Essay Preview: Ads
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Aside from products, what do ads sell us? They try to sell values, images, concepts of love and sexuality, romance, success and normality.
How many ads does the average American see each day? 3000
How many hours does the average American spend watching TV commercials in his or her lifetime?
What percentage of U.S. women have the body type most commonly depicted in advertising? 5%
List the characteristics of the “ideal” female body type depicted in advertising. Tall, genetically thin, broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped,
long-legged and usually small-breasted
How, specifically, are women “objectified” in ads? Examples?
How are men portrayed in ads? How does this relate to “gender norms” as
discussed in class? Men are portrayed as the perpetrators. This relates to gender norms because we often think of the male as being the more dominant, in control.
What does it mean to say that violence against women is “eroticized” in ads? Violence, hostility and dominance are often presented as erotic, attractive and appealing in advertising.
How exactly is violence against women trivialized in ads? The way they portray violence against women makes it seem like it is supported rather than objected. More like its a normal thing that happens all the time. The first way to justify violence against a person is by turning that person into an object and thats exactly what these ads do.
At the individual level, what is the outcome of women (and men) being portrayed as they are in advertising? Women Ð- causes eating disorders, unhappiness