indicate that, on average, teenaged viewers see 143 incidents of sexual behaviour on network television at prime time each week- Louis Harris & Associates, Inc. Sexual material on American network television during the 1987-88 season. New York (NY): Planned Parenthood Federation of America; 1988.
Online Links
MediaEdu- Gender theory Jeremy Orlebar
sex sells- http://www.frankwbaker.com/sex_in_media.htm
http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell6.htm -Illuminations
http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell6.htm - illuminations
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/b/o.htm#bourgeois-society Marxist glossary
Gender theory Jeremy Orlebar- gender is performative
sexualisation of girls in the media is harmful
hhtp:/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php
Work consulted
http://www.mybodybeautiful.co.uk/Sexualisation%20of%20Society/Sexual_Objectification_Page1.htm My body beautiful
http://www.equalitynow.org/ru/node/1495 Levson enquiry challenging representations of women in the media
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php SexualizationOf Girls In The Media Is Harmful
http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Balliols_Rib_Low-Res_PDF.pdf- Balliols Ribs/ article about gender and inequality
University sites or academic papers
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/Study_Departments/SIG_Gender_SexCulture_Julia_Dane.pdf- article about girls running the world or growing up to fast
http://www.winchester.ac.uk/research/attheuniversity/FacultiesofHumanitiesandSocialSciences/CentreforGenderStudies/Documents/Evans%20abstract.pdf- an abstract about sexualised representations of women
"Pleasure in looking at another person as an erotic subject".
quotes
Postcolonial representations
of women: Critical issues for Education by Rachel Bailey Jones: “Women
objectified as natural source." PAGE 11 this quotation not only can interpret how
sexualising women is so natural in today’s society but in the modern society
too. It can also inform audiences (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz)
that by objectifying women it is natural and acceptable. Also, this quotation
can enable audiences to be aware that there is nothing wrong in objectifying
women and that it has become the norm in today’s society.
Hanna Rosin- The End of Men 2012: “In the West,
meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been
unimaginable even twenty years ago.”Page 6 this quotation connotes how changes in society has occurred both
socially and historically. This is because twenty years ago representations of
women were different; this is because they were represented as lady-like e.g.
men used kiss women’s hand. However, this has changed because the way women are
sexualised today has happened to have a big impact on today’s society. This is
because women are now not only changing by the way they behave but becoming more
sexually aggressive. An example can be that in perfume adverts are always
portraying women and men sexually fighting and acting more seductive. This
quote summarises the fact that as timed as changed public views on certain
things have changed to, this means that it is much more acceptable for women to
behave sexually aggressive in today’s society as it challenges the way they are
represented other ads.
Introducing Feminism 2012 A Graphic guide:
“Patriarchal refers to power relations in which women’s interests are
subordinated(less) to the interest of men.” Page 4 this quotation can interpret to the readers that patriarchy refers
to men always being dominating over women and that women are always oppressed
in every way. This can interpret that
because women are so used to how they are sexualised, they therefore only are
there to serve the interests of men.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Frailty, thy name is
women!” page 7 this quotation can be interpreted in many ways, firstly
it can refer to how women are so weak and innocent and that it is easy possible
to exploit them for sexual reason. Also, it can connote that women are always
represented as being weak and that this representation will stick to them. This
can be done through the high-angel shots of women as they are always below the
men and are always controlled by them.
Aristotle: “women were women by virtue of a certain
lack of equalities.” Page 5 this
can interpret as an oppositional reading (Stuart Hall) that because women are
not like men, they will therefore face inequality in society and those that
will always be treated different to men and can face misogyny in society due to
their gender.
Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema 2008 Carolina
Hein: “Women are regarded as objects of fetishistic display for male viewer’s
pleasures.” Page 4 this quotation can link with theorist Laura Mulvey as to
how women are always exploited and used as sexual objects for men to either
voyeur on them or to use them for their own means. This quotation informed
audiences that women are like a toy- they can be controlled from doing anything
and that they are always on display for a reason. The word fetishistic could
interpret can convey that women are always dressed sexually, and area given
roles that objectify them sexually and weaker than men- which means that they
are always there for a reason.
“Male position with
active and female position as passive.” Page
4 This actually explains to
the audiences how women are sexualised in ads and that there is always a type
of positioning which connotes that men are dominating and powerful than women
as to how they are always accept how they are controlled. The word ‘active’,
can connote how men are the one that play the game and that women are the
‘passive’ ones and will accept what happens to them.
"Young women are
especially susceptible to objectification, as they are often taught that power, respect,
and wealth can be derived from
one's outward appearance."
This links with the perfume ads as
younger women who are objectified in Perfume ads are powerful, wealthy and
respectful however, their appearance is what still attracts the male audiences
as to believe that they are only there for a reason and that they can see that
by the women dressed sexually they can have the right to still voyeur on them.
"Pro-feminist cultural critics such as Robert
Jensen and Sut Jhally accuse mass media and
advertising of promoting the objectification of women to help promote goods and
services."
Judith Butler’s
work on gender is set out in Gender Trouble (1990).
From Articles:
1.
The
Guardian: No wonder men treat us as sex
objects if we act like this
“It is no
wonder a lot of men now genuinely believe that women want to be treated as sex
objects.” This
concludes what women want to be treated like- sex objects however; this can
raise debates as to how women do not want to be treated like this and that
these are just the typical stereotyping of women. It can also interpret that society is now
used to women being treated as women however an oppositional reading can be
that Perkins will argue that that some stereotypes are true as to how some
women do like to be treated like this and have a negative representation than
no representation at all.
"The
beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats,
it exploits women."
This
links to the idea of how adverts lie about what you can become out of this
product if you purchase it. It also
informs audiences that adverts never tell the truth and in order for an
institution to sell its product it has to trick it’s audiences to by making the
models look more attractive so that other women can purchase the product, which
then means that women are only there for a show and that they are exploited by
brands to encourage audiences to purchase the product.
2. Are these most offensive
ads of all time?
“Over the last five decades the ASA has
dealt with around 431,000 complaints - 31,000 were lodged in 2011 alone.”
"We haven't really
changed that much since the Victorian times - we are offended by bad manners
and nudity,"
This article informs the
audiences with the statistics of how many complaints the ASA had received. It
also points out how socially nudity has changed and what impact it had back in
the Victorian era and how society reacts towards these representation of women
in today's society.
Reflection on gender and equality http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Balliols_Rib_Low-Res_PDF.pdf
‘Woman is more compassionate than man, more easily moved to
tears, at the same time is more jealous, more querulous, more apt to scold and to strike.
She is, furthermore, more prone to despondency and less hopeful than the man, more void of shame or
self-respect, more false of speech, more deceptive, and of more
retentive memory. She is also more wakeful, more shrinking, more difficult to
rouse to action, and requires a smaller quantity of
What
Aristotle is summarising in this quote is how women are always more emotionally
stronger than men. It also enables audiences to be aware of how women are more
suited to the expressive role which is to look after the family and to supporting
the family through emotional times. However, it also informs audiences to some
extent that men are better in a way as they can handle all this criticisms made about men, which proves that all the
things women are weak at men are not.
Sexualisation of Girls in the Media Is Harmful
“The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today
are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls' healthy
development."
What this quotation from the news article informs its audiences, is
how sexualizing women in today’s media is more likely to have a big impact on
its audiences.
"As a
society, we need to replace all of these sexualized images with ones showing
girls in positive settings - ones that show the uniqueness and competence of
girls," said Dr Zurbriggen
This
quotation can summaries how society should change both the way women are
portrayed and how women should challenge these to become unique from the
stereotypical representation.
TV DOCUMENTARIES:
CODES
OF GENDER
“There not real people, there dolls so
you can do whatever you want to them.”
What this quotation connotes(Barthes) is
that because women are treated only as sex objects and pleasure for the male
audiences therefore we as an audience can do whatever we want with them. This
means that they have no control over their life and that they can be controlled
easily. This quote can also link with the Feminist theory as they believe that
women are always exploited for sexual reasons and that they are always there to
attract the male gaze (Laura Mulvey).
Google scholar:
http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=9532
The critics state that the women shown in ads are too often "only housewives;" stupid or incompetent; dependent on men; decorative or sex objects; passive; and not involved in making major decisions.
This can link with my critical investigation as it informs audiences that women portrayed in television ads really do not have much of say in what they are asked to perform and that they have a particular role which is to be on display performing the obvious roles that society like to see.
Dominick
and Rauch (1974) conducted a study of 1,000 prime time television commercials
and found that the sex object and housewife/mother role stereotypes also
existed in that medium.
This can link with my critical investigation as it informs and
educates the audiences that the study carried out by these two people had
identified that even on prime time television commericials found women
stereotypically represented as sexual objects.
MediaEdu:
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/gender-theory/
‘Femininity is not typically a core value for women today. Instead, being ‘feminine’ is just one of the performances that women choose to employ in everyday life – perhaps for pleasure, or to achieve a particular goal.’
This links with my case study as to how women in perfume ads may choose to act seductive and erotic not to be stereotypically a weak women who has no power over what she is doing but in order to achieve a particular goal and that may be to challenge men. This quote can also be interpreted in a different way as it may connote that not every women plays the typical role of being feminine as some challenege these quotation by going agaisnt this stereotypical representation and becoming independant.
Media Magazine:
inforgrapghic
MediaEdu:
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/gender-theory/
‘Femininity is not typically a core value for women today. Instead, being ‘feminine’ is just one of the performances that women choose to employ in everyday life – perhaps for pleasure, or to achieve a particular goal.’
This links with my case study as to how women in perfume ads may choose to act seductive and erotic not to be stereotypically a weak women who has no power over what she is doing but in order to achieve a particular goal and that may be to challenge men. This quote can also be interpreted in a different way as it may connote that not every women plays the typical role of being feminine as some challenege these quotation by going agaisnt this stereotypical representation and becoming independant.
Media Magazine:
inforgrapghic
Thursday, 15 November 2012
five books
Postcolonial representations of women:Critical issues for
Education By Rachel Bailey Jones PAGE 11: " Women objectified
as natural source."
Gender and the Media by Rosalind Gill page 14
"it is perfectly possible to agree in one's head that certain
images of women might be reactioanry or damaging or oppressive while
remaining committed to them in emotion or desire".
Thursday 10 January 2013
Tutorial Targets 10/1/13
1. Break down essay plan: Bullet points, subheadings
2. Complete essay plan-cover marxism more detail
3. Consider in conclusion:
*Negative sexualised stereotypes- help maintain patriachy media dominated by men.
*Helps reinforce status quo
*Post-Feminist society
-Women choose to perform particular roles, men and women now equal
-women actively embracing femininity- self representation
4. Spelling
5. Add Footnotes now: bib me
work cited= any work you researched but cant use
interet link
bibliograpghy =longer
footnote- shorter
2. Complete essay plan-cover marxism more detail
3. Consider in conclusion:
*Negative sexualised stereotypes- help maintain patriachy media dominated by men.
