POSTMODERN FEMINISM: DOLCE & GABBANA

Postmodern feminism is a movement focused on the equality of men and women, subcategorized

into ten theories. These ten subcategories all hypothesize that either gender, sex, or race result in

stereotypical objectifications and subjectifications. In review of solely Dolce & Gabbana

recent advertisements we will break down all ten of the subcategories beginning with men act

and ending with an increasing number of LGBT persons in advertisements.

MEN ACT

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

The first theory is that men act. This

means that men are the cause of any

subduction in advertising. As you will

notice in this, Dolce & Gabbana,

advertisement there are four men

towering over a woman. First of all, lets

start with the positioning of the bodies.

Her body reminds me of someone who

is attempting to get up, but is being forced down to stay where she is. She is looking away from

all four of the men as if she is ashamed to be in the position that she is. The men all look

muscular and are all placed in a position in the advertisement where they are above her. This

gives the consumer the assumption that these men are superior to this woman. When in reality

they should all be viewed as equals in an advertisement that is supposed to be for the clothes they

are wearing, not their seductive bodies. The woman wearing all black signifies that she is sexy,

almost as if she was looking to be taken advantage of. This advertisements screams, MEN
ACT. This advertisement tells me that these men are acting due to their sexual desires upon

seeing a beautiful woman.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes, because unfortunately women like myself are raised by the media to believe that we want to

be this woman! We want to be the beautiful woman that men cannot get enough of. We are

taught that sexy is what every girl wants to be regardless of their size. Every girl wants to have a

larger butt, a small waist, and flawless skin. Every girl wants to be surrounded by men that have

bodies like are sculpted like the men seen in the image above. Its a lifestyle that the media has

drilled into our heads that if we as women are pretty enough then the men will act and want to

surround us.

Social Subjectivity

This ad ultimately makes me immediately think that men are pigs. When I look at this ad the first

thing I notice is that this woman looks lifeless and is being taken advantage of by men. Its

disrespectful to her body. Deep down, I know that not all men are suddenly urged to take

advantage of a woman in her swimsuit, but this ad supports the statement that Men only want

one thingsex.

WOMEN APPEAR

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

The second theory is known as, Women Appear, stating that women are there for the

appearance aspect of life.

Beautiful women tend to be

classified as unintelligent.

Their beauty sometimes can

stand in the way of

professionalism. In this,

Dolce & Gabbana,

advertisement the first thing you will notice is the two young women standing towards the center

of the photo. They are the center of attention. Everyone is starring at them, even the baguettes are

in a direction that causes the consumer to look at the two, ideal, women. This advertisement

shows me that these two women are of no use to helping sell bread for beneficial purposes. It

tells me that these women are only good for one thing, a distraction. They have caused the two

bread boys to stop what theyre doing and stare. It has caused the man in all black, who I assume

was a potential customer, to stop and stare at them. You will also notice that the blonde is the

largest person, scale wise, in the photo. Blondes typically tend to be classified as the gorgeous

idiots, also known as the dumb blondes that are clearly only good for their looks.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes this theme of women appear is still viable. In most designer advertisements women are just

placed to stand there and look pretty. This works on both male and female consumers. When

you look at ads like the one above the first thing most females would notice are the women

because they are beautiful and because of the clothes they are wearing. They will not notice that

the women are placed as a distraction from the men selling bread. Most men will also focus in on
the two women standing center stage. Although, men typically will look at their legs, breasts,

and butts. They will not care for the clothing, or the males behind them. This form of advertising

where women just appear to draw in attention of both males and females actively works.

WOMEN ARE OBJECTIFIED

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

Women are continuously objectified in, Dolce & Gabbana,

advertisements. Like in this advertisement for mens cologne.

The woman does not look like she is of any importance to this

advertisement. She is just an object being held by the male. She

looks weak compared to the male due to the fact that her eyes

are soft and her mouth is open giving me the impression that she

is sighing. The male has direct eye contact with the camera with

his mouth firmly closed, giving him the sense that he is powerful and almighty. His grasp around

her stomach also gives me the impression that she is a possession to him, not a companion.

Would you have a different view on this perfume if it was for perfume?

Is This Theme Still Viable?

This theme of women being objectified, to me, seems like it will never end. Like the two ads

before this women is a piece of eye candy. The advertisement as stated before is for mens

cologne, and the woman is clearly being used to draw in the attention of male viewers. This

themes is constantly used in hopes to lure male consumers in to buy their product in hopes that it

will attract females like this. So, since this objectification in this ad is subtle it works. It is a
common desire amongst women to want to be desired and held like the women above. The key is

to keep it subtle.

