GOING FORWARD...

 

“Sex Sells,” is an expression used often in the world of advertising. It is now time to change that expression into one that really emphasizes the power of women in the world today. Exploring and analyzing the objectification of females in fashion magazines helped us to understand how important the female body image can be in our society. The popularized image of the female body sends distorted messages to young girls, young women and even men. By examining the media’s concept of the “ideal body,” (5’10 110 lbs.) we began to realize the silent role of women in the advertisement industry. They are seen as objects, their bodies used for publicity. For our project, we wanted to emphasize the importance of changing this image so both the inner and outer beauty of women will be shown to the consumers and advertisers alike.

 

There are many ways to actually go forward and change this concept of the “ideal body” in magazines today. First, it is very important when dealing with the future of these ads, to notice and change the advertisements so they accurately reflect the product, not sell the person. We can do this by recreating these ads so the main focus is solely on the product; that means no half-naked, or scantily clad, airbrushed, overly made-up women. Also, right now advertisements portray an idealistic view of what the female body “should” look like. Thousands of women look at these advertisements that portray this “ideal body” but very few actually mirror the image. If we were to portray a realistic view of women, those who are 5’4’’ and 130 pounds, we would be progressing into the future of advertising because it is important to have a representative view of women, rather than a false one. For the future of this problem we need to come together and stop allowing the objectification of women to continue. As women, we should no longer portray ourselves as sex symbols, but women that are strong, powerful and beautiful on the inside and out.

 

Very little activism has been seen in this area. Out of the five magazines we examined, only one portrayed an image of a woman that was fully clothed. Today, advertising companies around the world are selling “sex” over their actual product. The purpose of our project is to let our audience understand that this is a problem. Women should not allow themselves to be portrayed as sex objects and men should not delight in the display. By educating other women on this subject, we hope to see more progress in displaying the product instead of the person. The real key is changing the mindset of the population. Right now, hardly anyone notices that anything is wrong with the advertisements they see daily, but once information is given, people will have no choice but to open their eyes. If we, as consumers, stand up and speak out against the injustice, then change will occur. It’s our money; let’s choose wisely where we spend it and what we spend it on.

 

* It is important to note that there were a total of two advertisements, out of the five magazines that objectified men. That is to say, although it does happen, it happens at a far less rate than does the objectification of women. Another significant note is that the advertisements that displayed men sexually, were done by the same male-owned company, meaning that the men were objectified by their peers, rather than being objectified by the opposite sex, as women are.*

 

OUR OWN RECONSTRUCTION OF SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS...