Pictures Never Lie?

Think about the hundreds or thousands pictures of Women that we

see, every month and year, in magazines, on TV, in the movies, in advertising. How
do these pictures compare with what we see when we look at the real women around
us, every day? Young women are not presented as full and multi-dimensional people;
instead, they are often posed and dressed so as to de-emphasize individuality. The
effect visually reduces a woman to a body, or in some instances, to parts of her body,
as if she is not a real, whole person.
The term that most often describes this phenomenon is: objectification.
A definition of Objectification might be: "portrayals of women in ways and contexts
which suggest that women are objects to be looked at, ogled, even touched, or used,
anonymous things or commodities perhaps to be purchased, perhaps taken - and once
tired of, even discarded, often to be replaced by a newer, younger edition; certainly
not treated as full human beings with equal rights and needs.
Objectification of women is obviously common in mainstream media. We see it in
advertising, in pin-ups, calendars, "girlie pictures" in movies, magazines, we see it
everywhere.

Transformation of "BEAUTY"
Societys interpretation of beauty has significantly changed over time and will always
continue to change. Women are not coming up with these beauty and style decisions
on their own. However, the media and advertising plays a huge role in influencing
what women view as beautiful. Flooding womens brains with the fair, tall, slender
bodies of modern models is a tactic the media uses to keep society up with the times.
If a certain image is repeated enough through television, printed ads, movies,
commercials, billboards, etc., society will accept this image as the norm and copy it
(Alice, 2010). As society transforms and changes over time, our image of beauty will
subsequently continue to change as well. Over the past ten years, advertisements in
mainstream magazines have increasingly relied on the explicit sexualization of both
men and women to sell products. Over the same period, the models used have
become younger and younger. The images in these ads often contain or imply
violence
superiority and domination
dismemberment (fragmenting and sexualizing body parts)
playfulness and exaggeration
coy behaviour
approval seeking
emaciation
drug addiction fetishism
It's not unusual in the fashion industry to see very young models setting standards of
attractiveness for older women. What's new is the emergence over the past two
decades of highly eroticized portrayals of these young women.
The Indian Perspective
The Indian marketing industry has been found wanting in the area of gender
sensitivity in many instances due to its inappropriate and sometimes patronizing
portrayal of women in advertisements. It would be careless on executives part to turn
a blind eye to the damage that inappropriate brand communication can cause to the
company and potentially to the society itself.
The Indian advertising industrys gender insensitivity is proliferated through the
gender stereotyping and the objectification of women. Gender stereotyping is subtle in
advertising activities due to the lack of awareness, fatalism towards womens
condition in the society, lack of easily accessible redressal mechanisms and
sometimes plain indifference on the societys part.
Going by its track record, Indian advertising industry has rarely shied away from
straight-jacketing gender roles. Numerous advertisements have portrayed women as
hollow beings who measure their worth through their skin tone, body weight, beauty
quotient and the likes. Scores of advertisements of brands including Axe, Close up,
Fair and Lovely, Tuffs shoes, Lux Innerwear have blatantly resorted to showing
women in poor light - pushing the image of women to the brink. Advertising visuals
have objectified women to the extent of portraying women as a mere sum of their
body parts, denigrating their intelligence and individuality. The advertisements make
girls and women feel inadequate if they do not conform to the image projected in the
advertisements. Stereotyping of women is a widespread phenomenon in the Indian
media extending beyond the realm of marketing. The typical stereotypes include the
naive/dependant housewife whose sole purpose is to keep her husband/kids/in-laws
happy, the unmarried girl whose existence can only be validated by a suitable
marriage and the village belle who has no means of livelihood and is a burden on her
family.
There are a few product categories which frequently use taboo subjects as an
advertising strategy e.g. perfumes, chocolates, cars and trendy clothing. In most of
these cases, oblique references to eroticism and sex are perhaps one of the most
common strategies used. Here lies the danger of crossing the fine line between
utilizing artistic freedom of the advertiser for making an impact over the audience and
honouring sensibilities of the society. Importantly the correlation between the use of
sexual innuendos in the advertising and its impact on the sales isnt clearly
established. Most often, audience buys the ad not the product! If we are asked to
name one advertisement in India which has created controversy, Amul Machos is one
of the most easily recalled but how many of the customers have consequently bought
the product and the impact of the advertisement on the buying decision is ambiguous.

