Killing Us Softly

Advertising is accused of stereotyping, using sex to sell, materialism, and child pornography. Furthermore, it has been the reason for the downfall of our social system. While this may be true, however advertisers don’t have a responsibility on society because it is a business. At the same time whose only agenda is to persuade the audience to buy certain products. On the other hand, advertising has an impact on society. Therefore, should take their tactic in persuading the audience into consideration and use common sense. Women are not objects, nor need to use her sexuality to get what she wants. Women of color are not wild animals and not all men are violent. Advertisers use tools like the internet, television and magazines, to help spread the information every day. The minds of people are being formed mentality and lifestyles are changed. For example, an ad in a teen magazine for jeans shows a young woman wearing the new jeans. In the picture, she is walking down the street and, a couple of men smile and try to touch her; mesmerized as they follow her. Her “perfect” body shape is to die for. So, when a young girl picks up that magazine, and see’s the women using her sexuality to get what she wants, that young girl is being shaped mentally to think she needs buy the jeans and lose weight in order for men to like her. Likewise, mens Axe body spray shows a young man spraying it on, and attractive women find him irresistible. Convincing young men and mainly targeting teens, that if you buy Axe spray then you will become a chick magnet because women love the smell. Even though, advertising has the power to change people it sure has abused it by using people’s problems (for example weight) and portraying a ridiculous solution. As humans, we can’t help that we are drawn to certain ads because emotional information has a way of sticking through are perceptual fields.
Advertising even has the power to even make people think a certain way about another race. In particular, women of color are dressed like animals and exotic creators in advertising. The effects it has on the way others view girls and women of color, is thinking they are animals. The effects it may have on girls and women of color wanting to be normal and beautiful. For this reason, women of color are socialized into thinking that they have to appear white, otherwise they are not beautiful. For instance, hair in the African American community has always been personal issue to thrive to have good hair. African American women are associated with unmanageable, unhealthy hair that no one wants. Explains why there hairs are hardly ever used in adverting hair products. However, if African American women are used in hair ads it typically isn’t her hair and is a hair color commercial. Advertisers use African American women, who in some way resemble a white woman to persuade other African American women to buy their products. Thus, ads that show woman with long rich hair are associated with middle class, while, short fizzle hair is associated with African American women that are less fortunate. Therefore, women of color are being shown to be inferior to white women instead as equal and advertising helps keep that taught alive.