Representations of women in advertising

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

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

Since the mid-1990s, advertising has increasingly employed images in which the gender and sexual

orientation of the subject(s) are markedly (and purposefully) ambiguous.

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

After 1945, women were made to feel guilty by warnings of the 'dangerous consequences to the home' that had begun to circulate .Looking at women's magazines in the 1950s, Betty Friedan (1963) claims this led

to the creation of the 'feminine mystique': 'the highest value and the only real commitment for

women lies in the fulfilment of their own femininity. The highest good is keeping house and raising

children.

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

A second major area of expansion in production/consumption - clothes and make-up - which led to women being increasingly portrayed as decorative (empty) objects.

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

Laura Mulvey's theory of the 'male gaze' = Male power means that any social representation of women is constructed as a spectacle for the purpose of male voyeuristic pleasure.

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

From the mid-1970s there was a proliferation of distinct images that became labelled as the 'New

Woman', and that were seen as representative of the 'changing reality of women's social position

and of the influence of the women's movement'. The New Woman was supposed to be 'independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfillment '.

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?

At the level of content analysis, the roles that women take on in these advertisements appear to be progressive (the employee, the active woman); however, with a more semiological approach, van Zoonen asserts that the New Woman 'only departs marginally from her older, more traditional sisters. Van Zoonen points to its claim that: 'A woman should look forward to dressing for the office.' Having a job is seen merely to provide 'another happy occasion for women to dress up and present themselves.'

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

Barthel notes that 'today's young women can successfully storm the bastions of male power... without threatening their male counterparts' providing we can reassure them that, underneath the suit, we are still 'all woman', that 'no serious gender defection has occurred'. In other words, that there is no real threat to male power.

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

Richard Dyer however, claims that such images are something of a misrepresentation of women's liberation: '[advertising] agencies trying to accommodate new [feminist]attitudes in their campaigns, often miss the point and equate "liberation" with a type of aggressive sexuality and a very unliberated coy sexiness' . Thus, all we are really left with is a woman who continues to construct herself as a spectacle and, just like the innocent maiden, is presented as a willing co-conspirator of men's sexual advances - and worse, believes she is 'liberated' in doing so.

Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

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

The 'Are You Beach Body Ready?’ campaign launched by Protein World in spring caused a real stir amongst the media and consumers. Launched in Spring 2015 on London Underground, the PR team were clearly courting the female market (19-30) into looking their best for the beach this summer.

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The campaign employed an FBI-trained sketch artist to draw women twice – first based on their own self-perception, and then based on that of a stranger. The outcomes demonstrated that the strangers’ descriptions were both more attractive and more accurate than the women’s own perceptions, suggesting that women are often hyper-critical of their appearances, and unable to see their own beauty. The campaign resulted in upwards of four billion PR and blogger media hits, and was much praised.

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

Social media has led to audiences being more able to freely discuss the impacts of advertising but also can help the campaigns through word of mouth.

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

Van Zoonen's theory can be applied because she states notions of femininity and masculinity are constructed and maintained by media texts which is supported by the 'beach body' advertisement because it's representation of women is s stereotypical western standard for women.

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?

Yes, they have changed in the last 60 years since women are represented to have more agency for themselves without being subservient to a man however, it can still be better and grow to not put people of any gender into confined standards.