Post 4

In Killing Us Softly Jean Kilbourne, points out some really interesting facts about advertisements. She expresses how an abundance of ads are sexist, racist, and stereotypical. However, her main point in the screening was about how women are being portrayed in ads. She shows a variety of ads with beautiful women that are "perfect." Kilbourne also says that people are constantly being exposed to these ads, yet people are ignorant on the ethical and moral standards. We are ignorant on the sexist messages the ads show us because we are so used to these ideals that it is incorporated in us to go pass the message.

Another reason these images are being shown is because SEX SELLS, thus they need to show the pictures of women and men that are practically naked. However, Kilbourne made a point on how women are usually portrayed as objects in most ads. In the screening Kilbourne reveals a bunch of ads where women are basically shown as objects they were portrayed as cars, drinks, and video games. This gives people the idea that women are just there to look pretty and they are just a man's object or possession. These are the kind of messages some ads promote.

Kilbourne also mentions the fact that a lot of ads show an "ideal" women. The models on the ads would appear to be flawless; they would be skinny, blemish-free, and Caucasian. Most advertisements use white models. The advertisements have hypnotized people into thinking that being super skinny and white is what makes one perfect. This belief has been passed down from hundreds of years. Even in fairy tales where the heroine would be a blond white woman. Kilbourne reveals that this ideal person does not exist, the models we see in ads are not perfect, they have been enhanced through Photoshop. These ads have driven women crazy to have white skin. Women are always trying to whiten their skin with whitening creams and bleaches.


This is the perfect ad that shows that what Kilbourne says about true beauty and how ads affect women’s self-esteem. The reason I chose this ad is because it is proof of what Kilbourne points out about advertisements. In the Estee Lauder ad they display the “ideal” look. A white woman with a perfectly proportioned face that is blemish-free and wrinkle-free. To top it off they name the product Chocolate Decadence, everyone desires chocolate so it is like a must have. Therefore, chocolate is “the big idea” for this ad. Seeing that this is an online ad purchasing the item is just a click away. If the targeted audience member (women) wants to buy this product, they click on “LOOK DELECTABLE.” With those two words, it sends a message to women saying you are not beautiful or attractive until you have this product. By using the word “delectable,” the ad suggests that women are only there for their beauty and look desirable and “delicious” like chocolate. This ad goes beyond national advertising, as it is on the Internet, therefore, it is worldwide. A majority of ads that are displayed in the Internet are usually international, that is the future of advertisements. A strategy Estee Lauder uses is that this ad shows an indirect action message, where they do not tell you to buy this product NOW. Instead they describe the product in a delicate manner and romantic manner. Maybe it has to do with chocolate being an aphrodisiac. Estee Lauder also uses tactics such as giving FREE gifts along with the purchase. Free stuff always gets people buying.


I chose this video as an alternative because it shows what happens behind the scenes of ads such as the Estee Lauder one. It also has a different purpose than the Estee Lauder one. This Dove campaign is an advocacy ad. It tries to get women to feel comfortable with their looks. The ad shows women that the idealistic women featured in magazines and ads are fake. Everyone has flaws. Through this video they show the procedure advertising companies go through to display the ideal look. In the end, the audience can see that the woman in the billboard ad looks nothing like the woman that went in for the photo shoot. The tools the advertising companies use are make-up and Photoshop, and with these tools they created the ultimate beauty. Dove does a good job in showing what happens indoors and behind the scenes of an ad. This video has certainly given me a different perspective on beauty, which is the goal Dove has with this campaign.

An alternative path for the advertising industry would be to promote news instead. For example an advertising company can incorporate some information on the things that go on around the world, kind of like infomercials. Of course this might appear to be boring but, using sex to sell products is overkill. Every company uses it. Or they can do comedic commercials. It’s time for a change and it’s time for women and other minorities to have a higher regard in the advertising industry!


References:

Hanson, Ralph. Chapter One in Mass Communication: Living in a Media World.

Killing Us Softly

Estee Lauder Ad

Dove Campaign