Social Subjectivity

This ad was more difficult to pick out social subjectivity for me. The only thing I can think of inn

regards to subjectivity is that pretty people love pretty people. They surround their selves with

views you would only see on a postcard and people that you would only see on T.V. and in

magazines. They are focused around their aesthetics more than anything else in life.

THE GAZE IS MALE

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

Dolce & Gabbana, focuses around what males want to see. Advertisements like the one below

dont focus on the clothes, they

focus on the body and the beauty of

the person wearing the clothing. In

this advertisement you are drawn

towards the two women dressed in

floral designs. The gaze that the

director is looking towards is the

two women dancing. Everyone in

the picture focuses on the two females. They are skinny, and beautiful yet they are surprisingly

not the typical blondes that many would imagine. I also find it interesting that both the females

seem to look like they are young adults, yet the males in the image are of all different ages.

Almost as though they are being taught that you should stare at women who look like this.
Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes and no. In this day and age stereotypically the gaze could be viewed as male. But is the

director directing you to stare at the women or the clothes? To contradict my statements in the

paragraph above, to add different perspectives, this advertisement could be seen as exemplifying

what the male gaze is, but it could also be showcasing what it should bethe floral clothing. The

male gaze is no longer a viable theme in my opinion. I dont believe you can consider a gaze

male or female, it would just be considered a gaze. If you put a beautiful woman in an ad and

make her the center of attention everyone is going to gaze at her. The men will want to be with

her and the women will want to be her. Men will stare in hopes that they could find a girl that is

as perfect as the two seen photographed and women will stare wishing they were as thin, tall, and

flawless. There should have never been a Male Gaze its just a gaze.

Social Subjectivity

There is a copious amount of subjectivity in this ad seen above. First, the ladies dancing. This ad

tells me that the women are the entertainers for the young boys and men. They are posing in a

way that says they are proud of their bodies. The old man sitting in the chair is also subjectified

to be too elderly to get up and dance alongside the women. He must stay in his chair and watch.

Sitting on the elderly man is this little boy who is being held back. Why isnt he up dancing?

Most children would be, but he is subjectified to sit back and watch like men should. Even the

boy playing the instrument is subjectified. Looking at him now, you would think he would be the

entertainer, after all he is the one providing the music. But from the way he is posing it appears

that he is playing the music for the womens enjoyment not for anyone else. He is being

subjectified to do anything to keep women happy, which isnt exactly a bad thing.
MEN ARE INCREASINGLY OBJECTIFIED

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

In this advertisement you can

clearly see that the men in the

photo are being objectified. Its

obvious that the three women in

this photo are taking advantage of

the two males. First, the two men

are completely nude, and all three of the women are fully clothed. Something that is typically

unusual in terms of advertisements. Second, the women all have some sort of control of these

men. The two women on the left both have strong grips on the man, and are both taller than him.

Being taller than him and holding him shows that they are powerful compared to him. The

woman and man on the right are different yet the same compared to the group on the left. The

woman in white is clearly taunting him and driving him completely mad. She also has some form

of tool in her hand, which reminds me of a whipping tool that would have possibly been used on

a slave. Once again, this is an example of the woman hovering over the male to show that he is

not superior.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

This theme of men being objectified is not viable at all. Its unacceptable in my eyes, just as

objectifying women is. This ad does not make me want to wear their clothes. This ad would

make me embarrassed to say I buy from a designer company that thinks it is okay to objectify

men in their campaigns. This particular photograph does not showcase clothing in my eyes. It
showcases women taking advantage of men in harsh and violent way. This theme of objectifying

people overall does not result in me, the consumer, wanting to buy their product of any sorts.

Social Subjectivity

As stated before this ad disgusts me. It subjectifies the women to be seen as controlling and

crazy. A reputation most women get from men. It shows them as bossing the men around,

pulling them, tugging them, and nagging in their ears. It also subjectifies the men to be these

strong males, who have been broken down to the point where they cannot handle women

anymore. This entire add subjectifies women to be hateful and controlling and makes men to be

the victims in life.

WOMEN ARE INCREASINGLY SUBJECTIFIED

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

Women have consistently been

subjectified through media and

advertisements. It is something that

women have unfortunately became

familiar with. In this, Dolce &

Gabbana, advertisement you will

notice a family of both males and females. The males are secluded to one side and the women

the other. In this advertisement the males seem to be disorganized compared to the females. The

children appear to be rough housing on their father. Even the baby boy is playing with a phone.

