Friday, August 24, 2007
Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women
Posted by
Dave King
at
10:33
An excellent critique of how of Women's Image in ads. The issue is of course much broader that just how ads view women. Ads offer an implied gospel, a way of life. For me the question is how do we form communities that subvert this prevailing, mostly subconscious gospel?
- Peace
Labels:
advertising,
Video,
women
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7 comments:
I thought, although the video was well done, it just touched on a lot of cliches people are already somewhat aware of.
In my opinion this was a more interesting article, not only describing how advertisers continue to perpetuate unwholesome ideals but showing that these ideals are impossibilities that no real women could ever achieve.
Redbook Photoshop Article
That is a very good example of how twisted things have become.
- Peace
Dave, that's a great presentation. Thanks for pointing it out. It goes _far_ beyond just sexism. All advertising skews reality, in all directions. CONSUME!
If I were ruler of the world, I would ban advertising during newscasts. Even the news must bend toward sensationalism so they can sell ad space, in turn to sell us crap we don't need or want, by distorting our sense of reality...
We watched this video in one of my Psychology classes, when we were discussing eating disorders and their root causes. I think that Jean Kilbourne has many good points, and she addresses them head on. I appreciate that she does discuss how the media affects women and men, since men are often forgotten when it comes to body image issues.
I had heard that putting scantily clad women in ads doesn't actually help sell product - though it does have devastating effects on men and women.
The question then becomes: does mass media promote this twisted gospel under the delusion that this will help sell product or is it promoting this twisted gospel simply to promote this twisted gospel?
It reminds me of Anakin Skywalker deciding to use the Dark Side in an attempt to save Padme - but when Padme dies, Anakin still won't renounce the Dark Side.
The last line says it, "we need to live authentic and freely chosen lives". Is that not a key message of the gospel? Choice, free will, truth, and ultimately love. It seems as though these ads and mass media in general is not just selling a product or a lifestyle, but a cheap, violent and destructive knock-off of love. To understand love we cant look these 3000 examples we see a day, but the one true everlasting example.
Richard: If it doesn't work, I'm guessing is some thing like well that's what the clients will buy and the clients saying well that's what the ad people seem to think works. Much the way flashy web design wins over usability.
Melissa: Amen, Amen, Amen. Though I must confess I need a family of friends who will lovingly speak truth to me and remind me that the messages that soak us are lies. I can not do this on my own.
- Peace
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