Women grow up in a world
Where objectified images of women's bodies are everywhere - on TV,
newsstands, in advertisements, movies, calendars.
Where many women start to feel old and unattractive even in their 20's.
Where women aren't taken seriously.
Where even the youngest and most beautiful women often worry constantly,
and cannot match in real life their photographed, objectified image.
Where half-naked female bodies are displayed on walls, in public like objects,
exposed female bodies used as markers of male territory, male turf...
Immediate signals of discomfort, and of menace, for women.

Aim: To support the above points by analysing and studying several Indian and
Western male centred advertisements with personalised perspectives attached to a
woman and how she is objectified to market, promote and sell a particular concept or
product.



1. The Axe Effect Women Billions

The Axe way of Advertising: Axe uses humour, the objectification of sexes and
propagandistic advertising techniques to sell products. Most Axe commercials are still
directly geared towards men because the overall slogans and messages in the
advertisements show that the deodorant will make women more interested in you if
you use the product. There are plenty of Axe commercials that clearly use the
sexuality of women to lure men specifically into buying their products. Axe
deliberately uses very sexual and propagandistic advertising techniques, that objectify
women, slander men and that create the very specific idea that if a man or a woman
buys Axe deodorant then he or she will get the partner of their dreams.

This commercial is a disturbing
depiction of the objectification
of women under the
heterosexual male gaze and the
glorification of male sexual
desire. The ad has incredibly
dramatic music playing and
swarms of tall, thin women with
large breasts, long hair, tiny
stomachs, long legs, and large
behinds charging the scene as
the camera primarily focuses on
their fierceness of their ideal
bodies as animals rather than
faces or individualistic
attributes as women.
It is a prime example of objectification of women. Based on Bergers statement that
how a woman appears to a man can determine how she will be treated (Berger 37)
this commercial justifies the treatment of women like pets or lesser animals by
men. In addition, Jean Kilbournes observation is that there is extreme pressure for
women of colour to emulate the features of white women which is strongly reflected in
the coloration of the masses of beautiful women. The most disturbing element of
the ad lies at the end, where all the women flocking towards him as if they are his
belongings please the single man. Axe has sexualized their product as their slogan,
Spray More, Get More, indicates that the self of ownership the man has over his
deodorant is equivalent to that he has over these sexualized women. Now this saying
is completely untrue, but yet Axe is specifically targeting men because all men are
supposed to want is beautiful women. This advertisement is aimed at a heterosexual,
male audience, that just as in the wild environment of a jungle, mountains, and
beach, men can rule over women and take advantage of them as sex is trivialized
(Kilbourne).
This commercial is just ridiculous because the overall message in this ad is that if a
man puts on this spray deodorant, then millions of beautiful women in bikinis will
come running to him.


2. Wild Stone Dia Mirza

The latest in actor Dia Mirza's
longish repertoire of looking
impossibly pretty on celluloid, is
a commercial for a deodorant
brand. This one, unlike the
others Bollywood stars have
endorsed in the past, doesn't
promise pristine white armpits or
a pollution invading flowery
fragrance. It tells potential male
buyers that all you need to do is
spray it and stand at the window - a dazzling Dia Mirza prototype will coming running
to you. The ad starts with Dia Mirza and the man looking at each other from the
window; she smells him (we dont know how) and starts heavily dressing up and
putting on make-up and jewellery, exhibiting her keen anxiety of hooking up with the
man).
A very comforting thought for the men of our world here it may be, but ads like these
point at a deeper malaise in our culture - that of not giving enough space and
legitimate hearing to the idea of female desire. As writer Veena Venugopal points out
in her strong piece on Kafila, female desire in popular social and cultural narratives is
either something that's hastily shoved under the carpet or laughed at for its apparent
ridiculousness. It sure is one of the reasons why women are objectified because they
have to be under the table when it comes to taboo topics.


3. Cobra Deo


Cobra Deo has recently started to
advertise the fact that its now
available in a bigger size, which
is the point of the new ad
presumably. In the frame is a
can of deodorant and a pair of
well-manicured (womans)
hands. In the background for
some reason there are some
chess pieces and cufflinks. Maybe
because men should aspire to
these intellectual games and fashion? The 49-second ad sticks to this one frame,
while the womans hands caress the can; first, with one hand and then, from top to
bottom, with both. Theres a squiggly, ahem, vein on the label that becomes
pronounced. One part of the can turns transparent so that you can see a build-up of
something fizzy inside. The can grows bigger and bigger until finally, it just cant
handle all this stroking. The cap comes off and out comes a spray.

The ad cannot be more direct, obviously referring to a hand job given by a woman
implying that women will find the men as attractive that they will get a hand job; also
further hinting that women become maids of all work without proper appreciation or
remuneration.