*Helps reinforce status quo
*Post-Feminist society
-Women choose to perform particular roles, men and women now equal
-women actively embracing femininity- self representation
4. Spelling
5. Add Footnotes now: bib me
work cited= any work you researched but cant use
interet link
bibliograpghy =longer
footnote- shorter
Task 5
Task5
Detailed Essay Plan for Media A2/ Mest 4 Coursework By Chandni Chopra 13yWorking title
How are women overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertising, paying particular attention to adverts such as Beyoncé’s 'Heat' advert and YSL advert featuring Kate Moss.
Angle:
What effect do these over-sexualised adverts have on today's diverse society and younger audiences? Does this conveys the message of misogynist or is to attract the audience’s attention?
Hypothesis:
Radical Feminists will argue that adverts have represented women as being weak, over-sexualised and as sexual objects; however, institutions have continued to do this and will in order to keep its target audiences interested.
Introduction:
“The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women."
Postmodernists will argue that society has become ever more diverse, therefore the way women are represented and stereotypically portrayed in the beauty industry has also changed. Why? Simply, because of advance technology and changes in societal attitudes and belief that it objectifies women as a "natural source". This investigation will arguably raise a debate as to how women are overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertisements such as Beyoncé Heat and YSL- Parisienne, and wither it treats women as objects so that it can attract the audience’s attention and sell its product globally (McLuhan). However, some will argue as a oppositional reading (Hall-Reception theory) that women are sexualised in perfume adverts because "sex sell," but some will criticise this and argue that it may be to convey a message of misogyny. This is so that the media effect such as the cultivation theory is used to have an impact on the passive younger audiences or simply because it's a way for women to dominate the advertising industry. Theory, Representation, Gender, Quotes,
First paragraph: Compare old adverts to now
Edward Syed-Orientalism
In the 21st century advertisements, perfume adverts have portrayed women as weaker and fetishistically, in which this case it represents the modern society in the West as being uncivilized. Like, Edward Syed put forward the idea of orientalism- this is where the West is civilized and the East is uncivilized; audience can challenge this theory by arguing that women have become sexualised in countries which are civilized such as the UK. However, by portraying women like a sexual object in Western countries audiences can challenge this theory and argue that the UK is 'uncivilized'.
Example and what style audiences it targets
For example, the way the demographics in Saudi Arabia will react to modern, western adverts to the demographic in US, will be completely different. As Hanna Rosin had stated: "In the West, meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been unimaginable even twenty years ago." The reason why contemporary media has changed the way women are represented and sexualised, is so that it can keep up with the way audiences read a text and to keep up with the consumer society, which is to be living in a rich and luxurious lifestyle (Dyer-consumer society).
How women are sexualised and why
Today's beauty industries have used women as a "object of fetishistic display" simply because 'sex sells'. This is so that it can appeal to both the mass and niche audiences, alongside "for male viewer's pleasures". This is because "when sexuality is used in advertising certain values and attitudes towards sex are being sold to consumers along with the product."
Historically advert and how it is different to Beyonce advert and how it sexualises women
Historically, perfume adverts such as Charlie-Revlon in the 1970's had their main focus on the product rather than the breast or buttocks of the women. It had also sexualised and objectified women less than adverts in today's society. For example, the advert had used more close-ups of the product and had the heroine (Vladimir Propp) in a silk jump suit, paying particular attention to her dialogue and not how she sexy she looked. Also, the silk dress she is wearing can connote (Barthes-connotation and denotation) purity and her virginity as to her being the innocent one, in comparison to the Beyoncé heat advert. This is where is Beyoncé is wearing a short, red, silk dress , the red silk however connotes 'heat' which links with the perfumes name and connotes how Beyoncé personally feels erotic and hot which attracts the 'male gaze' (Laura Mulvey).
The comparison between the two texts
The comparison (Levi-Strauss Binary opposition) between these two adverts are that women back then were treated as being pure however, now they are treated as being a sexual toy who are there to benefit men. For example the makeup used is also natural which gives her a clear look and enable her to look attractive but to denotes a sense of self-respect as to how "young women are especially susceptible to objectification, as they are often taught that power, respect, and wealth can be derived from one's outward appearance." This is why Charlie-Revlon had used the women in a dominating role rather than the women undressing herself as the zeitgeist reflects back to the 'spirit of the age'. An example, can be the 1961 advert "That touch of perfume" by Avon, this advert had used diegetic sound of the women speaking which informed (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that women were given equal chances and were treated as important as men. In contrast, to the a Yves Saint Laurent advert- Parisienne, this advert had used diegetic sound of Moss erotically expressing erotic sounds and conveying that she is gaining feeling pleasure from the male touching her, however the audiences cannot see who the male is which creates further enigma (Barthes), but the scene continues with the male touching her and drives the "narrative forward."
How sexualisation in adverts has changed links direxctly to previous paragrapgh
An preferred reading (Reception theory- Stuart Hall) this can connote that women are always there to benefit men, but it can also connote Towards the middle (Todorov-Narrative structure) of the narrative is that by having her body positioned where the male position is "active and female position is passive". Moreover, this advert also shows how sexualisation of women has changed because "the media has changed, and people’s attitudes have changed." Reflecting back into the 1970's, if audiences had seen Beyoncé’s heat advert then, they may have felt shocked as to how they are degrading women and sexualising them.
