Gender and Advertising

Cynthia Magelitz

Comm 406

Women, Gender Roles and

Magazine Advertisements

01/23/12

 Advertisements especially in magazines and on billboards for as long as I can remember have always been a source of influence within American society. Women are portrayed as the weaker sex and men are strong and resilient to the elements of harsh reality. Unfortunately and more often than most advertiser would not be willing to admit to gender roles in any type of advertising and that gender roles are truly exaggerated. In the video, Codes of Gender, director and narrator Sut Jhally points out how we, as Americans, especially our young adults, are influenced by advertising agencies to over look the controversy in the advertisement by directing the attention to what sells the product, which is sex and glamor through the approach of an artistic view of the product. Today’s advertisements are more pervasive, and highly errotic especially for women. In the series Killing Us Softly 4, Jean Kilbourne points out that advertising is and always has been especially destructive towards women and not just for women in the United States but for women across the globe.

Figure 1 The caption states: The pickle, long live the French Cuisine

This is a picture advertising a pickle. What does a pickle have to do with a goose portrayed as a  sexy woman? Nothing, but it does get the viewer attention, especially if the viewer does not know French and does not realize that this is a food advertisement. Goose must be a favorite dish to the French cuisine in order for this advertisement to make this goose appeasing to the viewer eye as sexy and already dressed for the kill. Clearly there is the absents of respect for women as they too must be thought of as a delightful dish and go well on the side as a pickle does with a sandwich.  The woman's head has been replaced by a land and water fowl which gives the impression that women are no different than animals and should be treated as a non-intelligent mammal and if served properly can bring delight to the taste bud. The Goose/woman is looking away from the viewer and is just an object to be looked at as if one is looking at a painting in art gallery.

Figure 2 Advertisement for Hummer with two Russian women

This advertisement is for Hummer. The women are not only sexy but masculine and the Hummer in the back ground is the phallic symbol between them. This type of stereotyping leads to a negative perspectives for women not just for the Western culture but for women worldwide. This leads the viewer, especially women to believe that driving a Hummer is not only sexy but dangerously exciting. This clearly sends a message about masculine power and emphasizes the relationship between gender relationships without using a male model but instead using the car as the masculine force. The danger is that this type of advertising sends a sad message to our young women that they are only attractive if they are incredibly sexy and have a gangsta mentality at the same time.

In the past women had been taught that they must be lady like and accept the conditions of life without question. Women were to be dainty, submissive, and weak. When women where finally allowed to enter into universities in the late Nineteen hundreds it was not just to get a degree and go out into the work force it was also to find a man to settle down with and spend the rest of their life serving this man and the family they would create together. Women where taught that love comes at any cost and to accept their husbands discipline as a form of submission to accepting who is in charge or face being thrown out into the streets to fend for themselves. Thank goodness women started to see the light and realize that no normal individual should live in fear of their significant other just because society approves of this type of relationship discipline.

.Figure 3 Advertisement from Maybelline, 1970's

Clearly the woman pictured is content with her black eye and willing to accept spousal abuse. Shame on Maybelline for even promoting such a controversial issue as this being acceptable because there is nothing acceptable about spousal abuse. This ad tells women that their roll in the marriage or relationship is to be submissive and it is better to accept the domination because Maybelline offers the perfect concealer with micro minerals to help the abused woman continue living the life in a perfect relationship, concealing to anyone that there is a form of abuse taking place.  Maybelline is suggesting with this advertisement that the abused individual should concel it and get on with life but just don't do anything to upset your significant other but if you do Maybelline is there to help. This clearly sends the wrong message to women by stating one should accept the abuse.  Maybelline surely feels that there is a market for this product simply because they want to help the abused hide the ugly truth and clearly no indication that Maybelline feels relationship abuse is wrong, unacceptable and should never be toloreated in any form, physical or mental.

http://www.sify.com/finance/Glamorous-car-models-imagegallhttp://vi.sualize.us/view/4ea76a5ea0a030653c77fcdb22cd862a/ery-auto-jcuoyAijfgd.html

Frith Analysis-Swiffer

Cynthia Magelitz

Comm 406

01/17/2012

Frith Analysis-Swiffer’s Women Mud and Dirt

Advertising has come a long way from its roots. Not only does advertising a product have to hook our attention through visual semiotics it has to speak the consumer’s language. Visual and verbal communication becomes the viewer’s interpretation and is also considered an important part of the analysis for the product being advertised. Through advertising the consumer is subjected to adverse and controversial ads that may psychologically and through technical effects make verbal or non-verbal statements about race, gender, feminism and masculinity. Some of the advertising that is presented to the consumer in this day and age of advertising through broadcast medium is humorous, may use nostalgic through music and most do not depend on intellectual analysis. One such advertisement that captures the funny bone with humor and nostalgic music is the Swiffer commercials. Swiffer is one of many products that are produced by the Procter & Gamble Company and through advertising of this product has produced a number of characters to help sell the Swiffer product line. The commercial that will be analyzed through the Frith method and discussed in this blog is the Swiffer ‘What About Love’ commercial featuring mud and dirt represented by two women.

The surface meaning of this commercial to the viewer is of two women made to look very small against a giant background of a kitchen floor in which these two women represent mud and dirt. Mud looks like mud and dirt looks like dust and dirt mixed together. In fact when dirt claps her hands together and when she is suddenly attracted to the bottom of the Swiffer cloth a little bit of dust fly’s off her. When mud is pushed around by the big mop she leaves a muddy residue. When the two in one Swiffer sweeper comes along to attract dirt off the floor a song by the band Heart, ‘What About Love,’ begins to play and when mud is attracted to the Swiffer dirt dissolving wet cloth mud exclaims “you’re quite the pick-up artist.” The commercial ends with a bold statement that Swiffer “gives cleaning a whole new meaning.” Yeah for the consumer who has had it with their old broom and dirty mop!

