Representations of gender and/or lifestyle in advertising - Essay Example

REPRESENTATION OF GENDER AND/LIFESTYLE IN ADVERTISING Introduction The world of business and advertisement has been characteristically very dynamic with one mode of advertising paving way for a subsequent one and the pattern keeps on. For instance, the topic of the male and female bodies and their representation would be best explored through the eyes of the visual effects in adverts. It is sure that over years, as Bordo says in her article, that adverts and the use of either of the bodies (male or female) for the public is naturally alluding and is likely to allure the observers to a particular direction as intended. Human beings are sexual beings and despite the differences notable in sexual orientations, (defining straight or same sex orientations), equal and similar effects are notable at the exposure of the nudity of either of the two bodies. This is especially so concerning sexual appeal where at the visualization of the body figure of either male or female, the human sexual appeal is often aroused. Sexual appeal through the adverts by female and male photos is very real, having been adopted ever since human civilization. Many of the advertisers continuously use the images, as is the case with Calvin Klein, which besides the effects in luring people to buying the products such as the under wears, it has sexual appeal. In fact, the modern day world has even become more aware of sexuality than was the case while Bordo wrote the article as is being evidenced by ‘sexual’ feeling and look as being pursued in all spheres of life. The world of business and advertising is most notable in the application of these features (Bordo, 129-161). Thesis statement This paper holds that gender representations in advertisements are always meant to capture the attention of target clients through three main features, which are advertisement for inferiority/superiority, cultural destruction as well as sexual emotion appeal. Point 1: Gender representation in adverts has been used to trigger Sexual emotions appeal, which is explained through the ‘sexy’ feel of adverts and has positive as well as negative implications in adverts. Point 2: The culture of advertising through too much body exposure especially for the females erodes ethics and cultural values in many societies. Point 3: Gender advertisement have been increasingly taking shape in alluding to superiority/inferiority among the genders where males are often portrayed as superior to females and this has associated impacts towards the target audience and societies. Outline This paper intends to present a qualitative analysis in points to the support of and against the thesis statement presented above. However, it is the position of the paper that as the thesis holds, lifestyle and gender use in adverts are wholly directed towards advertisement for inferiority/superiority, cultural destruction as well as sexual emotion appeal. Discussion Sexuality, just as was in the past years dominates the minds of people as shown by the trendy fashion where both males and females are continuously pursuing the sexual outlook. Fashion has overtaken the world and the visual appeal through outward look is slowly becoming the main thing especially within the field of advertisement. Everybody is depicted to be always sensitive of the body appearance wherever walking down the streets (Elliott and Elliott, 3). However, great change is observable in the perceptions of human beings as regards the sexuality where unlike the traditional conservative manner in which the human body was relatively concealed, the modern day trends are exposing human body the more. I identify with Bordo as she puts it that women dread being seen from the perspective of being too old, flat chest, too fat or such untrendy ways and this explains the far extents that women are going towards looking sexy and classy. Equally, I agree with the feeling that the writer felt when she first observed the male picture as she took her coffee. Even today, women are very much attracted with the male bodies especially with that sexy curvatures and such it elicits the sexual desires of the women (Secara, 1-4). However, there has been an observable increase in associating either the male or the female bodies to sexual objects. Despite the fact that this was still the case in those times, females for instance are no receiving the due regard and respect they deserve when males whisper and cajole them on street as just sex objects (Bordo, 129-161). Morality and ethics suffer compromise in the modern day advertising as shown by the trendy ‘too much exposure of bodies’. Besides, the construction, representation as well as maintenance of bodies of the males have been shown to rely more on consumption. Marketing and communication strategy used in luring people into purchasing habits as well as into consuming and or using particular goods or services. Feminism as well as masculinity is major attributes adopted towards winning people into purchasing goods meant for consumption as well as fashion especially with outfits. For instance, iconic male and female figures are often adopted for commercial advertisements on consumable goods, fashion goods as well as the luxuries. Iconic shaving styles by male figures are adopted for advertisements in fast vehicles, cigarette smoking, having hearty appetites as well as liquor taking. On the other hand, female figures have been used in adverts of such products as laundry as well as trendy fashion products (Schroeder and Zwick, 21-22; Stamps and Golombisky, 1-4). However, lifestyle adverts have had different approaches to depiction of commercial features in business. Besides using human images in emotional appeal, the representation of superiority and or inferiority have been well captured though not to such greater depths as sexual appeal. In other dimensions, the use of gender in advertisement has been adopted in depiction of superiority or weaknesses of the genders where often, males have been depicted as superior while females depicted as inferior. Media as a basic tool in use of gender for adverts have done it successfully to represent the distinction between masculine features as well as the feminine features. Among general attributes noted with women professionals as presented in gender adverts was that they were too busy and preoccupied to have time for social relationships. However, men figures enjoy superior in emotional attachment and therefore revealed as the gender to ‘pursue’ after. In fact, as shown by the men magazine in United States, masculinity depictions within the adverts shown were used in depiction of hearty consumption. The lifestyle magazines succeeded greatly within the nation to have emotional arousal especially in matters of sexual appeal (Rubio-Hernandez, 57). Works cited Bordo S. “Beauty (Re) discovers the Male Body” 2010. Print. 15 December 2013. http://facweb.northseattle.edu/bgutierrez/English%20101/Bordo_Article.pdf Elliott Richard, and Elliott Christine, “Idealized image so the male body in advertising: a reader-response exploration”. Journal of Marketing Communication, 2005. 11(1):3-19. Rubio-Hernandez, Maria del Mar, “The Representations of Men Depicted in Men’s Health Magazine” Revista Communication, 2010, 8(1): 57-70. Schroeder Jonathan E. and Zwick Detlev, “Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in Advertising Images” Consumption, Markets and Culture, 2004. 7(1), 21–52 Secara Silviana, “Women in Ads. Visual Representation of the Female Body” nd. Print. 15 December 2013 Stamps Jennifer Ford, and Golombisky Kim, “Woman as Product Stand-in: Branding Straight Metro-sexuality in Men’s Magazine Fashion Advertising” Journal of Research on Women and Gender, 2013. 6:1-29 Read More