Not So Large and In Charge

Not everyone is built the same way. That is why it’s always hard to find the perfect jeans. Especially when it comes to women. For example, some are more curvaceous or taller than others. In this case, the women depict different bottom shapes. Those marketing the item are attempting to defy gender ideology. Levi claims, “It’s about shape not size”. Sure, consumers can definitely acknowledge the difference in curves and how this advertisement goes from portraying a flat bottom woman to a very voluptuous one. Its definitely about shape and not size. We do not see “big” or oversized women. These women still fit the ideology of beauty. For example, these women are Caucasian and fit, yet they still have a figure. If women of color were used in this ad instead, it only supports the stereotype. In addition, I don’t believe that these women of color would be as fit. The stereotypical woman of color has been portrayed through the media as only being curvaceous if weight is connected. To further elaborate, heavy bottomed women of color are not fit. They are fat and “its okay”. On the other hand, it is rare for Caucasian women to even be voluptuous. Therefore, Levi acknowledges that there is a stereotype and women of color will not buy the product if they know that the company is supporting the stereotype and trying to create a commonality between the consumer and the models in this matter. Even though they are curvaceous, they are not fat. Therefore, weight is not entirely connected to being a heavy bottomed woman and it supports the idea that it is “not okay” to be fat.

Kim Kardashian Lives it Up with Midori and So Can You!

Midori tries to grab consumers’ attention by using the bodacious Kim Kardashian to market their product. Her curves and breasts are highlighted thanks to the skintight green dress. Therefore, she greatly contrasts the other women because they are dressed in simple white attire. Kim Kardashian is in fact different from the other individuals in the Midori advertisement. Not only does she appear to be a different race and ethnicity than the other woman, but she also has something that they clearly do not. She is a well renown individual. This is of great importance when it comes to marketing this item with the ideology of being different. If an average individual or unknown model had been used instead of Kim Kardashian, then the message would not be as “powerful”. She is celebrity who has hit ultimate stardom with the success of the store DASH, the show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and various spin offs. Thus, she has truly created a name for herself. A it “could be you” idea is created. After all, what woman does not want to look like Kim Kardashian? In addition, it was also a smart move for the brand to include people of different races and ethnicities because it works to include people of different walks of life rather than exclude. In other words, this creates more than one target audience that means that the company has a higher chance of selling the product. It is also interesting to note that Kim is the only one who is "having fun" and "living it up". This depicts Midori as the key to an exciting nightlife as well because those who are holding a martini are not in on the fun. Lastly, the final touch is that the "S" for stand out is not your typical S. It is backwards so it reinforces the idea of being noticeable.

Loving Isaiah Mustafa and Hating the New Guy

There has been much criticism of the new Edge Shaving Cream commercial. It has audiences disliking that it resembles Isaiah Mustafa’s acting in the Old Spice commercials. Both these actors display a gross exaggeration of confidence thanks to the products. They also both highlight and suggest masculinity. When it comes to technical applications, these commercials are similar in the sense that there is a fast change of scenery. The scenes aim to guide the narration to describe how this is the product “for men who get stuff done”. In this case, the commercial begins with athletic men in a locker room. It is not ironic that a football was kicked because it suggests toughness and the bond for sports that men of different classes can relate to. Football is also perceived to be a great way to channel American spirit. It suggests also toughness. In addition, it can be a way to target athletes without excluding the average Joe. The next scene rapidly shifts to a bathroom where a man is in the act of shaving. This is also a way to create commonality for men of different walks of life because a great abundance of men shave whatever their race or culture may be. The scene then quickly shifts to a moment of preparation for a groom’s wedding. The wedding suggests that it comes in handy when there is a special event and gives off the idea that the brand is “there for the customer and doesn’t fail”. In other words, a sense of encouragement is created. Next, a garage is used for the setting. Here, men are showing off their handy man skills. It is these men who can suggest that even the middle and lower class are not alienated when it comes to getting the perfect shave. The phrase, “ no matter what kind of stuff we do, we have to get ready to do it,” suggests that no matter what kind of a occupation a man has they all still go through the process of getting ready in the morning. Once again, a commonality is created. Then last but not least, the final scene is of an extravagant home where the narrator has the ideal women of beauty awaiting him; Caucasian, slim, busty, blonde-haired women are used in this commercial. There are actually two in this commercial at the narrator beck and call. This can suggest that polygamy lives thanks to this gel and the softness of a man’s face. The home scene also suggests social class; the tailored man shows how the man setting the table is inferior; when the tailored nab claps his, the man setting the table opens the door to find the woman waiting for the tailored man and not him. Therefore, this commercial aims to target a variety of men. Edge Shaving Cream is aware that the marketing strategies that Old Spice used were successful and in return tried to use it to their own advantage by creating a similar commercial. Can we blame if it helps their business thrive?