How both the two advert: historical one and modern one, target different audiences
On the other hand, if the audiences see the Revlon advert today they may not appeal to it as much as the Beyoncé’s advert. This is because attitude have changed and the way audiences want to perceive a text has also changed due to them "Passively inviting our gaze," as older generation audiences such as old men, who are dependent on the media will watch this advert on moving image platform (T.V.) and wouldn't question about the negative portrayal of women and just would accept that it is a norm. Theory, Representation, historical context, makeup used, shot type used, audience.
Second Paragraph:
This paragrapgh is on the post-feminst society and the negative stereotypes
On the contrary, the media may not be to blame, as to why women are overtly sexualised negatively in contemporary perfume adverts. Post-feminists will argue that both men and women have equal power and that society has moved from being patriarchal to a post-feminist era, where both genders are given the same equal opportunity in the advertisement arena. This is because it clearly depends on the heroine (Vladimir Propp-character type) itself is and how she wants society to see her being represented as, simply because there are a two ways (Reception theory-Stuart Hall) in which the audiences will read a text:. For example, from a males perspective they believe that "women want to be treated as sex objects," due to some stereotypes being true (Perkins-some stereotypes are true). Whereas, modern female audiences as an oppositional reading may suggest that some women willingly choose themself to sexualise by using a phallic symbol in order to add emphasis on their sexuality this is because if she doesn't use her sexuality to sell the product then it can interpret that she lacks “femininity ". For example, Advertising Standards Authority had banned the perfume advert 'Oh Lola' by Marc Jacobs that featured a young teenager both in print media platform and moving image, by holding a perfume advert in between her thighs which was a phallic symbol emphasising on her sexuality. The shot on the poster was in a long shot which enabled the audiences to see her body and her size eight figure, alongside the use of a short dress allowed audiences to focus on the phallic symbol and add emphasis to her legs.
Why the advert was band, for influencing audiences
How some audiences will believe that adverts are true and some will know that it exploits and cheats them
On the other hand, a pluralistic ideology will argue that some audiences are intelligent enough to not accept what they see being advertised and will not believe in what you can achieve by consuming the perfume. However, by overtly sexualising women in perfume advert this may encourage women to take a social progress which can be "measured by the social position of the female sex." This means that audiences that see the advert as being aspirational can purchase this product and can make a social progress and can gain power with the use of their external image. Feminists will put forward the idea that the advertising industry exploits women so that it can sell its products and to serve the personal "pleasures" of men that they want to see.
Makes link back to my essay title
However, overtly sexualising women in perfume adverts can be criticised as to how 'Femininity is not typically a core value for women today" as clearly depends on individualism. This is because we live in a post-modernist society, and therefore it is possible for females to choose what and how they want to look like in adverts as it is just a performance that "women choose to employ in everyday life" either for pleasures or to achieve a goal. Nevertheless, Dr Zurbriggen suggests that today's society should replace negative images of women in positive setting and show girls in a "uniqueness and competence" way. This is because it can have a negative impact on younger audiences who are passive and can create a moral panic in the media (Cohen) as to how perfume adverts have influenced young girls to wear makeup, heels and sexy dress, so that they can invite "the male gaze" and the male audiences can feel entertained and escapism (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz). Theories, sexualisation of women, example of advert, institution,
Third paragraph
How technology has developed making it easier for institutuions to sell products that sexualise women globally
Moreover, the development of technology has enabled perfume institutions to reach to a mass audience and to target different socio-economic and countries globally, as McLuhan stated that "the medium is the message". Allowing products to reach to audiences quickly worldwide will increase the income for the institutions and will enable audiences to identify (Blumler and Katz) the product quickly. The media therefore have to sell their products in the modern industry by using more than one media platform. Rapid growths of social network sites have increased because of technology. As audiences have become more socially addicted to lean forwards media such as social networks the use of synergy enables them to identify (Blumler and Katz-uses and gratification) with the product as they may have seen it on television before. For example, Beyoncé’s heat adverts there are pictures featuring the singer used in the advert and videos of the advert on Facebook. Audiences can also see adverts on any media platform they like and have a variety of choices in how they perceive a text e.g. Print, E-media and Moving image.
Why institutions use different platforms to target audiences and sexualise women
On the other hand, institutions have to be careful as to what platform they choose because "people's attitudes have changed" and if they keep using constantly the same images of women being sexualised or the same advert being broadcasted repeatedly, some audiences may complain as to how it is having a negative impact on audiences. For example, by using the E-media platform such as social networks-Facebook users can be targeted at easily and reach out to a mass audience, the primary audiences would be teenagers 13-17 years old who are mainly using Facebook and Twitter the most in order to gain access to up-to-date information. However, social networks enable audiences to get more information about the product and if they want to participate in a debate or post a comment they can sign up to the perfume adverts official homepage. However, the fact that male audiences can also leave comments that they see as being appropriate but is actually sexualising women and objectifying them, this can be seen as scopophilia as to how men will look at women for sexual drive. The advantage is that the institution can sell and advertise the product online as well and target different generations which is an effective way to connect with consumers. Allowing audiences from around the global to get interactive with institution of the product is also beneficial for publicity to be created and virally spread. Moving image platform, globally, technology and E-media platform
Fourth paragraph
Moving image on YOUTUBE
In contrast, an example of how perfume adverts sexualise women in the Moving advert can be the advert YSL- featuring Kate Moss. This advert was broadcasted by a UGC (user generated content) on YouTube by a fan. Once, the way audiences would have received a text was by passively accepting what’s on T.V. However, technology has enabled audiences to no longer see text passively but also become users to. This advert had sexualised women in many ways for example; the extreme close-up shot had been used towards the middle of the narrative (Todorov-Narrative structure). The type of focus used was a shallow focus and this was where the camera was mainly focused on Kate Moss' neck as she was using the prop of a flower as a way of her imagining that it is male figure that is sexually touching her up. This shot had been used in order to enable audiences to believe that if they had purchased this product they too can have their partner to act seduced and feel erotic. The producer had also used this shot so that the audiences can focus on the prop used- a white rose as being a sexual weapon as to wherever she touches herself with it is a way that reminds her of the man touching her. This can link as to how when she used the rose to touch herself, the edit transforms this as a montage editing into the next shot were the audiences can see only a pair of hand and the male figure is active and the female is passive. Which clearly suggests that "women are often represented in ads from an explicitly sexual angle: their desirability is what sells."