The advertiser’s intended meaning is that Swiffer products are better than the conventional product to clean dirt, mud, and dust and is better for the consumer’s hardwood floors, a cleaning product so "revolutionary" that the consumer will never switch back to what they were once using.  Swiffer has taken an ongoing problem of mud, dirt and dust inside the home by adding a humorous twist to the situation to demonstrate that their product does not leave traces of mud, dirt, and dust on the surface and that the consumer does not have to spend as much time cleaning the floor as if they would be doing by using the conventional method of cleaning through the use of a broom or mop.

The cultural and ideological meaning of the Swiffer’s ‘What About Love,’ commercial has nothing to do with love. Maybe love for a cleaner floor surface but not finding true love for mud, dirt or dust. This commercials ideological meaning comes off as an E-Harmony connection for mud, dirt, dust and even the hardwood floor in finding the satisfaction of being swept off in love at first sight syndrome, even though the intended ideological meaning is all other cleaning products that combat this issue are inferior to the Swiffer product. Culturally Swiffer is targeting not only the individual who likes a clean house but also the individual who is single and find themselves in the same predicament as mud and dirt being represented by two lonely women who are wondering if "they will ever find the one." In all of the Swiffer commercials the anthropomorphize object, male or female is lonely and looking for love to sweep it off into forever  happiness of contentment never to worry about finding love again and the hardwood surface is left to peace of mind. The target consumer may be the population of adults who are single and desperate for love or it is catchy enough to convince  any consumer that this product is the ultimate pick me up artist that guarantees satisfaction or your money back. Hm wonder if E-Harmony offers the same guarantee. The symbolic truth behind the Swiffer commercials is that this is a cleaning product that will make the consumer’s life much happier once the consumer switches from their old way of cleaning to the Swiffer way of cleaning. The product now becomes something for everyone and not just the single and lonely looking for love.

Foot and Hand Refexology

Cynthia Magelitz
Comm 352
Foot and Hand Reflexology

Foot and Hand Reflexology

Foot and Hand Reflexology are known as zone therapy for relief of stress in the body. Reflexology helps the body by relaxing the stress and in this process of stimulating the area through reflexology releases pain relieving endorphins. The goal for reflexology is to clear a pathway of healing energy throughout the body to return the body back to a normal balance.

The science of reflexology maintains that all body parts have energy and that all body parts share information. These shared body points are called meridian zones. Ten reflexology zone meridians have been mapped connecting all organs and glands in one's feet and hands. The nervous system is considered an electrical system. Through massage motion of the thumbs produces a light or even deep pressure on each zone, concentrating on the tender spots. These spots may feel like there are little grains of salt underneath the skin. Reflexology treatments are used for pain relief from injuries and for faster recovery from illness.

Reflexology is an ancient massage science. The history of foot and hand massage is recorded as far back as 2300 B.C. in Egypt and 700 A.D. in Japan. The ancient Egyptians are believed to have actually developed hand and foot reflexology. In China, more than 300 studies have been conducted on the benefits of hand and foot reflexology treatments with a conclusion that reflexology can improve over 95% of over 60 different illnesses researched.

Benefits of reflexology therapy that have been documented include but may not be limited to are:
1. Reduces PMS
2. Lowers stress and anxiety
3. Decreases pain, nausea and anxiety for cancer patients
4. Improves asthma reactions
5. Accelerates bowel evacuation in constipation

 

what About Love

Cynthia Magelitz
Comm 406

What About Love    

     Recently a friend of mine posted on his FB page that ‘the new word for love for the ladies is time.’ One of my favorite commercials also approaches the same notion of time and love. Swiffer  will sweep the heart right off into forever being happy and content in little to no time. Swiffer promises all dirt, mud, and dust along with hardwood floors that the right something has just come along to make its heart skip a beat. I have to admit the Swiffer commercials are catchy and lame at the same time simply because dirt, mud, dust and hardwood floors do not have feelings, but because the creator of the Swiffer commercials have given these objects a personality along with music from my favorite generations, the Seventies and Eighties. I am hooked to watching any Swiffer commercial.     

     The Swiffer commercial that keeps my attention and has become my favorite is the one with the two women called mud and dirt. The music is by Heart, 'What About Love.'  One reason is the music.  I have been a fan of Ann and Nancy Wilson, the founders of Heart since I was 15, which is many many moons back, 1976. The second reason is the dilemma mud and dirt find themselves in every time the old mop or broom is used to pick them up or the fact they have yet to meet the right pick up artist to sweep them off the floor. Something I can identify with because I have yet to meet Mr. Right which makes me sympathize with mud and dirt feeling unattached to that special something.

     There are many reasons why the Swiffer commercials work for me. The music is catchy to the ear. The material content of selling the product is funny and the Swiffer commercials capture and keep my attention in which makes me interested in the product and if the Swiffer product actually does attract and trap dirt, mud and dust as Swiffer claims the products is capable of doing leaving your old dusting and mopping products behind and you the consumer satisfied with their product.

I am not sure if I understand what I am doing when it comes to posting a blog this way. I am so old school when it comes to this kind of stuff and all this may confuse me to the point where I will need chocolate, and this is bad because chocolate is my weakness and it is a buddy to my stress release, one of my buddies to my stress release....