Beauty And The Best Of Advertising Essay Examples

Beauty and the Beast of Advertising

The article “Beauty and the Beast of Advertising” focuses on the portrayal of women in advertisements. It also points out the effects of these advertisements on those who see them, specifically the women and the adolescents. To further illustrate these effects, a print advertisement of Victoria’s Secret in 2014 (refer to Annex A) will be discussed and its impact on its viewers.
The Victoria’s Secret advertisement shows seven very skinny ladies in skimpy bikinis in provocative poses. But of course, this is Victoria’s Secret new line of swimwear. However, what is really offensive in this advertisement is the caption “the perfect ‘body’”. The advertisement out rightly claims that a skinny body is the “perfect body”. So what happens to women on the heavy side? The message conveyed in this advertisement is an absolute example of stereotyping; that is, women who are skinny are those who have a perfect body. It shows an unrealistic standard of beauty which seems to be based solely on the thinness of one’s body. The advertisement can create anxiety on women who are obese. It may have a negative effect on them because they will be forced to pursue weight-loss diets which may not even be appropriate for their health. These kind of advertisements are the ones which may have driven the increase in the number of eating disorders among women, and worse, among teenagers. It not only affects the food intake of females, but in can also affect their moods and their self-esteem. It can create psychological problems for some, as in the case of several adolescents who are struggling against anorexia and other eating disorders.
This advertisement does not only impact its women viewers. This advertisement may also have a negative effect on the male viewers. They will have a false belief that only women who are skinny can be perfect. If they are married to a woman who is obese, it may drive them to look for another partner who fits the image that Victoria Secret portrays. It might create a deceitful norm that women should be underweight so that their husbands or boyfriends can flaunt them and be regarded as lucky men for finding the “woman with the perfect body”.
Victoria’s Secret advertisement is just one in a hundred advertisements which uses models who are skinny, and yet depicts them as the “perfect body”. These advertisements are definitely damaging because of the negativity that will be attached to heaviness and the perceived rejection that may follow.

References

Kilbourne, J. (n.d.). Beauty and the beast of advertising. Retrieved from Center for Media Literacy: http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/beautyand-beast-advertising
Thenypost. (2014). The perfect "body". Retrieved from thennypost.files.wordpress.com: https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/victoriasecret.jpg
Annex A
Source: https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/victoriasecret.jpg