Blog tasks: Representations of women in advertising

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

Since the mid 1990s Mistry states that advertising has increasingly employed images in which the gender and sexual orientation of the subjects are markedly ambiguous.  Moreover, there is also a growing number of distinctly homosexual images.

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

In the 1940s and 50s the creation of the "feminine mystique" took place and this created the stereotype that the only real commitment for women lies in their fulfilment of their own femininity ie keeping house and raising children. The main reason behind this mystique emerged due to a sense of social crisis however this was exploited and reinforced as a result of the 1950's boom in the economy. Moreover, advertising was calculated to focus attention on domestic roles for example the idea that women would be purchasing goods for the household.

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

Due to the major expansion of production and consumption of clothes and make-up, the representation of women changed drastically. This can be seen through the fact that women became increasingly portrayed as decorative objects rather than humans. This can be seen through the perfume advertisements where one of the most common images/representations is that of a "fair maiden", or women with flowers located in nature which creates a sense of innocent and purity.

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

Laura Mulvey is the name of the theorist who came up with the male gaze and it refers to the basic human sexual drive to look at other human beings, this has been "organised" by society's patriarchal definition of looking as a male activity and being looked at as a female "passivity".

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

The representation of women changed in the 1970s, this is because there was a proliferation of distinct images which became labelled as the "new woman" and were seen as the representative of the "changing reality" of womens social position. The representation of a women became such that the new woman is suppose to be independent, confident and assertive. The new woman is also suppose to find satisfaction in the world of work and recreation.

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?

There was only a marginally small difference because women ended up having more jobs rather than being houswives.

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

In regards to male power, Barthel says that there is no real threat to male power. In regards to advertising Barthel says that women can use Christian Dior make-up in order to make themselves sexually attractive/appealing.

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

Richard Dyer suggests that images are something of a misrepresentation of women's liberation. More importantly, advertising agencies are trying to accommodate new feminist attitudes in their campaigns however they miss the point and equate "liberation". Essentially this leaves us with a women who constructs herself as a spectacle.

Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

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

The protein world "beach bodies" campaign was an advertisement launched by protein world and it focused in the "perfect ideal women body" which is obviously a stereotype within society that women have to look their absolute best and be thin. The advertisement however generated a lot of controversy for example many people claimed that the advert instead of focusing on women and attempting to make them look beautiful people stated that the advert body shamed women instead. 

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The dove real beauty campaign was targeted towards women and building/instilling confidence in women and younger children by embracing their body and accepting what they have. The campaign became a huge success reaching upwards of four billion pr and the campaign itself was praised a lot.

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

 Before the spread of technology and social media people were able to have their own beliefs and opinions but were unable to actually comment or do anything to the advertisement ie a billboard however now that mos advertisement is online people can actually comment on these posts and provide their takes and beliefs. A common "cancel culture" can also occur which is essentially an online strike where people or posts can be taken down. This poses the question however if we truly have freedom anymore.

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

Van Zoonen states that women are used as a spectacle in media and rather than being presented as people they are presented as objects for monetary gain. Stuart Hall states that media products are simply a re-representation. These theories can be applied to the beach bodies v real women case study as in the beach bodies campaign women are objectified and are presented as an unrealistic image in order to sell and promote the product which in this case is the protein world product. Stuart Halls theory can be applied as the women in the beach body advertisement is being represented in the stereotype that women must be slim, thin and attractive.

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?

I believe that the methods of advertising have changed however the representation and stereotypes of women have barely changed at all. 60 years ago it was common in the household that women were the housewives and men were the breadwinners and often times women were represented/shown in a way which would make them appear as objects or as the spectacle in order to sell a product. This remains the same today as women still are objectified as a result to turn them into a spectacle which links to the male gaze. However women are no longer represented as the housewives and are presented as more powerful and independent to a degree.