Two television advertisements portray the status of women in American advertising in general. While there are some ads that do not sexually exploit women, they are few and far between. In the two TV ads referenced here, we see the typical portrayal and use of women as objectified sexual beings. In one, we hear a women moaning and groaning, screaming “Yes”, “Yes”, “Yes.” Her cries and moans become progressively louder, building to a climax as she screams “Yes!” one final time. The association we make with the sounds emitted from the woman is sexual. It is the typical soundtrack we hear laid over a scene of a woman climaxing in films, made famous and humorous by Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. What is the woman climaxing over? Why the luxuriating feeling given to her from using a particular shampoo, of course.
In the other ad for Finesse shampoo, we see women in a position of power. They can get their men to buy tampons and even stop and ask for directions. How? Because of the “soft, touchability” of Finesse-d hair, that’s how. The women have power over the men, but only because they are empowered because of their sexual appeal. Women are often portrayed to have come a long way since the no-vote, no-voice, no-sex Victorian era, but when it comes to modern media advertising, they are portrayed in fairly similar ways to Victorian women who were objects to be owned and empowered only because of their sexual allure to men.
An analysis of various media advertisements will help underscore the sexual exploitation and sexism in modern media advertising. Whether or not the use of sex in advertising is harmful to anyone or unethical will also be addressed. A conclusion will discuss the increasing use of men as sex objects in modern media advertisements, and how this phenomenon relates to advertising using women as sex objects, advertising ethics, and the connection between advertising and society and ...