Blog tasks: Representations of women in advertising

  Representations of women in advertising

Academic reading: A Critical Analysis of Progressive Depictions of Gender in Advertising

Read these extracts from an academic essay on gender in advertising by Reena Mistry. This was originally published in full in David Gauntlett's book 'Media, Gender and Identity'. Then, answer the following questions:

1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990s?

Mistry suggests that throughout the mid-1990s that homosexuality has evolved as more open as the social norms of today's society has evolved to a better platform due to sexual and gender stereotypes have been decreased to gay comics and more for example.

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?

There were many stereotypes when it came to women between 1940-1950 as many were battling a crisis of their own identity after their husband had gone to war (WW2) and they had the right to work independently. However that was subdued due to masculinity rising and women being taught how to 'behave' as they were then treated as objects.

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

The increase of sexualising women in the advertisement as it brought customers wanting to be like that to impress their man like perfume but also some for men that sexualises and objectifies women as they were seen to be 'decorative'.

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

The theorist that came up with the idea of 'male gaze' was Mulvey as she discusses the relation of women being represented in a certain framework by men as they sexualize them (especially in the media industry).

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?

The representation of women has evolved since the 1970s due to women being less objectified and independent due to the power of women uprising from the women's movement for pushing for gender equality in workplaces and universities.

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

Zoonen suggested 'new women' as a new journey as it would influence others to independently know confidence and assertiveness compared to the early years of being objectified by men.

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

From what Barthel states 'today's young women can successfully storm the bastions of male power... without threatening their male counterparts' that indicates that women after the 1970s and our generation can freely have an opinion and live to our desires without male authority objectifying us women.

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

There is still a lot that needs to be done in the media industry when it comes to feminist views as there is still a lingering for women to be independent life without being objectified and stereotyped, which there is but there are still women constructing their selves in this generation making advertisement still trying to end it.


Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015. Read the feature and answer the questions below in the same blogpost as the questions above.

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?

The campaign was to as it shows in the magazine 'courting the female market' to be expected to have these beach bodies but it backfired as it demonstrated the male gaze and objectified women to be this certain way (white, tanned, skinny and blonde female).

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The Dove Real Beauty campaign is trying to build self confidence in women and young children as it shows women of different varieties of race, age  and body types.

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 

Audiences have interacted in a more negative way and stated in the 'Beach Bodies' campaign that it is highly sexist but back in the early 20th century, it would have been depicted as a normalised thing in society.

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

Van Zoonen and Stuart Hall's theory establishes the representation of how women are stereotyped in advertising in the 'Beach Bodies' campaign indicates that young women should strive to be this certain way as the Dove campaign shows the opposite and strives young girls to be whoever they want.

5) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

In my opinion, I believe that the representation of women will change again to either a better way or worse since depicting the future is an unexpected thing due to women still being sexually harassed till this day of women empowerment since the early 20th century.The way females are portrayed throughout advertising has always been the motive to sexually exploit them and women go along with it since it’s what makes them money.