Wednesday's discussion

Eli Pardue
1/31/08
AP Lang. Comp.
LaMags

Blog 2/1/08

Wednesday in class we discussed the issue of women and sexuality in the media. While there were definitely two distinct sides in the argument, agreements were made about the way that violence and sex are used in different ways to exploit women as marketing strategies.
In commercial, capitalist society, a commercial’s purpose is to sell a product. Due to basic First Amendment rights, the press has the freedom to use whatever media it wants to sell a product. In recent years, feminine sexuality has been used to sell many products. Most recently, the use of this marketing strategy has expanded into areas that are dangerous for young viewers and our society as a whole.
Using sex appeal to sell a product is not wrong. But when the advertisement tells young audiences that being sexually explicit while using the product is all right, there is a problem. One such advertisement told young women to apply the perfume liberally so that he can smell you as you shake your head “no.” It is wrong because it promotes young girls to tease and act submissive, behavior that has been proven to increase the likelihood of sexual harassment and abuse.
Sexual violence is being used to appeal to men overseas. One such ad in Europe shows a man pointing a gun at a naked woman wrapped in plastic wrap with a bag covering her face. This strategy promotes the idea that the man will feel superior to women if he uses the product. This type of advertisement combined with promoting submissive, teasing behavior in young girls is reinforcing the idea that men really are superior to women.
The responsibility of someone who makes advertisements is to sell the product they have been given. Sex and violence happen to be the two most affective ways of selling a product. The problem does not necessarily come from the advertisement, but the way the subliminal messages the ads carry are becoming ingrained in society.