Gender Ad Analysis

Advertising Analysis by Huo Ling (Helen) Ruan

Dolce & Gabbana



This advertisement upholds the gender norms. This picture shows that women are submissive to men. The woman is pinned down by a man; this shows that the man has more control and strength. It can be seen as a predator pinning down its prey. The men in this picture have six packs n their body is enhanced by having a glowing appearance. This also enhances their muscles which can represent strength. The woman also has glowing skin and is in a sexy pose where one can see the structure of her body. The interaction of both sexes shows male dominance. All the males in this advertisement rise above the female and looking down at her as well. It is hard to tell what the ethnicities of these models are. However, I assume that this advertisement is for the higher class because Dolce & Gabbana’s products are expensive. If the position of men and women in this advertisement is reversed, the message would be different. The message will challenge the gender norms. It will show that women are dominant and stronger. For some men, women who are stronger may be more attractive. Perhaps the advertisement won’t even be made public. However, I don’t think there would be an advertisement where the positions are reversed. There may be advertisements that send a message that women are strong but there would not be a picture of men in the same advertisement. I have not yet seen any advertisements where that is the case.



Father and Daughter Ad for American Cycling from Sports Illustrated




This advertisement challenges and upholds the gender norms. Often females are known as the care takers of children and the motherly figure. However in this picture, it is the male that is doing so. This picture shows the man is cradling the baby, holding her close to him. Therefore this advertisement depicts men as nurturing, soft and gentle. The advertisement indicated that the baby is female; this also challenges the gender norm. This advertisement is sending a message that this female baby can grow up to be a cyclist as well. This shows that females can be athletes as well whereas some people can see sports as a male activity. However, this advertisement upholds the gender norm because a male cyclist was used instead of a female. The interaction between the 2 sexes in this advertisement shows that men are protectors. This can be seen in the picture because the man is carefully holding the baby. The man in this picture is muscular and not wearing a shirt. This can demonstrate that he is strong.

If a woman was used instead of a man in this advertisement it will uphold the gender norm as females being the more nurturing individual. However, the message may be that mothers can also be athletic who can teach their children to be athletic as well. In addition, the female will definitely be wearing a shirt.

On the side note, this baby is feeding from a sports bottle. Is that even ok?










Gisele’s Advertisement for her shoe line G2B



This advertisement definitely upholds the gender norm. Gisele is a sexy pose, almost naked! One can see the curves of her body and breast. This advertisement shows a great deal of sexuality. Gisele is depicted as sexy, has the perfect body, flawless and beautiful. If a man was used in this advertisement, it would be a turn off. Majority of the men would not want to see another man naked. Perhaps he would be wearing some kind of swim bottom and still be using the water effect. One may even think the male model is gay because he is posing like Gisele.

I had a hard time finding a diverse collection of pictures that shows people of different races, ethnicities and social class. There are several reasons why I encountered this problem. It depends on several factors such as in what type of magazine, neighborhood it is in, what type of audience is the seller trying to sell their products to and what television station. Sometimes depending on the type of message that the company wants to send out, the company may use people of a certain race/ethnicity/social class in their advertisements.

Gender is all around us, in advertisements and every day behaviors. The media depicts men/women in the way society wants them to be seen. It goes with what the majority of what society feels is part of woman or man. Advertisements that uphold the gender norms will continue to support the gender stereotypes that we have now. There is also a possibility of new gender stereotypes developing depending how often we see or hear about it. However, nowadays gender norms are constantly being challenged and changed. This might influence a future change in how media depicts men and women.

