The first image I found was from an old Carls Jr. ad for a burger. It shows Paris Hilton in a racy bikini and has a sexual double entendre that says "She'll tell you size doesn't matter. She's lying." This is obviously a play on the size of a burger they're selling while also playing into the sexualized image of Paris with the other meaning behind size doesn't matter. It's target audience is clearly anyone attracted to a beautiful woman in a swimsuit (primarily men). However, this seems to be a male- idealized image of a woman as she is glammed-up with hair, makeup, and diamonds, looking extra sultry as she holds a cheeseburger (I can tell you for a fact I don't look like that when I dive into a burger). This image clearly provokes feelings like desire, sex, and envy (oh and hunger!).
The next image is a journalistic photo from the recent International Women's Day march/rally. It was posted on the Huffington Post website. This image could not be further from the advertisement above. It shows a woman being arrested while protesting outsideTrump International Hotel, in New York. Here, in contrast to the advertisement above, the woman is modestly dressed and displays a stance of empowerment with her hand in the air as an officer arrests her. This image clearly evokes emotions like empowerment, and defiance.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/womens-march-organizers-arrested-during-a-day-without-a-woman-strike_us_58c05a70e4b054a0ea67587e
Great picture choices and comparison! Ads with Hilton are definitely very very different than reality such as the Woman's March.
ReplyDeleteThose Carl's Jr commercials are the worst. Like those women actually eat burgers the size of their heads. The second photo reminds me of the photos I saw for some of the Women's Marches of the street full of trash. Um, yeah the streets aren't going to be squeaky clean after people have been marching for hours. It's just reaching for negativity. Getting arrested for speaking your mind isn't as bad as the men who silence us, you know?
ReplyDeleteI did a project on sex in media and Carl's Jr. is a massive culprit of these types of ads. Half the time I cant believe they made it on air. I doubt I look very attractive biting into a giant burger, like really. I also love how you compared this to the empowerment of women. Its a really good contrast of advertisements vs. reality.
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