Makes links to historical adverts and how they have differences and similarities
However, the way adverts have sexualised women has changed since the 1960's this can be proved by the advert Chanel N0.5 commercial. This advert was different compared to adverts today as the main focus of the advert was to give the women sophistication and giving the women a professional look. However, the difference is that the Beyoncé and YSL advert had sexualised women as the emphasis was given as to how erotic they feel. Therefore, the way society has changed is that audiences in today's society easily accepts what is shown on the screen without challenging (some do) The effect modern perfume adverts would have on the audiences of the 19th century would have been shocked and how women are exploited with their bod . Print media platform, advert compared to another advert, shot type used, focus, prop, theory, moving image platform
Fifth paragraph
Print media platform
Furthermore, the last platform used by institutions is the Print platform this is where the Heat perfume advert had used Beyoncé in a seductive pose and had overtly sexualised her. This poster had used Beyoncé in direct-mode of address which connotes as a preferred reading (Hall-reception theory) that she wants to have power but realistically it is a way to get the audience to feel that she is inviting the audience’s attention as Mulvey stated that it was . The way she is posing by lying down with her legs open can connote that she feels passionately turned on. Moreover, the way her hair is highlighted in blonde can connote that she is maybe putting on a white mask (Frantz-Fanon), this is because it "the dumb blonde stereotype is common, in Western societies at least, because it serves the purpose of the patriarchal ideology". Audiences can see that Beyoncé is represented as the stereotypical 'dumb blonde' which exists in western societies, as it serves the patriarchal ideology. The shot used is a long shot which enable audiences to see her short silk red dress which connotes heat (brands name) and gives her a sexy look as to the male audiences can voyeur on her (Laura Mulvey).
Compare it to another historical advert
The 1960's perfume posters were completely different to the Beyoncé heat advert. For example, the poster of Coty L'Aimant Perfume Ad in 1960 original vintage Ad, had used the perfume as the main intention as to the shot types of the women and the perfume are both the same size.
Back to modern advert-HEAT and why it was banned and complaints
On the other hand, in Beyoncé’s ad the main focus is on her and the product has been used in a small shot which connotes that the product is not as important as Beyoncé, who is trying to attract the audience’s attention. For example, the Guardian (online site) had stated that "sexually provocative Beyoncé advert is ruled unsuitable kids" and ASA said that the "perfume advert should not have been shown during family programming and should now be aired only after 7.30pm". This shows that the institutions care more about how much profit they make rather than how they sexualise women and how they harm others e.g. younger audiences by not waiting to broadcast something after watershed. Broadcasting adverts that contain sexual imagery and treats women as objects is better to be broadcasted after 7.30pm as targets the main primary audiences who are adults mainly. In Dominick and Rauch study (1974) conducted 1000 prime time television commercials and found that the sex objects and housewife/ mother role stereotypes also existed in that medium. Statistically, this informs and educates (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) the audiences that the study carried out by these two people had identified that even on Prime time television commercials found women stereotypically represented as sexual objects. This also links well with how the ASA said "we haven't really changed that much since the Victorian times-we are offended by band manners and nudity”. Comparing old perfume advert to todays, ASA, Guardian, Case study, watershed and prime time, historically and socially, impact on audiences, print platform
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six paragrapgh
: Furthermore, sexualisation of women can also link with symbolic annihilation which means that women are underrepreented and their interests are not being "accurately reflected by the mass media." This can either done by race, sex. socio-economic status or sexual orientation. Gaye Tuchman, a media feminist had argued that, television annihilates women and informs (Blumler and Katz society that women are weak and are a "fetished object" incomparison to overwhelming representing men in positive way in all kinds of moving image platform as "men are usually shown to be dominate, whereas women are shown to be submissive and passive". However, from a Marxist point of view they will argue that "advertising is a means of reproducing the existing capitalist society". This indicates that advertising carries out "crucial economic functions in managing consumer demand and in aiding apital accumalation, but it also helps to produce the sort of ideological ambence required by consumer capitalism." This can then inform audiences (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that advertising only benefits the Bourgeoisie, not simply because they "own the means of productions" but because they exploit the proletariat to produce profit so that it can support the dominate ruling-class ideology and helps the elite in society to maintain power and hegemonic control. Moreover, perfume institutions overtly sexualising women in order to sell their product so that the elite can have power and gain profit from the way they have sexualised the female.This therefore, informs us that adverts cannot be sold successfully without overtly sexualising women as it will decrease the power of the bourgeoisie. Talks about symboic annihilation, marxism, theories
??
