Men and women have always been treated differently from each other. Even in print media, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. In advertising, men and women are also treated differently, but a new issue emerges. Both genders are shown to bring different perspectives in the advertising world. The advertisements are created to be relatable to viewers and to sell products. However, a startling question emerges. Are women portrayed differently from men in advertisements? An analysis of an advertisement by Dolce & Gabbana gives us more insight into this matter.
In the Dolce & Gabbana advertisement, four clothed men surround one woman dressed in a corset. The woman lies on the ground next to their feet while the men look down upon her. The advertisement’s clear role is to sell the apparels by Dolce & Gabbana. However, while it tries to sell a product it unwittingly brings insight on how women have been portrayed in advertisements for a long time.
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The advertisement seems to imply that women are powerless while men are powerful. It also implies that women are submissive as is indicated by the woman’s pose. This portrayal of women is a stereotypical approach that has existed among us for far too long (Zotos & Tsichla, 2014). There are four components of gender stereotypes: occupational status, role behaviors, physical characteristics and trait descriptors.
In this portrayal of women as powerless and submissive, role behavior is used as the gender stereotype. According to this component of gender stereotype, men are leaders while women take orders. Women are expected to take care of children at home while the men oversee the making of decisions for the family. This portrayal does not only remain within the confines of advertisement but is also a reality for most women. Working mothers continue to spend more time parenting each day than they do on careers (Sheehan, 2004).
Women are also portrayed as overly sexual in this advertisement. The woman is dressed in a corset while she tilts her lower body upwards. This portrayal conforms to decorative and sexual stereotypes. The woman is not portrayed to be interacting with the product being advertised (Sheehan, 2004). Her portrayal, therefore, must be considered decorative. In most decorative portrayals, the subject is shown to be passive and disengaged.
Decorative portrayals also show women in alluring and sexual positions (Sheehan, 2004). Alluring positions do not depict explicit images of women but instead may feature a “woman reclining submissively” (Sheehan, 2004). In the Dolce & Gabbana advertisement, the woman’s depiction is more alluring than sexual. However, this does not do away with the fact that the woman is still being portrayed as overly sexual than her male counterparts.
The model used in the advertisement is beautiful and thin. She has no wrinkles or cellulite on her body and is also white. She represents a beauty stereotype that has become common by today’s standards. Female models are depicted as thin and flawless which is a beauty standard that is unrealistic. Many fail to understand that the flawlessness is always a result of computer generated editing.
Majority of these models are also white, leaving out people of color. This exclusion of people of color seems to suggest that only white women are beautiful. The preference of thin female models over plus-size models has resulted in the creation of a society that starves itself to be thin. Plus-size women are depicted as having bad bodies which limit not only their wardrobe choices but also their social engagements.
This portrayal of women in advertisements has a profound effect on the treatment of women in society. If the concept of doing gender is to be considered a reality, then advertisements play a significant role in it. Women have been continually depicted as subordinates to men. This is the perception that has come to be ingrained in the minds of both genders.
About half of the women with careers continue to spend more time doing housework compared to only 19 percent of men (Sheehan, 2004). This disparity implies that women have retained their stereotypical role of housewives. The fact that women themselves choose to quit their jobs in the name of caring for their families does not help either. They have conformed to the role of housewives that any attempts to change this stereotype is difficult.
Beauty standards for women also remain set high. If you are not young, thin, white and cellulite free, then you are not beautiful. Women continually seek to be thin and hate on their bodies. On the other hand, men reject plus-size women and prefer to chase after the thin women. This unrealistic beauty standard is responsible for the increase in eating disorders.
Women are also objectified. Advertisements seem to imply that for a woman to be attractive, then she should dress provocatively. A woman’s role in advertising is to attract men which is bound to ensure purchase of the product. A product for use by men will in most occasions feature a woman on it. Women also continue to dress provocatively in the name of looking sexy and attractive.
The portrayal of women today continues to be that of submission and objectification. If gender equality is to be achieved, then this portrayal should be done away with. This is only possible if the content of advertisements regarding women is regulated. Otherwise, women will continue to come second place to men while both genders are equal.
References
Sheehan, K. (2004). Gender and Advertising. Controversies in Contemporary Advertising (pp. 89-111). Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/57153_Chapter_7.pdf
Zotos, Y. C., Tsichla, E. (2014). Female Stereotypes in Print Advertising: A Retrospective Analysis. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences , 148, 446-454. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877042814039688/1-s2.0-S1877042814039688-main.pdf?_tid=b8582540-02ed-11e8-bf18-00000aacb361&acdnat=1517008246_341b40b43216a0e7747f57441aacf587
