There are multiple images of women in our culture, these images are embraced by the media world and used to their advantage. Advertisers use the vulnerability of young kids and teenagers to instill these ideas into the consumers' minds. Ideas such as the importance of a woman's physical appearance and a woman's status in society are common messages sent through advertisements. By instilling these ideas into the minds of the younger generation, the images will stick around for years to come. Growing up in America as a female I was exposed to advertisements that were sending these exact messages. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't affected by at least a handful of these advertisements. I especially remember being affected as a pre-teen, possibly the most vulnerable time in a girl's life, it's a time when fitting in is extremely important. Only when I became more aware of who I was through athletics did I realize how false the messages sent through advertisements actually are. As I realized this I also noticed that some companies have torn away from the typical ads. Companies such as Dove and Nike have turned to advertising for the empowerment of women instead of degrading them.
Advertisements, like the Covergirl ad featuring Rihanna, focus on the physical appearance of women. The picture in the ad shows Rihanna with perfectly pore less, even-toned skin. There are only two ways her skin could look like this, she either has never stepped foot outside since she was born or someone was hired to re-touch the picture until every imperfection was removed. The latter is obviously the more realistic answer. The problem is that most girls do not see this when they look at these images. They see the perfection, and this is what they start to strive for.
It's hard for women to not want to strive for physical perfection when our culture is so focused on the perfection of the female body. Through television and the media people are surrounded by tall, thin, and perfectly built women; like the Victoria's Secret models in the picture to the right. Images of this body type have been plastered across billboards, magazines, and commercials. The fact is, though, this body type is not very common. This doesn't stop women from striving for this body type though. Eating disorders are becoming more and more prevalent among our culture, especially in women. Almost ninety percent of people suffering from an eating disorder in America are females. This doesn't shock me at all when you look at the focus on the female body within our society.
The physical appearance of women is not the only image advertisers use. The status of a woman compared to a man is often used. Women are shown as submissive objects that can be used by the strong and confident men. This image has been common for many years. Even though women have been fighting for equal rights with men the idea of men being above women still exists. This image is one that I continuously face as a high school athlete. Men are always seen as more athletic and are put on a pedestal in the sports world. They are seen as stronger and faster; which causes them to receive all the credit. People don't appreciate the accomplishments of female athletes as much as they do males. Within Guilderland High School the football team, baseball team, and boys lacrosse teams are all give more attention than say the Cheerleading team, the girls track team, and the Gymnastics team. Even though the cheerleaders have won nationals, the track team has consistently sent athletes to states, as well with the Gymnastics team.
Being seen as lesser than men and only being viewed for my physical appearance are two things I strongly disagree with. I was elated when I saw the Dove Evolution Commercial on television. The commercial shows the process of a model from the start of a photo shoot to the point where the picture is on a billboard. The changes made to the model are absurd. The commercial shows the much needed truth to a culture striving for perfection that doesn't exist. Dove also has a few other commercials that focus on the diversity of a female body, showing there is more than one way to be beautiful. Another example of Dove's mission to strengthen a girls image of herself is the commercial showing the advertisements the little girl is exposed to. It shows the vast amount of ads little girls are subjected to and the images they see (both of these commercials are in the videos above).
Nike is also another company that defies the typical images in our culture. Although the people shown within the Nike commercials are physically fit they show both women and men working hard. They show their belief in the equality of men and women. In a 2009 commercial Nike promoted their new Men versus Women challenge. The commercial shows very clearly that women are not beneath men, in fact there are moments where both men and women are in the lead. This belief is extremely important within our culture that is fixated on the strength of men.
Whether advertisers are focusing on the physical appearance of women or their status within society our culture has not made it simple to be a woman. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the images fed to us from such a young age. Focusing on a woman's strength like companies such as Dove and Nike have is important in trying to end these portrayals of women. The messages of diverse beauty and physical strength within a woman are the images I hope advertisers start to focus on more.
Growing Up Female in America 2010
Advertisements, like the Covergirl ad featuring Rihanna, focus on the physical appearance of women. The picture in the ad shows Rihanna with perfectly pore less, even-toned skin. There are only two ways her skin could look like this, she either has never stepped foot outside since she was born or someone was hired to re-touch the picture until every imperfection was removed. The latter is obviously the more realistic answer. The problem is that most girls do not see this when they look at these images. They see the perfection, and this is what they start to strive for.
It's hard for women to not want to strive for physical perfection when our culture is so
The physical appearance of women is not the only image advertisers use. The status of a woman compared to a man is often used. Women are shown as submissive objects that can be used by the strong and confident men. This image has been common for many years. Even though women have been fighting for equal rights with men the idea of men being above women still exists. This image is one that I continuously face as a high school athlete. Men are always seen as more athletic and are put on a pedestal in the sports world. They are seen as stronger and faster; which causes them to receive all the credit. People don't appreciate the accomplishments of female athletes as much as they do males. Within Guilderland High School the football team, baseball team, and boys lacrosse teams are all give more attention than say the Cheerleading team, the girls track team, and the Gymnastics team. Even though the cheerleaders have won nationals, the track team has consistently sent athletes to states, as well with the Gymnastics team.
Being seen as lesser than men and only being viewed for my physical appearance are two things I strongly disagree with. I was elated when I saw the Dove Evolution Commercial on television. The commercial shows the process of a model from the start of a photo shoot to the point where the picture is on a billboard. The changes made to the model are absurd. The commercial shows the much needed truth to a culture striving for perfection that doesn't exist. Dove also has a few other commercials that focus on the diversity of a female body, showing there is more than one way to be beautiful. Another example of Dove's mission to strengthen a girls image of herself is the commercial showing the advertisements the little girl is exposed to. It shows the vast amount of ads little girls are subjected to and the images they see (both of these commercials are in the videos above).
Whether advertisers are focusing on the physical appearance of women or their status within society our culture has not made it simple to be a woman. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the images fed to us from such a young age. Focusing on a woman's strength like companies such as Dove and Nike have is important in trying to end these portrayals of women. The messages of diverse beauty and physical strength within a woman are the images I hope advertisers start to focus on more.
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