Seventh paragrapgh:
On the other hand, it can be argued that adverts have not just overtly sexualised women but has also created a sense of hyper reality (Baudrillard). For example, the way Kate Moss is erotically touching herself in her bedroom with the use of low-key lighting can influence the audience's mood and can relate to what can happen to a women at night due to the scent of the perfume (Uses and Gratfication-Blumler and Katz). The institution has not only used a male actors hand touching Kate Moss but, as an oppositional reading (Stuart Hall- Reception theory) it may be argued that the fact only a pair of hands have been shown creates enigma (Barth) and enables male audiences to feel as if they are the person who is in the situation. Some audiences however will view this as the institution trying to create a sense of hyper-reality where the simulacra has been replaced so that audiences can be persuaded to believe that this is what the product can do to you.
Conclusion:"There not real people, there dolls so you can do whatever you want to them". "Women were women by virtue of a certain lack of equalities."
"Frailty, thy name is women!"
Detailed Essay Plan for Media A2/ Mest 4 Coursework By Chandni Chopra 13yWorking title
How are women overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertising, paying particular attention to adverts such as Beyoncé’s 'Heat' advert and YSL advert featuring Kate Moss.
Angle:
What effect do these over-sexualised adverts have on today's diverse society and younger audiences? Does this conveys the message of misogynist or is to attract the audience’s attention?
Hypothesis:
Radical Feminists will argue that adverts have represented women as being weak, over-sexualised and as sexual objects; however, institutions have continued to do this and will in order to keep its target audiences interested.
Introduction:
“The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women."
Postmodernists will argue that society has become ever more diverse, therefore the way women are represented and stereotypically portrayed in the beauty industry has also changed. Why? Simply, because of advance technology and changes in societal attitudes and belief that it objectifies women as a "natural source". This investigation will arguably raise a debate as to how women are overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertisements such as Beyoncé Heat and YSL- Parisienne, and wither it treats women as objects so that it can attract the audience’s attention and sell its product globally (McLuhan). However, some will argue as a oppositional reading (Hall-Reception theory) that women are sexualised in perfume adverts because "sex sell," but some will criticise this and argue that it may be to convey a message of misogyny. This is so that the media effect such as the cultivation theory is used to have an impact on the passive younger audiences or simply because it's a way for women to dominate the advertising industry. Theory, Representation, Gender, Quotes,
First paragraph: Compare old adverts to now
Edward Syed-Orientalism
In the 21st century advertisements, perfume adverts have portrayed women as weaker and fetishistically, in which this case it represents the modern society in the West as being uncivilized. Like, Edward Syed put forward the idea of orientalism- this is where the West is civilized and the East is uncivilized; audience can challenge this theory by arguing that women have become sexualised in countries which are civilized such as the UK. However, by portraying women like a sexual object in Western countries audiences can challenge this theory and argue that the UK is 'uncivilized'.
Example and what style audiences it targets
For example, the way the demographics in Saudi Arabia will react to modern, western adverts to the demographic in US, will be completely different. As Hanna Rosin had stated: "In the West, meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been unimaginable even twenty years ago." The reason why contemporary media has changed the way women are represented and sexualised, is so that it can keep up with the way audiences read a text and to keep up with the consumer society, which is to be living in a rich and luxurious lifestyle (Dyer-consumer society).
How women are sexualised and why
Today's beauty industries have used women as a "object of fetishistic display" simply because 'sex sells'. This is so that it can appeal to both the mass and niche audiences, alongside "for male viewer's pleasures". This is because "when sexuality is used in advertising certain values and attitudes towards sex are being sold to consumers along with the product."
Historically advert and how it is different to Beyonce advert and how it sexualises women
Historically, perfume adverts such as Charlie-Revlon in the 1970's had their main focus on the product rather than the breast or buttocks of the women. It had also sexualised and objectified women less than adverts in today's society. For example, the advert had used more close-ups of the product and had the heroine (Vladimir Propp) in a silk jump suit, paying particular attention to her dialogue and not how she sexy she looked. Also, the silk dress she is wearing can connote (Barthes-connotation and denotation) purity and her virginity as to her being the innocent one, in comparison to the Beyoncé heat advert. This is where is Beyoncé is wearing a short, red, silk dress , the red silk however connotes 'heat' which links with the perfumes name and connotes how Beyoncé personally feels erotic and hot which attracts the 'male gaze' (Laura Mulvey).
The comparison between the two texts
The comparison (Levi-Strauss Binary opposition) between these two adverts are that women back then were treated as being pure however, now they are treated as being a sexual toy who are there to benefit men. For example the makeup used is also natural which gives her a clear look and enable her to look attractive but to denotes a sense of self-respect as to how "young women are especially susceptible to objectification, as they are often taught that power, respect, and wealth can be derived from one's outward appearance." This is why Charlie-Revlon had used the women in a dominating role rather than the women undressing herself as the zeitgeist reflects back to the 'spirit of the age'. An example, can be the 1961 advert "That touch of perfume" by Avon, this advert had used diegetic sound of the women speaking which informed (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) that women were given equal chances and were treated as important as men. In contrast, to the a Yves Saint Laurent advert- Parisienne, this advert had used diegetic sound of Moss erotically expressing erotic sounds and conveying that she is gaining feeling pleasure from the male touching her, however the audiences cannot see who the male is which creates further enigma (Barthes), but the scene continues with the male touching her and drives the "narrative forward."
