Dimension 2

Social criticisms and regulations of sex and gender representation in advertising

• Sex and Gender in advertising is a sensitive topic to some people
• What some people enjoy watching, others might find extremely offensive
• Bob Garfield said, “there is nothing crass about commercialism: there are only times when commercialism seems crass. This is why there are no billboards in cemeteries” (Sheehan, p. 85).
• Most social criticisms stem from deception and manipulation in advertising, the effect of advertising on our value system, commercial clutter and offensiveness. (Arens, Schaefer & Weigold, p. 11)
•  Deception and manipulation in advertising:

•  This advertisement suggests that oven mitts could be the “key to a successful relationship”. This also stereotypes women as cooks and men coming home from a long day of work.
• The effect of advertising on our value system:

•  The thought that society is becoming more materialistic through advertisements
• Advertisers spend their money trying to make people believe that if consumers buy their products, they might end up looking like the model that is using the same product.
• Olay Regenerist creams are around 25$ for 1.7 ounces of cream. The model in this picture is young and clearly touched up.
• Commercial clutter:
• The average person may be exposed to 500-1,000 commercials per day (Arens, Schaefer & Weigold, p. 15)
•  Most commercials will have stereotypes to make the message more clear
•  Some of these commercials will have inappropriate sexual references
•  Offensiveness
• Sensitivity and taste are considered to be in the eye of the beholder

•  Abercrombie & Fitch is for middle-school aged children and up. College students might not find this advertisement offensive. Parents that are buying their 13-year-old children this clothing might find these types of advertisements very inappropriate.
• The Snickers advertisements are generally in good taste. In this case, many people might find this inappropriate since Snickers is a candy that is enjoyed by young children and older generations.

Sources:

Arens, William F., David H. Schaefer, and Michael F. Weigold. Advertising. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2012. Print.

Sheehan, Kim. (2004). Controversy in Contemporary Advertising. USA: Sage Publications.