Ad Critique - Assignment PDF

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The image attached is a classic example of advertisements that objectify women and portray them simply as something that can be easily dominated. This advertisement from American apparel shows a man who seems to be standing straight and strong with an arched back, whereas the only part of the woman that is shown in this image is her bare legs which are spread wide open by the man. The legs of the woman shown displays the expected standards of what a woman’s leg should look like, long, shiny and hairless. She is also shown to be below the man and demonstrated to have let the man take full control of her. There is no other text that accompanying the advertisement or explaining the aspects of the advertisement besides the “American Apparel” logo that is placed between the woman’s legs.

This advertisement is providing the message that a man should always be above the woman. It is promoting the idea that women should be dominated and only be used for sex.

American apparel received a great amount of backlash over this advertisement as although it may not verbally portray anything that degrades women, the picture itself is worth a thousand words. Another issue addressed through this advertisement is the creator’s choice to only have the legs of the model included. While it is understood that the advertisement is to show a new casual clothing line for men, why does it have to be illustrated by sexualizing a female? The creator failed to demonstrate the clothing for the woman as well and instead chose to have the man fully clothed while the woman is almost 99% bare. It is clearly the dehumanization of a woman by making her relentlessly an object for a man’s sexual pleasure. This advertisement can be related to the film “Killing us Softly 4” which is based on a lecture given by Jean Kilbourne. In this film, Kilbourne talks about the seriousness of objectification of women in advertisements. She explains that while both men and women are objectified in the media, they are both performed very differently. When a man is objectified, he is given a strong and bigger figure and as someone of control. Meanwhile, women are shown to have a skinnier, smaller and weaker image which is almost impossible to achieve. Women are sexualized in food commercials at the moment by sexualizing the way women eat food which in turn attracts more people to buy that particular type of food. Role-learning theory suggests that the way people construct their images for themselves cultural ideals are mostly based on the media. Unquestionably, if the media is portraying women as a sexual object for a powerful man to hold their legs wide apart, someone that submissive is only meant to be below a man, that will be how the society sees women. It also paints an image on how a woman is, who she should be and what she is capable of when in reality, a woman is much more than that according to the words of Jean Kilbourne.

Overall, the advertisement attached from American Apparel, is just one out of multiple advertisements published by prominent companies such as Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein that objectify women and choose to only display them as sexual objects. It will never be okay to have a women to be suppressed under a man and be seen weak and ready to be dominated. Although the advertisements have improved over time with the support of activists like Jean Kilbourne, it is important to raise your voice against these matters as it certainly needs to be addressed to change the way our society views women....