A Radical Shift

                The world of advertising is a very strategically calculated, extensive and expensive effort to appeal to the public’s need to buy into a particular idea or a particular product. It’s cunningness lies in the convincing element to establish certain insecurities or societal expectations that leave the consumer with a desire to buy into the product that will fix their particular ineptness.

You would think that everyone’s “problems” would be fixed by now with the way we are inundated with consumer ads in all aspects of life what Jean Baudrillard describes as an “information blizzard wherein the images and refer to each other rather than to any external reality.” (208)

              What if the world of advertising were to have a radical shift in mentality and lend itself to the developing of well-rounded, globally conscious, physically and emotionally healthy individuals; instead of what Gene Kilbourne illustrates as “self hating, ever failing hungry and sexually insecure sate of being aspiring beauties.” (66) What would be our goals then? I like to think it would propogate an elevation of people on all levels, socio-economically and spiritually. Granted Kilbourne’s remark is used to describe the specific relationship between women and advertisement. However this type of relationship with men is starting to become more evident in advertising, historically woman has been the linchpin fatality of the demands of the patriarchal power structure in place within media advertisement.  

            This ad for Nike, though ultimately is trying to sell you a sneaker probably made in a sweatshop overseas, is a step in the right direction in ads geared towards women.

An ad like this is contrary to the idea of “passive”woman placed throughout history's  representations of women. Here we see simply a bold statement of written text superimposed upon the woman body, placing the emphasis on the message over the usual “sexualized” body, we see in commonly ads.  Her glare and body language is one that exudes confidence which  brought to mind Berger’s statement that “a woman’s presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her.” (46)  

              In addition it emphasizes a character trait I think over a physical one.  As women we have been conditioned to revere ourselves externally, predominately on appearances, rather than the total sum of our individual character and mind. “ This tendency to view one’s body from the outside in- regarding physical attractiveness, sex appeal, measurements and weight as more central to one’s physical identity than health, strength, energy level, coordination or fitness” which society needs to learn and swallow hard has “ many harmful effects, including diminished mental performance, increased feelings of shame and anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, and the development of eating disorders.” (133) I don’t know about you but personally I could do without any of those latter feelings. 

Due to the fact that we become socialized so early, we can and need to promote a pro-active,  strong and conscientious character in both women and men to recreate an idea of “human” over what’s sexy and what’s not; with the full awareness that we will grow into elder members of society,  who can continue to be valuable vehicles of knowledge and admiration.

I leave with this: a little more political, than about sexism, but in essence a substantial message about the power structures that be  >>>>>   ☮ :We Need A Revolution by Dead Prez

 Works Cited:

Berger, John. “Ways of Seeing”, Penguin, 1972, Pg. 46

Kilbourne, Jean. “Beauty and the Beast of Advertising." Gender, Race and Class in Media.  Ed. Gail Dines, Jean M. Humez. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2003.

Kilbourne, Jean. “The More You Subtract, The More You Add Cutting Girls Down To Size.” Gender, Race and Class in Media.  Ed. Gail Dines, Jean M. Humez. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2003.Pg 133

Wolf, Naomi. “Culture”. The Beauty Myth How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. United States Of America, 2002. 58-85. Print.