How sexualisation in adverts has changed links direxctly to previous paragrapgh
An preferred reading (Reception theory- Stuart Hall) this can connote that women are always there to benefit men, but it can also connote Towards the middle (Todorov-Narrative structure) of the narrative is that by having her body positioned where the male position is "active and female position is passive". Moreover, this advert also shows how sexualisation of women has changed because "the media has changed, and people’s attitudes have changed." Reflecting back into the 1970's, if audiences had seen Beyoncé’s heat advert then, they may have felt shocked as to how they are degrading women and sexualising them.
How both the two advert: historical one and modern one, target different audiences
On the other hand, if the audiences see the Revlon advert today they may not appeal to it as much as the Beyoncé’s advert. This is because attitude have changed and the way audiences want to perceive a text has also changed due to them "Passively inviting our gaze," as older generation audiences such as old men, who are dependent on the media will watch this advert on moving image platform (T.V.) and wouldn't question about the negative portrayal of women and just would accept that it is a norm. Theory, Representation, historical context, makeup used, shot type used, audience.
Second Paragraph:
This paragrapgh is on the post-feminst society and the negative stereotypes
On the contrary, the media may not be to blame, as to why women are overtly sexualised negatively in contemporary perfume adverts. Post-feminists will argue that both men and women have equal power and that society has moved from being patriarchal to a post-feminist era, where both genders are given the same equal opportunity in the advertisement arena. This is because it clearly depends on the heroine (Vladimir Propp-character type) itself is and how she wants society to see her being represented as, simply because there are a two ways (Reception theory-Stuart Hall) in which the audiences will read a text:. For example, from a males perspective they believe that "women want to be treated as sex objects," due to some stereotypes being true (Perkins-some stereotypes are true). Whereas, modern female audiences as an oppositional reading may suggest that some women willingly choose themself to sexualise by using a phallic symbol in order to add emphasis on their sexuality this is because if she doesn't use her sexuality to sell the product then it can interpret that she lacks “femininity ". For example, Advertising Standards Authority had banned the perfume advert 'Oh Lola' by Marc Jacobs that featured a young teenager both in print media platform and moving image, by holding a perfume advert in between her thighs which was a phallic symbol emphasising on her sexuality. The shot on the poster was in a long shot which enabled the audiences to see her body and her size eight figure, alongside the use of a short dress allowed audiences to focus on the phallic symbol and add emphasis to her legs.
Why the advert was band, for influencing audiences
How some audiences will believe that adverts are true and some will know that it exploits and cheats them
On the other hand, a pluralistic ideology will argue that some audiences are intelligent enough to not accept what they see being advertised and will not believe in what you can achieve by consuming the perfume. However, by overtly sexualising women in perfume advert this may encourage women to take a social progress which can be "measured by the social position of the female sex." This means that audiences that see the advert as being aspirational can purchase this product and can make a social progress and can gain power with the use of their external image. Feminists will put forward the idea that the advertising industry exploits women so that it can sell its products and to serve the personal "pleasures" of men that they want to see.
Makes link back to my essay title
However, overtly sexualising women in perfume adverts can be criticised as to how 'Femininity is not typically a core value for women today" as clearly depends on individualism. This is because we live in a post-modernist society, and therefore it is possible for females to choose what and how they want to look like in adverts as it is just a performance that "women choose to employ in everyday life" either for pleasures or to achieve a goal. Nevertheless, Dr Zurbriggen suggests that today's society should replace negative images of women in positive setting and show girls in a "uniqueness and competence" way. This is because it can have a negative impact on younger audiences who are passive and can create a moral panic in the media (Cohen) as to how perfume adverts have influenced young girls to wear makeup, heels and sexy dress, so that they can invite "the male gaze" and the male audiences can feel entertained and escapism (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz). Theories, sexualisation of women, example of advert, institution,
Third paragraph
How technology has developed making it easier for institutuions to sell products that sexualise women globally
Moreover, the development of technology has enabled perfume institutions to reach to a mass audience and to target different socio-economic and countries globally, as McLuhan stated that "the medium is the message". Allowing products to reach to audiences quickly worldwide will increase the income for the institutions and will enable audiences to identify (Blumler and Katz) the product quickly. The media therefore have to sell their products in the modern industry by using more than one media platform. Rapid growths of social network sites have increased because of technology. As audiences have become more socially addicted to lean forwards media such as social networks the use of synergy enables them to identify (Blumler and Katz-uses and gratification) with the product as they may have seen it on television before. For example, Beyoncé’s heat adverts there are pictures featuring the singer used in the advert and videos of the advert on Facebook. Audiences can also see adverts on any media platform they like and have a variety of choices in how they perceive a text e.g. Print, E-media and Moving image.
Why institutions use different platforms to target audiences and sexualise women
On the other hand, institutions have to be careful as to what platform they choose because "people's attitudes have changed" and if they keep using constantly the same images of women being sexualised or the same advert being broadcasted repeatedly, some audiences may complain as to how it is having a negative impact on audiences. For example, by using the E-media platform such as social networks-Facebook users can be targeted at easily and reach out to a mass audience, the primary audiences would be teenagers 13-17 years old who are mainly using Facebook and Twitter the most in order to gain access to up-to-date information. However, social networks enable audiences to get more information about the product and if they want to participate in a debate or post a comment they can sign up to the perfume adverts official homepage. However, the fact that male audiences can also leave comments that they see as being appropriate but is actually sexualising women and objectifying them, this can be seen as scopophilia as to how men will look at women for sexual drive. The advantage is that the institution can sell and advertise the product online as well and target different generations which is an effective way to connect with consumers. Allowing audiences from around the global to get interactive with institution of the product is also beneficial for publicity to be created and virally spread. Moving image platform, globally, technology and E-media platform
Fourth paragraph
Moving image on YOUTUBE
In contrast, an example of how perfume adverts sexualise women in the Moving advert can be the advert YSL- featuring Kate Moss. This advert was broadcasted by a UGC (user generated content) on YouTube by a fan. Once, the way audiences would have received a text was by passively accepting what’s on T.V. However, technology has enabled audiences to no longer see text passively but also become users to. This advert had sexualised women in many ways for example; the extreme close-up shot had been used towards the middle of the narrative (Todorov-Narrative structure). The type of focus used was a shallow focus and this was where the camera was mainly focused on Kate Moss' neck as she was using the prop of a flower as a way of her imagining that it is male figure that is sexually touching her up. This shot had been used in order to enable audiences to believe that if they had purchased this product they too can have their partner to act seduced and feel erotic. The producer had also used this shot so that the audiences can focus on the prop used- a white rose as being a sexual weapon as to wherever she touches herself with it is a way that reminds her of the man touching her. This can link as to how when she used the rose to touch herself, the edit transforms this as a montage editing into the next shot were the audiences can see only a pair of hand and the male figure is active and the female is passive. Which clearly suggests that "women are often represented in ads from an explicitly sexual angle: their desirability is what sells."
Makes links to historical adverts and how they have differences and similarities
However, the way adverts have sexualised women has changed since the 1960's this can be proved by the advert Chanel N0.5 commercial. This advert was different compared to adverts today as the main focus of the advert was to give the women sophistication and giving the women a professional look. However, the difference is that the Beyoncé and YSL advert had sexualised women as the emphasis was given as to how erotic they feel. Therefore, the way society has changed is that audiences in today's society easily accepts what is shown on the screen without challenging (some do) The effect modern perfume adverts would have on the audiences of the 19th century would have been shocked and how women are exploited with their bod . Print media platform, advert compared to another advert, shot type used, focus, prop, theory, moving image platform
Fifth paragraph
Print media platform
Furthermore, the last platform used by institutions is the Print platform this is where the Heat perfume advert had used Beyoncé in a seductive pose and had overtly sexualised her. This poster had used Beyoncé in direct-mode of address which connotes as a preferred reading (Hall-reception theory) that she wants to have power but realistically it is a way to get the audience to feel that she is inviting the audience’s attention as Mulvey stated that it was . The way she is posing by lying down with her legs open can connote that she feels passionately turned on. Moreover, the way her hair is highlighted in blonde can connote that she is maybe putting on a white mask (Frantz-Fanon), this is because it "the dumb blonde stereotype is common, in Western societies at least, because it serves the purpose of the patriarchal ideology". Audiences can see that Beyoncé is represented as the stereotypical 'dumb blonde' which exists in western societies, as it serves the patriarchal ideology. The shot used is a long shot which enable audiences to see her short silk red dress which connotes heat (brands name) and gives her a sexy look as to the male audiences can voyeur on her (Laura Mulvey).
Compare it to another historical advert
The 1960's perfume posters were completely different to the Beyoncé heat advert. For example, the poster of Coty L'Aimant Perfume Ad in 1960 original vintage Ad, had used the perfume as the main intention as to the shot types of the women and the perfume are both the same size.
Back to modern advert-HEAT and why it was banned and complaints
On the other hand, in Beyoncé’s ad the main focus is on her and the product has been used in a small shot which connotes that the product is not as important as Beyoncé, who is trying to attract the audience’s attention. For example, the Guardian (online site) had stated that "sexually provocative Beyoncé advert is ruled unsuitable kids" and ASA said that the "perfume advert should not have been shown during family programming and should now be aired only after 7.30pm". This shows that the institutions care more about how much profit they make rather than how they sexualise women and how they harm others e.g. younger audiences by not waiting to broadcast something after watershed. Broadcasting adverts that contain sexual imagery and treats women as objects is better to be broadcasted after 7.30pm as targets the main primary audiences who are adults mainly. In Dominick and Rauch study (1974) conducted 1000 prime time television commercials and found that the sex objects and housewife/ mother role stereotypes also existed in that medium. Statistically, this informs and educates (Uses and gratification-Blumler and Katz) the audiences that the study carried out by these two people had identified that even on Prime time television commercials found women stereotypically represented as sexual objects. This also links well with how the ASA said "we haven't really changed that much since the Victorian times-we are offended by band manners and nudity”. Comparing old perfume advert to todays, ASA, Guardian, Case study, watershed and prime time, historically and socially, impact on audiences, print platform
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On the other hand, it can be argued that adverts have not just overtly sexualised women but has also created a sense of hyper reality (Baudrillard). For example, the way Kate Moss is erotically touching herself in her bedroom with the use of low-key lighting can influence the audience's mood and can relate to what can happen to a women at night due to the scent of the perfume (Uses and Gratfication-Blumler and Katz). The institution has not only used a male actors hand touching Kate Moss but, as an oppositional reading (Stuart Hall- Reception theory) it may be argued that the fact only a pair of hands have been shown creates enigma (Barth) and enables male audiences to feel as if they are the person who is in the situation. Some audiences however will view this as the institution trying to create a sense of hyper-reality where the simulacra has been replaced so that audiences can be persuaded to believe that this is what the product can do to you.
Conclusion:"There not real people, there dolls so you can do whatever you want to them". "Women were women by virtue of a certain lack of equalities."
"Frailty, thy name is women!"
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