Shaping-up or Just Plain Shallow?

Skechers has chosen a new target audience for their Shape-up shoe line, which were recently advertised by Kim Kardashian in a sexy Super Bowl Ad; this time older women aren’t the target audience. Instead, little girls are. This ad shows how Heidi is a rock star and how she’s “got everything a girl wants!” It could possibly be because “She’s got the height, got the bounce, and she’s looking good and having fun” all thanks to Skechers Shape-ups. Girls from different races are shown so that no one is excluded. What is interesting to note about this commercial is that other girls aren’t dressed up in food costumes to chase Heidi. Instead, fatigued and unattractive boys are. What exactly is Skechers trying to say? Girls can refrain from sweet temptations and look good while doing it? Had attractive and “functioning” boy characters been used in this commercial than maybe the girl’s sex appeal would be boosted. However, is it right that Skechers created this double standard when the company is attempting to fight childhood obesity? Perhaps toning shoes aren’t what are necessary to fix the problem; toning consists of firming the legs and one’s rear. I believe that a better solution for this problem where parents wouldn’t be outraged and ideal beauty isn't promoted consists of creating and marketing a fashionable running shoe.

A Heavy Bottom FTW?

This Nike ad portrays that it is alright to have a curvaceous body or bottom heavy body as long as the skin is tight. In other words, being thick or voluptuous only becomes a problem when a woman has excessive flabby skin. This advertisement is not defying boundaries or creating empowerment for the curvaceous woman because it is still creating an ideology that they must abide to. Instead of creating a commonality between the consumer and the model, it just further points out the stereotype that women of color are the only ones with a butt. According to “Categorizing the Other: Stereotypes and Stereotyping”, the idea that “stereotypes flatten, homogenize, and generalize individuals within a group, emphasizing sameness and ignoring individual agency and variety” is reinforced (16). Nike tries to illustrate that the woman has agency because the woman is compared to a border collie, which is part of a breed of herding dogs. In addition, she is the one who is in control of her fit body thanks to “ten thousand lunges” and that those who mind her bottom heavy body are “invited to kiss it”. This advertisement proves that the in group are petite Caucasian women while the out group are those women of color. Thus, it still proves that the out group is subordinate. Why is it that Nike believes women of color need such empowerment? Had the woman been Caucasian the writing on the side would have been different because a different stereotype would be “addressed”.

Touch the "SKYY"

This ad clearly entails the ideology that we are living in a male centric society. The angle at which the male is placed in the advertisement is crucial to decoding the meaning. It can be inferred that since the man is in a tailored suit he is of upper class. His authoritative role is further emphasized since he is towering directly over the woman with the bodacious physique. Since the male’s face is not showcased to consumers, it provides an “it could be you” fantasy to male consumers. If the man’s face had been shown, then his race or ethnicity would become valuable to the decoding the meaning of the advertisement. I also firmly believe that the man’s face was not shown because men from all walks of life have the ability to control a woman. SKYY Vodka doesn’t just want to target one particular audience or race for this matter because it wants to create a sense of commonality between the man in the illustration and the average Joe or upper class man.

In addition, the woman’s flawless physique provokes to-be-looked-at-ness. The Caucasian female is the desire rather than the beverage. The viewer is automatically drawn to the woman’s cleavage; it is the main attraction in the SKYY Vodka advertisement. The advertisement uses the ideal of a perfect female body that many women strive for. This body involves the ideal of a flat stomach and is perfectly proportioned with an extremely large bust. The woman’s muscular shoulders suggest that she occupies her time with exercising and maintaining her appearance. This “perfect body” operates as a metaphor for culture. For example, it is of no surprise that a Caucasian female with straight blonde hair and a flawless tan is the symbol of beauty. Especially in contemporary society because people pay to look a couple shades darker; natural pasty skin, which was once of great significance during the Jim Crow era is no longer, considered to be beautiful.