O. G.
Advertisement Analysis

SKYY VODKA



http://www.nicks.com.au/upload/image/image_200631812455353256.jpg

This Skyy Vodka advertisement, spotted at the JFK airport, seemed like an a very good improvement from their last ad featuring the head of a woman in a bikini, with a fully dressed man standing with his legs spread apart, directly over her. Yet with a second glance, you quickly realize that it features the same male dominance and female sexuality and inferiority. Both, the male and the female, are side by side and take up the same amount of space on the picture, it can be noted that while the man is wearing a tux and dress shoes, the woman is wearing a tiny white dress (that wouldn’t cover anything at all, had it been dry) and a pair of heels. While the man is lying by the poolside, and is on the safety of land, the woman is on an inflatable mattress in the pool, and is already wet. The difference between land and water positions is not the only thing that shows that the man has the control in the situation; it’s also the fact that he is the one holding a glass and passing over the bottle of vodka to the girl, who submissively takes it. With one of her arms laid back, it looks like she has no choice but to share a drink. Not only does the difference in get-up show the sexist differences between the man and the woman, but the fact that the male is wearing sun-glasses and looking at the woman, while she is coyly looking into the camera, with her slightly inclined head.
This advertisement is supposed to convey the idea that the man’s dominance is attractive and that the woman will coyly smile and submissively take the bottle from the man. Making it okay to be subordinate and submissive for women, the ad also relates that men should be domineering and confident. The make-up and digital effects also play a huge role in the ad, as they make the woman’s wet legs and breasts shine, while all that shines on the man is his neck muscle from his turned head which is looking at the woman.
At first glance, it’s very easy to miss the bottle of vodka - the main product - which is almost directly in the center of the advertisement. This means that the product is only secondary to the message and the idea. The readers will first take in the economically well-off man who looks confident and domineering in his suit, and the barely-dressed, wet woman accompanying him in the pool, (because the advertisement is really meaning to say that those who drink the vodka will have a good-looking, naked girl accompanying them as well.) The woman in this advertisement is portrayed like an object; that of man’s desire and of his company. She looks like an object in the pool, a submissive toy who accepts the bottle handed her way, because it would be unreasonable for her not to accept alcohol from such a well-to-do man, playing it cool with his glasses. This advertisement is trying to say that these are the gender roles that we should adhere to and find appealing.

THE CHILDREN'S PLACE



http://dealcetera.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/childrens-place-canada-sale.jpg

This Children’s Place advertisement, of a nationwide clothing store for children, doesn’t make anyone a sexual object, nor does it leave anyone exposed or make someone have better clothing. There are even 3 girls and only 2 boys in this advertisement, and they’re all dressed up in different styles; one boy in khakis and a shirt, a girl in a dress and leggings, a girl in jeans and a top, the third girl in a skirt and a shirt and another boy in jeans and a sweatshirt. Doesn’t seem like they’re missing anything and all the different outfits for each sex are represented. Nonetheless, the striking part of this ad isn’t in any of that, it’s in the most innocent and the most alarming place – the poses. While the boy on the left has his hands held together in front of him, which would seem like a very ordinary or even submissive gesture, his mouth is wide open and his head is turned to the side to show that he is screaming. The boy on the right stands with his hands in his pockets and looks at the girls in the middle while smiling. Seemingly innocent poses of the two boys actually have a very domineering and confident effect when looked upon with the poses of the girls. They are standing a certain distance away from the girls, which are huddled together, holding on to each other. The girl on the right is smiling at the camera with a certain confidence, but the girl in the center has a rather shy look, while the girl on the left is looking at the boy on the right. The boys have a wide stance, with their legs at shoulder-width, while the girl’s legs are together. All these little this that have to do with their poses all point to one big screaming idea of gender roles and stereotypes; the boys look macho and stand alone, the girls are huddled together and have rather shy poses and keep their legs together, in that way that society labeled is “feminine.”
While the outfits of the boys seem to be simple, with few colors, the girls are decked out with all the colors of the rainbow. The girls at such a young age are already bringing attention to themselves through “loud” clothing. They’re already standing in that submissive way. The African American little girl is already being portrayed as the most confident one, and the African American boy as the loudest one. The gender roles and the racial stereotypes are so subtle but ever-so-present in this ad geared not only towards adults who will teach their kids on how to act, dress, and even stand, but also towards little children who will internalize these subtle messages that are being sent out through this advertisement.

BEBE



http://www.bebe.com/

The first thing that pops up on the clothing stores website is a barely dressed girl. The advertisement is working with face-ism, because ultimately, the face is only in the corner, and the body is taking up a much bigger portion of the picture. The naked arm stemming from the naked shoulder and the naked leg coming from the pink underwear catch the center spotlight. Only at a second glance is it seen that she’s wearing something and dons jewelry, and is even sitting on top of a bronze puma. Besides the fact that she is made into a sexual object, she is also made into an almost dangerous and exotic object. Her sultry gaze from the right-hand topmost corner is hardly noticeable seeing as her naked limbs steal the bigger area of the picture, and are also the brightest part of it, seeing as the environment the model is in, as the little tutu she’s wearing are dark. The only other light colored item on the picture is actually her underwear, which is prominently showing while she is straddling the puma in a sexual manner.
The biggest paradox in ads like these is that while they’re sexually humiliating, they lure consumers. While the female is being sexually objectified, other females rush to the store with the false concept that they will get the same thin body and attractive face. They think that if they get the clothes and the jewelry they will become alluring and confident and almost animal-esque. They consume the product because of the connotation this image has to it, never bothering to notice that it’s degrading and creates a gender stereotype.

