Advertising and the Use of Female Sexuality

Advertisers are constantly looking for new ways to sell and market new products in an ever-changing marketplace. They need ways to attract their target market by any means possible. Some advertisers targeting men have turned to sexuality as a way to attract their audience and sell their products. The use of female sexuality is constantly used to sell products and services to men; especially with female athletes and women the Howard Stern show.

Female sexuality has been used to attract men to buying products or services through many different types of media. In the last few years, Howard Stern has become a typical “man’s show”, using everything from toilet humor to “whacky and ridiculous” personalities. However the main portion of the show that attracts men and “sells” their show is the exploitation of women and female sexuality. In his essay, “Esquire Magazine and the Construction of the Male Consumer”, Kenon Breazeale explains how Howard Stern’s show appeals to the male market. He states, “Testosterone-saturated personas like Howard Stern cater to the eighteen- to thirty-four-year-old male market. But the mode of catering to that demographic: women, nothing but women, fantasized sexually and trashed socially,” (Breazeale 240). Stern will have these women take their clothes off, kiss each other, and act in other ways men would otherwise fantasize about. Therefore, a lot of men will listen to the show to resolve some of their sexual fantasies. This portion of the show (as seen in the collage above) explains how sex, especially female sexuality attracts men and therefore sells the show.

The other area where female sexuality is used to sell products is the advertising industry. Advertisers like to use attractive females, especially those in other areas of men’s interest such as sports, in their commercials and print ads in order to attract men to buying their product or service. In the essay, “Image Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture”, Sut Jhally explains how women are usually portrayed in advertising. Jhally states, “In advertising, gender (especially for women) is defined almost exclusively along the lines of sexuality,” (Jhally 253). Many times, as shown in the collage, advertisers will use attractive female sports celebrities to promote their products. For example, Danica Patrick (a race car driver) is shown in advertisements for products like godaddy.com while tennis star Maria Sharapova is seen in many Canon commercials. Also, some sports leagues such as the LPGA, IndyCar Racing, and women’s tennis will get most of its publicity from their best-looking athletes rather than their best performers. This shows how female sexuality can be used both directly and indirectly to promote and sell products and services.

PICTURES COURTESY OF:

All Howard Stern pictures: Howard Stern Picture Galleries. http://www.howardstern.com/

Natalie Gulbis: Farther Off the Wall with Tom Hoffarth. http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2009/01/the-apprentice.html

Danica Patrick Photos:

Go Daddy Danica Patrick Superbowl Ad shows off guns. http://www.examiner.com/x-1841-Boston-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m2d2-Go-Daddy-Danica-Patrick-Superbowl-ad-shows-off-guns

Straferight.com Galleries. http://www.straferight.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/4233/cat/views/limit/www.1stplusmortgages.co.uk

Danica Patrick Formula 1 Driver? http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php?topic=61196.0

Amanda Beard PETA Ad: Paris Hilton for President? Plus: Ben Harper Takes a Ride, Maggie Gyllenhall Protects the Climate, Amanda Beard Bares All, and More. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/the-blade-amanda-beard-peta-ad-paris-hilton-for-president.php

Bree Olson Taking Top Off: Porn Star Bree Olson. http://www.howardstern.com/archive.hs?h=1393

Maria Sharapova Powershot: Maria’s New Canon Powershot Will Expose Next Wednesday. http://www.prlog.org/10105972-marias-new-canon-powershot-will-expose-on-next-wednessday.html

SI Swimsuit Cover: 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. http://www.mahalo.com/2006_Sports_Illustrated_Swimsuit_Issue

WORKS CITED

Jhally, Sut. “Image-Based Culture.” Gender, Race, and Class in the Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003

Breazeale, Kenon. “In Spite of Women: Esquire Magazine and the Construction of the Male Consumer.” Gender, Race, and Class in the Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003

"24" and Hegemonic Representation of Masculinity and Femininity

In today’s society, men and women are constantly stereotyped and held to certain social standards. Men are typically the dominant gender in society while women are the caretakers of the household. These characteristics are just some of the qualities that make up the hegemonic representations of masculinity and femininity. Season 7 of “24” enforces the hegemonic understanding of masculinity in the character Jack Bauer while disrupting the hegemonic representation of femininity with the character Allison Taylor.

