Sell Sell Sell!!!.... But Exactly What Are We Selling??

               As a woman in this society sexism, racism, power hierarchies all contribute to the social woes women face on an everyday basis. In Judith Butler's Gender Trouble she begins it with several quotes, of them that are particularly important (though all of them are important) is one written by Simone de Beauvoir in which she states "One is not born a woman but rather becomes one" (Butler, 1). This quote opens up the door for the exploitation women face daily. Society dictates to women all the time, day in and day out what a woman should be with advertising and social mediums like magazines, television and movies. We constantly see things like this...

A publicity stunt ad PETA is behind.

This woman is a volunteer for PETA. PETA is primarily known for its animal rights campaigns but in this case PETA is promoting healthier ways of living by consuming or rather eating healthy things but why is being "healthy" so provocative according to this ad? Of course we know why, because "sex sells". Honestly, she makes me never want to eat a cucumber ever again.


            Of course, ads like these are not a dime a dozen, they are all over and it's harmful because young girls are seeing this. In Jean Kilbourne's Cutting Girls Down to Size she writes "adolescents are new and inexperienced consumers - and such prime targets". She further writes advertisers are aware of their role and do not hesitate to take advantage of the insecurities and anxieties of young people" (Kilbourne, 129).

A Dolce & Gabbana ad promoting perfume.

             Kilbourne also goes on to state that these advertisers play on the heart-strings of their audience in a "form of guise offering a solution" (Kilbourne, 129). For example, she writes "cigarettes provide a symbol of independence, a pair of designer jeans or sneakers convey status, the right perfume or beer resolves doubts about femininity or masculinity" (Kilbourne, 129) as in the case of the above ad where these women are simply advertising perfume, but what does being shirtless have to do with perfume? Unfortunately, the younger audience and even many older audiences are not asking these questions. The ad for the perfume is selling sex before anything else and it's at the expense of a woman and her dignity and integrity.

A quote said in response to the exploitation of black women in the hip-hop videos.



  
Works Cited:

1. Kilbourne, Jean. Cutting Girls Down to Size: 129. Print

2. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 1990. 1-46. Print.