Nowadays, advertising products such as cars, clothing and jewelry commonly utilize sex and leisure themes to appeal to individuals of all ages.
Advertising often incorporates themes that appeal to people's desire for a better life, rather than confronting harsh realities. These themes may not directly relate to the products being advertised, but they serve to capture attention and increase product recognition. The use of sex in advertising has been a long-standing practice, thought to boost sales and consumer interest. For instance, an image of a woman leaning forward and revealing a significant amount of cleavage can be a powerful attention-grabber.
Taflinger (1996) claims that the advertisement that showcases Debbie holding grease gun cartridges in both hands uses sexual appeal to endorse its product. The headline suggests that Debbie desires the audience to possess t
...he product for their car.
Utilizing a current trend in magazines, internet, and advertising, the woman's pose, smile, and exposed cleavage serve as an appeal to consumers. Her image draws viewers in from a distance and compels them to read the advertisement for further information about her portrayal.
Using a woman’s body in advertising is an effective way to grab a man's attention and convince him to purchase a product by appealing to his instinctual desires. The association between the woman and the product creates an image of leisure, which is reinforced by the fact that cars are often seen as a luxury item. This approach uses a man’s natural response, rather than his intellect, to drive sales. The message conveyed by the advertisement is similar to Eduoard Manet’s paintings, in which sexual appeal is also used to persuade people to buy products. In both cases
the focus is on sex rather than the item being sold, reinforcing the idea that only those who can afford expensive women and possessions are truly successful.
Both Manet's painting and the referenced image share a common theme: the dehumanization of women as sexual objects lacking personality or emotions. The message conveyed is that casual sex is morally acceptable and a form of leisure. These portrayals of sexuality in art can significantly influence how viewers perceive sexual behavior.
The decline of traditional family values has been attributed to advertising campaigns that promote promiscuity and extramarital affairs. Manet's artwork portrays women in a relaxed state, highlighting the concept of leisure. Wealthy men who enjoy entertainment are most likely to engage with prostitutes.
Manet's painting Olympia portrays a theme of sex and leisure, which is different from the depicted trend of rich men being entertained by barmaids in bars. However, while Manet's paintings are original and demonstrate the beginning of a culture that is now common, the above image represents a trend that has existed for years in the current world.
The image above advertises specific car parts and contrasts with Manet's paintings, where women are portrayed solely as sexual objects. Manet's paintings conveyed a message that depicted women as prostitutes who promoted themselves through art.
The above image shows advertisers using a woman's cleavage to sell a product, continuing the tradition of using women as commodities in art. Manet himself utilized this tactic, painting women solely for the purpose of selling them.
Advertisers employ sexuality as a marketing tool, but within limits that consider broader audiences. Whereas, the painting of Manet's Olympia displays an unabashed, nude woman with no concealment of
her body, making it somewhat pornographic due to its open and explicit nature that leaves little room for interpretation.
The image displayed above showcases the allure and charm of a woman, while Manet's Olympia focuses on the topic of nudity and female anatomy. During the 19th century, paintings similar to Olympia were seen as inappropriate and unsuitable due to society's belief that women should always be modestly clothed. However, presently, portraying models and attractive women is considered more acceptable, causing many women to strive towards participating in such advertising campaigns for acceptance. This shift in societal norms has placed an immense amount of pressure on women to comply with impractical beauty standards which often leads them to seek cosmetic surgeries like implants.
In the era of Manet, depictions of women with sexual connotations were only deemed acceptable when linked to prostitution. Nowadays, however, society has embraced and even idolizes the depiction of women in a sexual manner. Regrettably, some women have developed eating disorders while striving to achieve the slim figures seen in advertisements and on television. Manet's critique regarding sex commodification and play casts light on how the advertising industry uses sex to market products. Advertisers are aware that sex is an effective selling tool; therefore, their objective is to incorporate it into their promotions as they know people tend to recall the sexual aspect more than the advertisement itself.
The idea is to associate the product with the attraction of women. Advertisers understand that straightforward promotion may not yield much interest. Instead, they leverage the natural allure of sex which is a primal need that people cannot resist. It is like food, a
necessity for survival. However, it is challenging to use advertisements showcasing handsome men to appeal to women sexually.
Advertisers utilize romantic and leisure themes to appeal to the instinctual sexual desires of individuals, which can be affected by intelligence. In particular, women tend to be attracted to qualities such as money, power, status and prestige, while men's bodies are showcased in a romantic and relaxed context to grab women's attention. However, the exploitation of sex and sexual appeal in advertising has led to diminished self-esteem among both genders.
When physically attractive individuals are used in advertising, it can lead to viewers comparing themselves and feeling dissatisfied or lacking confidence. This effect is worsened when alcohol is involved as it increases male aggression towards women. As a result, there has been an increase in cases of domestic violence where intoxicated men use these advertisements as justification for abusive behavior. Ultimately, the use of sexuality in advertising reinforces a society that favors men.
Gender inequality is perpetuated in advertising through the objectification of women, which portrays them as lacking control over their bodies and sexuality. The consequences of this include harmful situations such as rape and abduction, as well as contributing to the growth of prostitution and strip dancing. Ultimately, sexual misconduct occurs alongside an increase in sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
While some individuals view the utilization of sexual imagery in advertisements as innocuous, it can result in significant ramifications such as ethical deterioration and fatalities. Such outcomes are usually enduring and must be addressed with great gravity.
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