Thursday 25 April 2013

critical investigation online version


Thursday, 24th,  Thursday  April, 2013       Critical investigation/  Mr.Bush


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.

“The beauty industry is a monster, selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women."[1]

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".[2] 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 whether it treats women as objects, as outlined by McLuhan (1980) this can be one method to how perfume products appeal the audience’s attention and merchandise its product "globally"[3]. However, Hall (1973) will put forward the Reception theory[4] and argues as an oppositional reading that women are sexualized in perfume adverts because "sex sell,"[5] but some will criticize this and argue that it may be to convey a message of misogyny. This is because the media effect which is supported by Gerbner (1960) who outlined the "cultivation theory,"[6] argues that this 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, contemporary perfume adverts have portrayed women as weaker and fetishistically. In which this case it represents the modern society in the West as being uncivilized. Edward Said (1978) put forward the idea of orientalism[7]- this is where the West is civilized and the East is uncivilized; therefore 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'. This is because the way the demographics in Saudi Arabia will react to modern, Western adverts to the demographic in U.S, will be completely different. Hanna Rosin (2012) had stated: "In the West, meanwhile, women behave sexually aggressive ways that would have been unimaginable even twenty years ago."[8] One reason why contemporary media has changed the way women are sexualised, is so that they can keep up with both the way audiences read a text, challenge the stereotypical representation of women and to keep up with the “consumer”[9] society, which is to sell as many of the product and convey to the audience through luxurious settings in advert that by living in a rich and luxurious lifestyle as outlined by Dyer (1982) this is the most crucial element of your life.

Today's contemporary beauty industries have portrayed women as an "object of fetishistic display,"[10] simply because sex sells. This is so that it can appeal to both the mass and niche audiences, alongside for the “male viewer pleasures"[11]. When “sexuality is used in advertising certain values and attitudes towards sex are being sold to consumers along with the product."[12] For example, 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 sexualized and objectified women less than contemporary adverts today. For example, Vladimir Propp[13] (1920) will argue that the advert had used more close-ups of the product and had the heroine in a silk jump suit, paying particular attention to her dialogue. In contrast, to Beyoncé’s ‘Heat’ advert she is wearing a short red, silk dress which designers have used red silk to depict ‘heat’. This also links with the perfume brand and further connotes Beyoncé feeling erotic and hot, which attracts the “male gaze” [14]as outlined by Laura Mulvey (1975).

Levi-Strauss[15] (1958) will argue that the comparison between these two adverts is that women back in the zeitgeist renaissance were represented as being pure. Conversely, now they are treated as being a sexual toy that is exploited for the purpose of men. For instance, the makeup used in Charlie-Revlon is natural which gives her a clear look and enables her to look attractive. This is supported by Young and Rubicam[16] who links this with Aesthetic needs, but it can also denote 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."[17] This is why Charlie-Revlon had featured the women in a dominating role rather than the women undressing herself, this then reflects back tothe 'spirit of the age,'[18] as women then were treated with respect and had to keep their self-diginity. An example can be the 1961 advert ‘That touch of perfume,’ Liberal Feminists will state that women were given equal chances and were treated equally as important as men, which challenges the stereotypical representation of women. In contrast, Yves Saint Laurent advert- Parisienne had used diegetic sound of Moss erotically expressing erotic sounds and conveying that she is feeling pleasure from the male touching her, which shows that by making the female look sexually aroused is a way for the male audience to feel invited. However, the audiences cannot see who the male is which then supports Barthes (1980) idea of creating further enigma, as the scene continues and fades out with the male touching her which then drives the "narrative forward,"[19] and enables the audiences to continue watching the advert and wonder what will happen next.

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 Vladimir Propp[20] argues that it clearly depends on the heroine herself and how she wants society to see her being represented as, simply because of the different readings of a text.  For example, from a male’s perspective they believe that "women want to be treated as sex objects,"[21] which is outlined by Perkins (1979) that some stereotypes can be true. An example can be that modern female audiences, as an oppositional reading, may suggest that some women willingly choose themselves to be sexualised and this is done 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 it can be interpreted as her lacking “femininity".[22] 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, as she was holding a perfume advert in between her thighs which was a phallic symbol emphasizing on her sexuality. Despite, the Guardian stated that "41% of parents,"[23] claimed that the programs that had appeared before 9pm had contained unsuitable and inappropriate sexual content for children. This ad had been banned as it was promoting sexualization of children and injecting negative messages in to younger audiences, as to how they should behave and act in a seductive way. The Hypodermic Needle theory (1930) proves by suggesting "that audiences are affected by what they see in the media,"[24] as outlined by Katz and Lazarsfield (1955).

A pluralistic ideology, will argue that some audiences are intelligent enough not to accept what they see being advertised in contemporary adverts and will not believe that you can achieve a similar look 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."[25] This means that audiences that see the advert as being inspirational can purchase this product and 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"[26] of men. Overtly, sexualizing women in perfume adverts can be criticized as to how “Femininity is not typically a core value for women today,"[27] as it clearly depends on individualism and how women challenge the negative stereotypes. 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. This is because it’s a performance that "women choose to employ in everyday life"[28]  either for pleasures or to achieve an ambition.