4. Durex XXL


This advertisement is
actively displaying that
women are sex objects at
men's dispense. Condoms
are generally a men's
product, yet in this ad we
see a women with
bandages over the sides of
her mouth (suggesting that
the man's penis that the
woman gave oral to was so
big that it ripped the sides
of her mouth open). I really
shouldn't have to say why I
am disgusted nor why this
advertisement is wrong, but
this is just priming men who view this ad to think a couple of things. First, this ad is
suggesting that men can treat women like sex objects to do what they please with
and women will enjoy it. Second, this ad suggests that if a man's penis is not big
enough, it will not be able to please (abuse in this case) a woman.




5. Fiat 500 Abarth



This advertisement is a good
example of the idea that
women only show resistance
to be playful and cant be
taken seriously. Here the
women seems upset about
the man who is stopped and
starring at her, but like
many ads her mood goes
from discontent to not just
welcoming the attention, but
wanting it as well. Ads like
this one give viewers the
wrong impression about
fickleness of a womans
wants and desires.







6. MAC Computer system


The goal within this
advertisement is an attempt
to persuade consumers to
purchase a MAC computer
system. As you notice,
representing the Apple
Company is a slim, young,
Caucasian male while PC is
being represented by a
slightly middle aged
Caucasian male who appears
to be heavier in weight than
the representative from the
Apple Company. In order to appeal to customers even more, the Apple Company uses
Gisele Bundchen to push the product more displaying her in a revealing dress to show
off her skin and physique. On the contrary, PC is then represented by a male dressed
unattractively as a woman. Clearly, the goal of the Apple Company is to persuade the
public to purchase a MAC because of its appealing and sleek look.




7. Syntha-6 Protein Shake


The Syntha-6 Protein shake advertisement
objectifies women in so many ways. First off,
they have the protein shake resting upon a very
luscious and what seems to be promiscuous
womans rather large and toned bikini
bottom. At first glance, one would not even
know the ad was for a protein shake. Two, the
company is trying to grab the attention of men
by putting something on the page that will stick
out to them and they would desire. It is almost
like the company is advertising that if you drink
this protein shake, then you will be able to get a
woman as perfect and sexy as this.
Advertisements of this manner do not make
women feel good about them either. Girls may
grow up thinking that this is the ideal body type
and begin to have negative feelings about their
own bodies.
The logo SHAKE WELL and enjoy also makes
women come off as being able to be dominated
and taken advantage of. It degrades women in
order to attract men to the product.





8. Kate Upton Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler TV Commercial

The advert is narrated by a
weird guy who waltzes around a
lavish pool party in a knockoff
Tom Ford suit refusing to let the
women he encounters speak
more than a few words each.
Poor Hannah isn't even
permitted more than a wink
while "smoothest guy on the
planet" dictates her male fantasy
("a guy with a smooth stomach,
to show off his six-pack"). Meanwhile, Genesis jiggles at the camera as the narrator
informs us she "likes men completely hairless and no, she doesn't think that's
weird." "I don't," Genesis is permitted to confirm, after shaking her head, raising her
eyebrows and looking the camera lens up and down in a manner that suggests she's a
little shy, but still totally ready to go on her knees (in the sexual connotation). Her
completely two-dimensional aggressive sexuality is actually one of the more
disturbing things about this advert. Kate Upton's great, it's just that her presence
confirms Gillette is drawing on associations of women and body hair to sell their
product to men. Rather than having a man talk about his experience (like all of the
female shaving products ads); they instead decided to use a young woman who's
been sexualised by the media to (silently) argue its necessity. "You need this because
you want to have sex with Kate Upton, don't you?"

The advert, which hinges on the "desires" of three glamorous, peach coloured women
with hair down to their ankles, revolves around the new-fangled concept that men
should be hairless in order for women to want to have sex with them. Immediately,
we lose our hopes of equality: body hair, according to Gillette, is unequivocally a
female issue, regardless of where it's been ripped from. If men have to know the pain,
discomfort and inconvenience of ridding their bodies of it, it is because women will
refuse to have sex with them if they don't.


9. Trojan Her Pleasure/ Man Force Condoms Ads

It is great that the company is selling
a product which caters to womens
sexuality. This is in reference to the
new For Her Pleasure condoms.
However, the ads selling this new
product have insulted many women
making them feel uncomfortable. If
the man is the one who is supposed
to wear your product it would be fair
to have men represented in the ads;
maybe a male model with a condom
peering out of his boxers instead of a
woman. If this product is supposed to
be for women, then the two ads are
not selling what they are supposed to.
The ads are degrading and objectify
womens bodies.