If photography were used to capture this exact moment instead of an illustration, it would evoke different reactions from the general public. For example, it might be taken more seriously because some could find it be rather offensive. Although one could still question the company’s motive, the illustration makes it a light topic or entertaining to some rather than problematic. Therefore, the art medium becomes significant because it has the power to alter the meaning of the advertisement.

BP or BS?

The oil spill caused by BP due to the explosion of an oilrig on the Gulf Coast approximately a year ago, is reportedly the worst in history. It effected the environment and the people who live in the region. Especially since the people who live in states who were devastated by the event make a living by working in the oil industry or seafood industry. In an attempt to win peoples’ respect back, BP has created a YOUTUBE channel with a collection of videos to convince people that they are doing their job by explaining how they went about to create a solution to the disastrous event which they caused. Numerous commercials such as the one above have also been created. This commercial targets the every day individual in an attempt to get them to stop boycotting and start pumping their vehicles with BP gas. By showing how the restaurant owners in Louisiana have managed to keep their business running, BP ensures viewers that these owners have managed to come ahead of a disastrous event. The food and their lives appear to be promising. BP is saying that the problem has been resolved in hopes that viewers will eat it up. However, what the commercial does not show is the evidence. BP might think that the average individual will not research or argue the claim. Of course when you evaluate yourself, the results are going to show that you’re doing just fine. Other environmentalists who do not identify themselves with the company have found that oil is still found on the shores of Louisiana thanks to backlight technology. This is an attempt to shame BP into continuing its cleanup.

"Kourtney and Kim Take New York"

The credits open with a long shot camera technique so that the audience will be aware of the setting, which in this case it is New York City. The clip proceeds to show Kourtney stepping out of a luxurious vehicle onto what can be presumed to be new grounds for her; this is can be inferred by her facial expression as soon as she steps out. A signifier of leopard print heels illustrates the boldness. In addition, the camera speeding down the street lanes can be a metaphor for life in the fast lane. It is obvious that both women pertain the upper class. One example that can suggest this is Kim’s fur coat. In the clip, Kim Kardashian is portrayed as a sex symbol due to the group of admiring men, all of who vary when it comes to race. What is even more interesting is that the opening credits suggest that she doesn’t even have to dress promiscuous to attract their attention. This could illustrate her already known mass appeal. In addition, Kim’s playful personality is portrayed when she wraps her legs around her sister. Both individuals fulfill the social roles of popular independent women who are ready to conquer the prosperous urban environment known for the art/fashion scene. Especially since after all the point of the spin off was so that they could open and promote a new DASH store located in the big apple. Therefore, the hype for their New York adventure is created through the theme song. The song, “I’m in New York Trick” by LMFAO also suggests their youthfulness without the need to display their nightlife. To add to the hype, the camera editing technique employed in this case is a cut from visual to visual, which according to the Berg article illustrates “simultaneity” or “excitement.”

Bridal Nasty

E! takes reality TV to another level. In the show Bridal Plasty 12 brides to be battle it out for plastic surgery procedures and the ultimate prize is an all expense paid for wedding. It is not until the day of the wedding that the winning bride is revealed to her groom and loved ones. My personal opinion is that this is a horrible concept for a reality television show because producers are encouraging that these individuals morph into someone else through unnecessary procedures. I believe that plastic surgery is only necessary if someone has experienced a horrific accident and as result becomes dramatically disfigured. In addition, the brides are risking a lot not only when it comes to the medical procedures that they have done, but they could also be setting themselves up for disappointment. For example, once the bride attains the procedure that she desires there is no guarantee that she will be fully satisfied with it. This show raises the controversial question of whether the media is impacting or simply reflecting moral issues. In this case, it is the perception of what beauty is. The women who are on the show should be satisfied with the idea that they have found their significant other who accepts them for who they truly are rather than focusing on who they would rather be appearance wise.