Moreover, the development of technology has enabled contemporary perfume institutions to reach to a mass audience and to target different socio-economic[29] classes such as C1 and C2 and major countries around the global, as McLuhan stated that "the medium is the message"[30]. Allowing products to reach to audiences instantly will increase the income for the institutions and will enable audiences to identify the product quickly, as argued by Blumler and Katz[31] (1974). The media therefore, have to sell their products in the modern industry to different demographics[32] such as both females and males by using a variety of media platform. An example can be the rapid growths of social network sites which have increased because of the emergence of more than one platform combined and development 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[33] with the product as they may have seen it on television before. For example, on Facebook the combination of both print and moving image platform is emerged through the snapshots from Beyoncé’s ‘Heat’[34] advert.  The snapshots contain videos from the making of the advert which allows audiences to see the advert on any media platform and have a variety of choices in how they can perceive the text. On the other hand, institutions have to be careful as to what platform they choose because "people's attitudes have changed,"[35] 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.

Furthermore, the Print platform had used Beyoncé in the Heat advert in an explicitly seductive pose. This poster had casted Beyoncé in direct-mode of address which connotes as a preferred reading by Hall[36] that she wants to have power but, realistically Mulvey will state that it is a way to get the audience to feel that she is inviting the male gaze. The way she is lying down with her legs open can connote that she feels passionately turned on. Also, the way her hair is highlighted in blonde can connote that she is maybe putting on a white mask as Frantz-Fanon (1961) argues; this is because the “dumb blonde stereotype is common, in Western societies at least, because it serves the purpose of the patriarchal ideology"[37].

Audiences can also see that Beyoncé is represented as the stereotypical 'dumb blonde' which exists in western societies, as it serves the patriarchal ideology. The Guardian had stated that 'sexually provocative Beyoncé’s advert is ruled unsuitable for kids,’ and was claimed by ASA that the "perfume advert should not have been shown during family programming and should now be aired only after 7.30pm.”[38] Broadcasting adverts that contain sexual imagery and treating women as an object, is better to be broadcasted after 7.30pm and not beforewatershed, which will then target its main primary audiences who are adults mainly. This shows that institutions are more concerned about how much profit they make rather instead of waiting after watershed to broadcast the advert. In Dominick and Rauch study (1974) which conducted study of 1,000 prime time television commercials had found that women were featured as sex objects, housewife, playing a mother role alongside with existence of the typical stereotypes of females also existed in that medium.

Besides this, sexualisation of women can also link with symbolic annihilation Tuchman (1978)[39] which means that women are underrepresented and their interests are not being "accurately reflected by the mass media."[40] This can either be done by race, sex, socio-economic status or sexual orientation. Gaye Tuchman, a media feminist had argued that, television annihilates women and informs society that women are weak and are objectified like a fetished object. In comparison to how overwhelming the media represent 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".[41]  

Marxist, will argue that advertising is a means of reproducing the existing capitalist society and manipulating society with the dominant, cultural “hegemony beliefs”[42] and values, as outlined by Gramsci (1937). 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."[43] Therefore, advertising only benefits the Bourgeoisie not because they "own the means of productions,"[44] 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. Marx-Feminists, will argue that contemporary perfume institutions overtly sexualise women in order to sell their product so that the elite can have power, domination and gain profit from the way they have sexualized the female. This therefore, informs audiences that adverts cannot be sold successfully without overtly sexualizing women as it will decrease the power of the bourgeoisie.

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".[45] This is because they are "not real people, there dolls"[46]. 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 as women by virtue lack inequalities. On the other hand, the independent research has allowed concluding that the advertising industry institutions have tried to sell their products to a variety of different psychographics[47] without sex appeal. In contrast, adverts enable audiences to feel a sense of identification as outlined by Blumler and Katz[48] this can appeal to different audiences but, also a sense of misogyny can be faced simply because "Frailty, thy name is women,"[49]which suggests that women lack inequalities that men have. Therefore, some institutions and women challenge these boundaries and "replace all of these sexualized images" by replacing girls in "positive settings"[50] as "gender is performative"[51].


[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this

[2] Baily, B. 2011, P.11

[4] Fourie, P. J.  P.244

[5]http://www.frankwbaker.com/sex_in_media.htm  Sexual Messages in Advertising & Other Media

[6]Shanahan,  J,1998 .P. 18


[7] Said, E, 1993, P13

[8]Rosin, H. 2012, P.6

[9]Dyer, G, 1982, P4

[10]Mulvey, L, 2008, P.4

[11]Ibid

[12]www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/dde0301.doc (Document)