Gender, Status, and Power - Kechley

While I read this chapter on Gender, status, and power I noticed that women were always inferior and rarely held a powerful role. It was mentioned that gender was a classification system that influenced access to power and resources. In terms of politics and other secular positions women’s gender didn’t allow entry to powerful positions, however I stumbled across this article that shows otherwise. It depicts how women get the better end of the deal in day to day social activities. The article “The flirting game women play with men” shows how women benefit from the double standard involved with flirting. These advantages were “getting in to nightclubs easier than men, getting lots of free drinks, almost never picking up the tab, and are showered with gifts from men.” This shows how women performing their gender does allow them to be in a power position and gain resources, in this case being the free drinks and gifts from men. It was also brought out that a woman being too flirtatious can simply pass for being nice where as, a man’s excessive flirting can be labeled as sexual harassment. I was also reminded of a comment made in class where a student mentioned that women show their interest in a guy by simply glancing in a sexual manner but never physically approach him. Many other students felt that this was still allowing the man to have the power in choosing women. The article shed light on this topic when it mentioned “The trick is that women are a lot more subtle and subdued in their approach. If women have any kind of decent shape to their bodies and adequate chest sizes, chances are they can have their pick of men.”
It may be demeaning that a woman’s body has to be a factor in determining her “pick of men” however it is clear the shifts in power associated with gender.

Gender Norm activity, Kechley Bruna

Gender norms are Society’s rules used to control the behaviors of each gender. The value of theses gender norms decrease due to living in New York during the 21st century. I found it very difficult to think of a behavior to perform that was considered outside of the “norm” or rather unaccepted in today’s society. There are females who wear baggy clothing and there are men who wear nail polish; these behaviors are widely accepted. While I was sitting on the bus thinking of a topic, I realized that many females find it awkward and self-conscious to eat in public. So, since I just came from McDonald’s I decided I would eat my food in front of all the strangers on the bus. Since I was quite hungry I did not feel weird performing this activity however I did receive a few reactions. Many of the passengers did stare at me probably because of their own hunger or maybe my attempt to violate this gender norm. This activity reminded me of how movies that show couples at restaurant and the man is often seen eating a delicious steak while the women is portrayed eating a salad. Many women also want to be seen as proper so they figure that eating a salad or something small would do the trick.

My Gender Norm Activity By Joana

I am what you might call an average twenty one year old female who works and goes to school here at Hunter College. But what is20average or normal to me is not for every other twenty one year old female who attends Hunter College and works, so is the statement above correctly stated? A norm can be broken down into many categories and each person has a different set of norms from the other; it is what we as a society set as the unwritten rules. For this particular assignment the Gender category comes into play. I am a female and therefore society (including myself) expects me to be a particular way. For my Norm activity I decided to choose an activity that wasn’t a Norm for me as a female but other females do consider a norm or at least their norm, wearing sneakers! I usually only wear flat shoes or sandals, when I do decide to wear sneakers they are usually very feminine, for example Pumas. I don’t consider myself very feminine, but for some reason over the past two years or so, this has become my way of dressing and expressing myself.
I decided to do the activity on a Friday because it was a day that I had work. I am a supervisor at CVS/Pharmacy in Brooklyn a few street blocks away from my house. I didn’t feel comfortable coming to Manhattan in sneakers and therefore choose this day to do the assignment. I also felt that I might get more of a r eaction from the people I deal with on a regular basis. I found these sneakers that I had not worn since sophomore or Junior year in High school, which makes it about 3-4 years that I hadn’t worn them. They are black and grey low top Nike’s, very masculine if you ask me. As I was walking to work I kept looking down at my feet because I felt really weird. Not only did my foot feel really uncomfortable in them but my feet actually looked really big and it made me self-conscious about myself. It was as if everyone was staring at my huge feet! I didn’t feel right and I get really nervous about actually getting to work and what my co-workers might say.
One of my friends that I work with was the first person to say something about my sneakers. It was actually the first thing she even said to me, even before saying hi. Her exact words were “WOW your actually wearing sneakers, what happened?” This made me laugh and begin to explain why I was wearing them at all. It was hysterical! Other co-workers of mine began to notice also so I had to keep explaining myself. For some reason I felt an obligation to explain why I was wearing sneakers, aft er I explained and everyone knew my situation I began to feel more comfortable wearing them. All of a sudden I felt kind of sporty. I was almost acting like a different person, I’m not sure if it was my particular mood or the fact that I was wearing the sneakers but I know I was acting like a whole different person, almost a little more masculine if you ask me.
Overall it was a fun and interesting activity! I’m not to sure what I expected out of it but it did tell me more about myself and the norms that I have created. Since that day I haven’t worn sneakers and I’m not really intending on doing so.

