Gender Advertisement

In the ad made by the clothing brand Tom Ford, a naked woman appears to be ironing a man clothes, while he stands beside her, reading a newspaper. However, as one the two is naked, the viewer’s attention gets diverted to the woman. This helps emphasize the woman, and what she is doing in the image. This conveys a message to the viewer that the woman is there to serve the man, as she is preparing his clothes, thus lowering her status. At the same time, the man is reading a newspaper, which also gives out a message that women aren’t worth the attention of men, even if they help them. Third, the woman in the image is naked, making it also look like she is there to serve the man, but in a sexual way. Him being clothed and she not conveys a message that women are there to please men in whatever way they wish, be it in work or sexually, and that women have no say in any of the decisions. In the book, Susan Kaiser referred to how females are objectified in ads by saying “Clearly, sex sells, and it is usually women’s bodies that are represented and ‘consumed.’ Yet women’s bodies, but more accurately it is most often young, thin, white women’s bodies that are represented and consumed as objects of beauty in hegemonic cultural discourse.” (pg.129) Tom Ford’s advertisement represents perfectly the quote by using female as a sex object and a servant feeling.

 

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