10. Unnamed Youth Fashion brand


This is an advertisement of a
leading Indian youth fashion
brand which created
controversy for using the girl
in the advertisement as sex-
object by showing nudity and
her outfit with the word in it
sale as she is the product.
The whole thing appears in
such a way that the girl is for
sale and it is disturbing.




11. LYNX Shower Gel


In this advertisement, a womans body is
shown and objectified to persuade men to
purchase LYNX shower gel. The woman is
shown dressed in a bikini very dirty yet very
oily with attempts to focus men on her breasts
and bikini line. As you look closely, its very
hard to figure out if the advertiser is trying to
sell women or their product. The main eye
catcher of the advertisement is the objectified
woman. Notice, that the actual product is in the
bottom corner as if its just a prop for the
advertisement.
















As a result of these commercials, men judge real, non-photoshopped women based on
this ideal. These types of advertisements are so degrading to women; women are
seen as sexual attractive prizes for men and nothing more. I always knew women
were seen as less valuable than men, but it has never caught my attention within the
messages of all advertisements. Its a shame to see how society portrays women, as
if degrading women is the only way to attract men and women to purchase items. The
worst part is not the industries objectifying women; its the society that participates
leaving women to be an object for mens pleasure and given an unrealistic icon for
women to look up to.
These images send messages to young girls and women that you have to look like this
or you are undesirable. The obsession of staying thin comes from comparison theory,
where people look at others and determine who is in the better state of
attractiveness.
We believe that massive objectification of women may contribute to a "climate" in
which violence and exploitation of women are both tolerated and tacitly encouraged.
Once you have learned to see a class of human beings as objects, or in ways that
effectively reduce them to objects, it becomes much easier to use them as one would
an object, with as little, or less, regard.
In short, the direct negative effects on women, as we are exposed to it daily are:
negative self-images, shame about ourselves, diminished feelings of dignity,
autonomy, privacy, and SAFETY.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the media depicts women as
very thin, tan, large breasts and toned butt
with perfect make-up and hair. Everyday
women look at these images and believe that
they have to look like this. To add further
comparison, men believe that the women in
advertisements are what real women are
supposed to look like. A survey proved that
women who viewed thin and attractive
women in ads showed lower self-esteem
than the women who viewed ads with
average looking women. In social context
this shows that women are put up to this
standard that they have to be very thin,
pretty and basically a bombshell. Beside
looks, women are expected to perform
female gendered tasks such as cleaning,
cooking and taking care of the husband and
children, all while looking perfect.

The major issue is that girls take this Perfect 10 image seriously and can lead to
bigger problems like eating disorders. Eating disorders such as, anorexia and bulimia
can cause many severe health problems from rapid weight loss and poor nutrition.

Besides eating disorders, social situations can be a problem for women who are
dissatisfied with their bodies. People with low self-esteem are not always going
to maintain other healthy relationships because of their poor body image. Real women
are always being compared to the women on television, in magazines and on the
internet. These women in the ads are photo shopped to make them look better,
meaning this is not the real image being portrayed and no women really looks like
this. These altered images are being accepted into society and taken seriously.

The seriousness of this issue is what makes it a social problem. It is not that a few
women have eating disorders; it is that a lot of women have believe their bodies have
to look like the models in the media. This is showing that U.S. society is based on
looks and attractiveness, rather than emotions of real people who are more than just
looks. Women should realize that advertisements wrongfully portray women as thin
sex-goddesses and this image is not real. Women do not have to be thin to be
beautiful or show their cleavage and give sexual favours to get what they want.
Through education, women can gain respect and promote a healthy body image and
ignore what advertisements are representing.
As a society we are still far away from equality in the media. Women are still being
used as sex objects and housewives in advertisements which is just perpetuating
the stereotypes. Unfortunately, as long as the images presented by the media sell it is
unlikely that companies will stop using stereotypical and sexist depictions of women.



Reference:

http://womeninads.weebly.com/

https://sites.google.com/a/uw.edu/media-and-
change/content/objectification-of-women-in-media

http://www.nomas.org/node/247

http://iims-markathon.blogspot.in/2010/12/gender-sensitivity-indian-
advertising.html

http://adaring.com/portrayal-of-women-in-indian-media/

www.youtube.com












22/09/2014





Media Semiotics






Objectification of Women in
male-centred advertisements







Shivani Joshi
SNDT, Churchgate
MA Applied Linguistics
Part 2/ 2014-2015/Sem 3