[15]Fourie J. P,  2008 , P249

[16]  Staiger, J, 2005, P36

[17] Mulvey, L, 1975, P6-18


[19]Gauntlett, D, 2002, P.1


[22]Gauntlett, D, 2002, P12


[24]Whitford, M, 1988, P.100

[28]Gauntlett, D, 2002, P.1


[29] Gurevitch, M. 1982, P174


[32] Lazer, W. 1994, P4

[33]Ibid
[35] Strinati, D, 2004, P171

[36]Fourie, J.P, 2008, 244

[37]Erens, P, 1990, P3
[39] Caputi, J, 1987, P159

[40]Strinati, D, 2004, P171

[42] Lowe, M. R. 1998, P173
[44] Ibid

[46] Ibid

Word Count: 2159
With Bibliography, quotes and footnotes: 3,345



[47] Kahle, L. 1997, P3

[49]Bloom, H. 1990, Act 1 scene2

[50]Jenainati, C. 2010,Page 11

[51]Gender theory Jeremy Orlebar- gender is performative



Bibliography/ Works cited

Books:

Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988. Print. 
Caputi, J. (1987). The age of sex crime. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.

Clark, Vivienne, and James Baker. Key concepts & skills for media studies. London: Hodder&Stoughton, 2002. Print. 

Coad, David. The metrosexual: gender, sexuality, and sport. Albany: SUNY Press, 2008. Print. 

Coperías, María José. Culture & power: challenging discourses. Valencia: Universitat de València. Servei de Publicacions, 2000. Print.

Dyer, Gillian. Advertising as communication. London: Methuen, 1982. Print. 

Erens, Patricia. Issues in feminist film criticism. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990. Print. 

Fourie, Pieter J.. Media studies. Lansdowne: Juta ;, 2001. Print. 

Gauntlett, David. Media, gender, and identity: an introduction. London:

Gurevitch, M. (1982). Culture, society, and the media. London: Methuen

Routledge, 2002. Print. 

Gill, Rosalind. Gender and the media. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2007. Print. 

Griffiths, Morwenna, and Margaret Whitford. Feminist perspectives in philosophy.


Hein, Carolina. "subordination of women because of male and female distinctions." Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.München:

GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2008. 4. Print.

Jones, Rachel. "introduction." Postcolonial Representations of Women Critical Issues for Education. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2011. 11. Print.

Lacey, Nick. Image and representation: key concepts in media studies. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998. Print. 

Lazer, W. (1994). Handbook of demographics for marketing & advertising: new trends in the American marketplace (2nd ed.). New York: Lexington Books

Lowe, M. R. (1998). Women of Steel Female Bodybuilders and the Struggle for Self-Definition. New York: NYU Press.

Mulvey, Laura. Visual pleasure and narrative cinema.Munchen: GRIN VerlagoHG (24 Jun 2008), 1999. Print. 

Rosin, Hanna. "introduction." The end of men: and the rise of women. New York, New York: Riverhead Books, 2012. 7. Print.

Said, Edward W.. Culture and imperialism. New York: Knopf :, 1993. Print. 

Staiger, J. (2005). Media reception studies. New York: New York University Press.

Strinati, Dominic. An introduction to theories of popular culture. London: Routledge, 1995. Print. 

Kahle, L. R., & Chiagouris, L. (1997).Values, lifestyles, and psychographics. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates


Documents

Online newspapers:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing  Named no wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this

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:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing The Guardian:  No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2059097/Dakota Fannings-sexually-provocative-perfume-ad-banned.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php Sexualisation of Girls in the media is harmful  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/audio/2011/jul/20/big-ideas-podcast-medium-message The big ideas podcast- The medium is the message 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/17/beyonce-heat-ad sexually provocative Beyoncé ad ruled unsuitable for kids  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18243577 Are these the most offensive ads of all time?

Moving image texts (Adverts)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sn8H42FZcI&safe=active Charlie Revlon commercial 1970’s 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_uhUhqrbk Enjolie commercial 1980’s 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAfQP4WpaNs That touch of perfume Avon- commercial 1961 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX5WwmMkESQ Codes of gender- Documentary 


University links used
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070813/ Adolescent sexuality and the media

Online Links 
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/gender-theory/ MediaEdu- Gender theory Jeremy Orlebar



http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell6.htm -Illuminations 

hhtp:/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php sexualisation of girls in the media is harmful



Work consulted

Books

Thornham, S. (1997). Passionate detachments: an introduction to feminist film theory. London: Arnold

Manatu, N. (2003). African American women and sexuality in the cinema. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland.

Nelson, C., &Grossberg, L. (1988).Marxism and the interpretation of culture. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Scott, J. L., Crompton, R., &Lyonette, C. (2010). Gender inequalities in the 21st century new barriers and continuing constraints. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar

INTERNET LINKS


http://www.equalitynow.org/ru/node/1495 Levson enquiry challenging representations of women in the media

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63514.php Sexualisation of Girls In The Media Is Harmful


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.frankwbaker.com/sex_in_media.htm  Sexual Messages in Advertising & Other Media

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/13/comment.pressandpublishing No wonder men treat us as sex objects if we act like this

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2270333/Glamour-girl-Dakota-Fanning-just-laughed-sexually-provocative-UK-banned-perfume-ad.htmlAll grown up! Dakota Fanning is a Glamour girl as she turns disco dolly for magazine cover