"Masculine Posture" by Huo (Helen) Ruan

Cooking, cleaning, being the leader of the household, wearing makeup, lifting weights, which of these are appropriate for males or females? Gender norms are masculine or feminine behaviors and attitudes that are accepted by society. How would people’s reaction be if one challenges the gender norms? I decided to challenge one of these norms and find out.

As a Chinese American my gender norms are also influenced by my culture. I would call the gender norm I challenged “masculine posture”. In my culture it is inappropriate for women to sit with one foot up on the chair, or “shake” our leg. One night I decided to see how my family would react if I sat inappropriately during dinner. When I first placed my foot up on the chair no one said anything but I can see and feel my parents and siblings looking at me. I was waiting for them to make a comment. I started to “shake” my leg and then they spoke up. My parents told me to put my foot down and sit appropriately. They said it was rude for a woman to sit like that. It showed that I had no manners was not well disciplined. My sister told me not to “shake” my leg because in the Chinese culture there is a saying that women who did that were associated with something negative. I’ve got to admit that sometimes it feels comfortable sitting “inappropriately” but I cannot do that in front of my family.

Gender norms are constantly being challenged by society and they are slowly beginning to change.

O. G.
Gender Norm Activity

Attempting to transgress the boundary of gender and the norms that society appropriates the sexes with, I decided to dress up like a man this Labor Day. Not succeeding in looking like a normal male, I came off as a rather seemingly androgynous person. After taking off all my jewelry (which I wear all the time), I took a long, hard look in the mirror. Swallowing my fears, put on a baggy pair of boyfriend jeans, a loose, plaid button-down, and a pair of borrowed colorful Nikes. Feeling very unsure, but slightly optimistic, I headed upstairs – to the kitchen. My parents stopped in the middle of what they were doing to turn around and look at me. They talked to me briefly, and I let go of the notion that they thought that anything was wrong with my new look. Nonetheless, when I was about to leave the house, saying “Well, I’m going out for a bit,” both of my parents said simultaneously, with a shocked tone, "dressed like that?!"

Seeing as I work only 2 blocks away from my house, I decided to stop by my job to pick up my paycheck, and to continue my little experiment. I work at a clothing store in Brooklyn, so even when I'm at work I have to be attractively-dressed, so I can better approach customers. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by my manager, a 65-year-old man. After exchanging greetings and getting my paycheck, he asked, "You're feeling sick?" I replied, "No, I feel fine!" He then said, "Everything is okay? Nothing’s going on? If you want tell me now so I could take you off Wednesday's schedule." By this time, I was already feeling offended, so I just repeated that everything great, and said my goodbyes.

Needless to say, I didn't go to meet my friends after that. I simply went to the grocery store, where the cashier who is usually friendly and extroverted towards me, just furrowed her brow and hardly said hello. So I headed back home, feeling a little hurt and confused. I felt a little uncomfortable by the reactions of those who knew me. I knew that my outfit wasn't outright "masculine", it was just less "feminine" than what I'm usually seen wearing. I felt like I broke a sort of gender expectation, which in a way I created for myself. People are used to seeing me in certain clothing, so when faced with something that can almost pass for masculine clothing; they felt uncomfortable, as did I. The fact that I felt like I had to change before seeing my friends was another give-away of the fact that I felt like I was out of my own skin, and like I wasn't being treated the way I usually am by those who know me.

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In this blog, we hope to show our understanding and views of how society is shaped by gender. We hope you enjoy our posts.

Psychology of Women,
Group 4.