Since its inception in 2001, Fox’s “24” has become one of the most popular TV series in the US, among both men and women. The main character in the show is Jack Bauer, your typical super-human good guy out to save the country. Bauer is known for his clever thinking, intelligence, and most notably his ability to pull of daring stunts and amazing maneuvers to defeat enemies and protect his country. This ability is what makes Jack Bauer the quintessential American man.

Men in modern American society are seen as the more daring, adventurous people that are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish a goal. They are more likely to be the ones to pull off an amazing stunt, out-smart their opposition, and make that great escape. Jack Bauer has shown throughout the series that he is well capable and more than likely the best at this. Practically every episode, Bauer will somehow either kill or capture an enemy in a way that no one else can or will escape from a situation that would leave almost anyone else dead. Therefore, Jack Bauer supports the hegemonic representation of masculinity in that he is the dominant force over the people he associates with and is more daring, more adventurous than anyone else on the show.

However different viewers see and enjoy Jack Bauer in different ways. Male viewers of the show watch Bauer and see him almost as the “coolest guy in the world” because of what he brings to the show. In the TV shows they watch, men like to see action. They like it when things blow up, people are killed, and not knowing what could happen next. This element is what brings men to watch “24” and to idolize Jack Bauer. On the other hand, women see men like Bauer as “the daring man” and the “man of their dreams”. Many women like men that take risks and would do anything to protect them. They see Bauer as this type of man. Women also see a side of characters like Jack Bauer that men do not: the emotional side. Bauer has this charisma and caring side that attracts female viewers and add to this “dream husband” attitude that some women possess towards him.

In the end, male viewers enjoy Bauer for the entertainment and action he brings. Female viewers look at him as “the ultimate husband” and enjoy the caring and understanding side of him. This supports the hegemonic representation of masculinity in that men should like action and be the dominant gender. It also enforces the hegemonic understandings of femininity in that women typically enjoy daring men and find men like Bauer to be attractive. All in all, Jack Bauer and the way his fans appreciate him support our society’s hegemonic representation of masculinity and femininity.

On the other hand, “24” does have a couple of characters that disrupt and shoot down the hegemonic representations of masculinity and femininity. The most important of these are President Allison Taylor. In Chapter 3 of his book, Identities and Inequalities, David Newman explains how women are portrayed on TV. He says, “The portrayal of women on prime-time television remains rather traditional and stereotypical. Despite the fact that women make up a majority of the population, most characters on prime-time television are male,” (Newman 92). However in Season 7 of “24”, we have seen a different outlook on women, especially with President Taylor.

At the beginning of Season 7, Taylor becomes the first female president in US history. This is very different from many TV shows and in society in general. In his book, Allan Johnson describes how society believes men feel about being in power and dominating women. He states, “There is gender oppression because men want and like to dominate women,” (91). This idea is the reason this country has been led mostly by men. However in “24”, we see President Allison Taylor move past these hegemonic ideas and take over the most important position in the country. This idea disrupts the hegemonic understanding of femininity in that women aren’t usually featured high-end, very important positions such as the President of the United States.

Fox’s hit-series “24” both creates and disrupts current hegemonic representations of masculinity and femininity. Jack Bauer is the perfect example of the hegemonic understanding of masculinity by being the adventurous and daring type that men are portrayed as in society. However at the same time, Allison Taylor is the complete opposite of the hegemonic representation of femininity. Just by holding the most powerful position in the country, Taylor has disrupted the messages that society sends regarding femininity. Overall, “24” provides a well-rounded viewing experience and is a great way to see how men and women are portrayed, especially in the top government positions.


Works Cited

Newman, David. “Portraying Difference: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Language and the Media. Identities and Inequalities. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005 (71-105)

Johnson, Allan G. “Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.” The Gender Knot: Unraveling Out Patriarchal Legacy. Temple University Press, 1997 (91-98).

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