"The Parable of the Ring Around the Collar"

After looking through several magazines I found the advertisements for Calvin Klein Jeans to be the most unforgettable. I found several advertisements for Calvin Klein Jeans that all have the same motto, “sex sells.” The ads I viewed all showed girls and guys wearing nothing else but jeans. They were in positions that were excessively sexual and in very provocative poses. One of the advertisements had more than one couple in this position and a young man lying next to them. Why is Mr. Klein promoting this type of advertising as a way to sell jeans? How are these ads selling jeans? Are they trying to show that if you buy and wear Calvin Klein Jeans you will be young, good looking, and sexy. Why does it take skin to sell jeans?

I wanted to see more of Calvin Klein’s ads, so I viewed a web site that showed his advertisments for underwear, perfume, and jeans. I was surprised to read several negative comments posted after the ads. Several parents and young ladies commented on how they find these ads offensive and could not get over the fact that they appear in magazines that are read by many young people. I realized that young ladies and parents posted the comments, but there was no comments posted by young men! One father of two college aged girls said, “I am contemplating on dropping my daughter’s subscription if these type of ads continue to appear in this magazine.” He went on to say, “The ad encourages risky behavior. Teenage sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, complications & tragedies. DO THE RIGHT THING AND REMOVE THE AD! Not worth is Mr. Klein.” I do not think that Mr. Klein will remove the ads because he knows that his ads do push the envelope when it comes to advertising with the use of children and young adults and see nothing wrong with this. I read about the history of his ads and was shocked to read that Mr. Klein’s ads have been known to have sexually evocative poses as a recurring theme, but the “must have” attitude of the consumer keeps the company profitable.

Why does the use of sex in advertisements sell the products, even though the product being sold does not have any connection to sex? The use of sexual imagery in advertising draws consumers in and has taught designers such as Calvin Klein that this type of imagery increased consumer interest and then their sales. As consumers we have the power to stop this use. If we do not buy these products, hopefully the designers will get the message. We need to teach designers and advertisers that they need to stop using sex to sell their products and display their products in an appropriate manner.

Thinking About: Deconstructing a Print Ad

The ad I choose to deconstruct is one selling the Dodge Caravan. This ad has the phrase “What Idiot Coined The Phrase Stay At Home Mom?” written on it. I understand what they are implying by this phrase, but why they had to use the word IDIOT! The advertisers are trying to say that if a mom owns a Dodge Caravan they do not have to stay at home with their kids, but they can be out of the home enjoying themselves. I think they are also saying that moms, not dads drive minivans. What about the fathers who stay at home with the children? I know several of my friends who had their dad at home with them while their mom worked. My father is a teacher so he stayed at home with my sister and I during the summer months while my mom worked. Can’t fathers buy a Dodge Caravan or even drive a minivan? This ad proves that society only thinks that women can be “stay at home moms,” drive minivans, and take care of the children.

The mom in this ad is a very attractive white woman who is wearing a little bit of make-up, is dressed in a well fitting black shirt, and has a calm look on her face. I also see this ad saying that a family is “perfect” with two kids, a boy and a girl of course. The children are well dressed and are enjoying eating ice cream. The daughter is sitting on her mom’s lap so I see this as her being younger than her brother and likes to be close to her. The mom and children are calm and it looks like the little boy is talking to the mom. The children are enjoying their ice cream and somehow they do not have any ice cream on their faces or on their clothes. I know when I eat ice cream, I always manage to get some on my face and sometimes on my clothes. Once again, this ad shows that a “perfect” family is one with a boy and a girl, a mom who does not work but stays at home with the children, and one needs to dress well even when eating ice cream.

Are the advertisers afraid to show the Dodge Caravan closer up because it might truly show how a mom uses a minivan. My mom had a minivan and no matter how hard she tried to keep it clean it was always dirty. When my sister and I were little, the inside had car seats, snacks, diaper bags, cups of juice, strollers, and toys. My mom was always prepared for any situation and always tried to keep us entertained while she drove. Our minivan was like our second home because we were in it quite often.

I do not understand how this ad would sell the Dodge Caravan. Don’t you think the emphasis should be on the Caravan and not on the mom and children? This shows how the advertiser used words to get attention. The minivan is off in the distant but because of the words being used, one is forced to think about how a minivan will help stay at home moms get out. I honestly didn’t think about the Dodge Caravan being featured in this ad but sat there reading the words and not liking the word “Idiot.”

Advertisements are trying to sell a product and are going to do it in the best way the advertisers know how. Usually this means focusing on what is most popular, or in the case of these ads what is the most well known. I think that these ads are good examples of how society plays a major role in the style and messages portrayed in ads.

Killing Us Softly

After I watched the video "Killing Us Softly," I looked at the clothes I have on and at the ones hanging in my closet. I do not see myself as being the type of woman who has to have brand names, expensive clothes, or every item that is advertised in magazines or on TV. I have been taught that as long as I look nice, my clothes fit well and are clean I am fine. I know there have been times when I have asked my parents for a certain brand of clothing and sometimes they would buy it for me. Now that I buy my own clothes I seek out the best bargains and spend my money wisely. I admit that I do enjoy looking “good” but there are other ways to do this without paying the high prices for designer clothing. Advertising helps me to see what is popular but does not influence me to run out and buy the objects being revealed. I am able to resist most items being advertised because my parents have taught me how.

I really enjoyed watching the video and I have to admit that it taught me to now look at advertising differently. Being a young woman, I do subscribe to several girl magazines that are filled with lots of advertisements for different types of products and clothes. These ads do show what advertisers want society to see as the “ideal” woman, one who is perfect in every way. But, as we look at these ads we have to remember that these models were created. Their flaws were edited out and fixed by a computer. Their pimples and even their winkles magically disappear. It is sad to see how these advertisements are portraying women as sex symbols, and are sending the wrong message to society. I believe that it is up to the individual to realize that these ads are only showing women who are thin, beautiful, and sexy looking, not the average women.

Advertisers are in the business of making money and they do not care about any messages they are portraying that hurt women. Their ads tell women how they should look, how they should dress, and most importantly they tell women that their physical appearance is all that matters. This is not true but unfortunately ads can plant this idea into the minds of women and can cause harmful results. It is necessary to sell products such as vacuum cleaners, toilet paper, or even cars using sexy women or sexy images?

I feel that it is never beneficial for women and girls to subscribe to this “ideal” image of female beauty, the image put forth by advertisers. This image can be self-destructive by causing women to develop devastating habits like eating disorders. Focusing on being the “perfect” and “ideal” woman is giving in to the advertisers. Women need to stand up for themselves and show advertisers that they are wrong. Women can show this by not buying their products; by letting the advertisers know that advertising in this way is cheap and demeaning. There is nothing wrong with looking healthy and youthful but does it have to be portrayed by using sex and sexy images.