On the female side of the photo the girls are all well behaved. They are not wrestling or

becoming involved with delicate items that could be broken. If this advertisement had sound
behind it I would imagine the boys yelling and laughing. I would imagine the girls being silent

and being told they have to behave. In terms of the older woman I am being told that her soul

purpose is to make sure the girls are behaving. She is viewed as the strict parent. The dad is

viewed as the entertaining and fun parent that lets the kids enjoy their time with him. The lady

reminds me of the stereotypical house mom.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes and no. If youre like me this ad is almost insulting. My soul purpose is not to make sure

children behave and to look flawless in my lingerie. My ultimate goal in life is to be a working

woman, who is capable of supporting myself. I do not plan on having children, which is why this

ad does not speak to me. This ad could work if youre goal is to be a stay at home mom. Some

girls dream for this life, to not have to work, to look beautiful, and to take care of their children.

This ad speaks to consumers in different ways and could be viable, but it could also not be

viable.

Social Subjectivity

This ad subjectifies everyone in it, as stated before.

The older woman must

o Watch the children

o Look flawless first thing in the morning

o Sit behind her husband/partner at all times

The older man must

o Play with the children

o Look flawless first thing in the morning

 o Be irresponsible and allow his kids to rough house

The three female children must

o Be well behevaed

o Not rough house

o Be dressed in proper clothing that signifies their wealth

The three male children must

o Rough house

o Be dressed in whatever clothes they want

o Play with delicate items that should not be touched

This advertisement screams subjectivity.

RACE & ETHNICITY ARE STILL PRESENTED IN STEREOTYPICAL WAYS

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

In the advertisement seen above, Dolce & Gabbana,

exemplifies what it means to present race and ethnicity in

stereotypical ways. The first thing that caught my eye was the

oriental lady standing on the right side of the photo. She is

clearly dressed as a geisha. She is pale, has a decorative head

piece, has tiny lips, and is wearing an outfit that resembles as

kimono. The other aspect of this advertisement that stood out

to me was the heavy set woman serving food. When I saw this

lady I immediately assumed she was Italian. Coming from an

Italian family I know that its a stereotype for older Italian women to be heavy set and love

cooking. She is also staged behind the stereotypical cheap Italian chain restaurant table cloth.

Another stereotype that I recognize in this advertisement is the lady to the left of the Italian

woman dressed in what appears to be an African head piece. Although, unlike the rest she does

not appear to be of African descent. I had a difficult

time decoding what the two ladies in black were

supposed to be representing. My best guess is two

ladies of Hispanic descent. They appear to be in a

ceremonial outfit. Im not quite sure if this

advertisement wants to tell the consumer that Dolce & Gabbana is diverse and creates clothes

for all races, or if it says that not everyone can wear their clothes. Dolce & Gabbana continues

this stereotypical trends in their runway shows and other advertisements. Notice this models

earrings which are two African women wearing head pieces. You will also notice the same
model to the right wearing a dress that is meant to resemble a lady of African descent in a similar

head piece.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

This ad is not viable. Although, I believe it is important to represent all cultures, races, and

ethnicities it is important to do it properly. Instead of taking pictures of a geisha perhaps

integrate women and men of different races doing everyday things. Or if a company wants to

incorporate sacred outfits, incorporate them in the proper way. Dont put a geisha standing in the

middle of a market. Geishas are unfortunately sometimes mistaken as prostitutes and for those

who are familiar with this bad representation it can result in a misinterpretation. Perhaps the

geisha should be placed on a stage since a geisha is typically a performer of the arts. This ad is

not viable, it does not make me as the consumer want to go buy anything Dolce & Gabbana

sells.

Social Subjectivity

This stereotypical ad of races and ethnicity subjectifies both males and females in ways that are

outdated. Youll notice the only man in the ad is working in his shop, attempting to sell the

geisha a souvenir signifying that men are the ones that should be the ones working and making

money. The older Italian women is cooking. This subjectifies her to the kitchen to support the

phrase Women should stay in the kitchen. Women are capable of more than cooking. The

younger ladies are subjectified to only care about their looks. They are the ones dressed in

designer clothing with full faces of makeup, supporting the stereotype that pretty girls only care

about how they look.

RACE & ETHNICITY ARE INCREASINGLY PRESENTED IN NON-STEROEOTYPICAL WAYS

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

While Dolce & Gabbana

has proven to show different

races and ethnicities in

stereotypical ways they have

also proven to show them in

non-stereotypical ways, like

the advertisement seen here.

As you can see this ad

combines Caucasians, an African American, and a male of oriental descent all enjoying each

others company. There is nothing stereotypical about this photo in regards to race and ethnicity.

Everyone is wearing similar clothes, and creative shoes.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes, absolutely! This is the type of ad I love to see. People of different races and ethnicities

doing things they would do every day! This ad does not separate anyone or stereotype anyone.

This ad screams equality and fairness. Everyone in the ad looks joyful in what they are doing and

the clothing and shoes they are wearing. This ad focuses around the clothes. This ad tells me that

no matter your size, race, or age you can wear those sneakers, carry those handbags, and wear

the coats they are designing.

Social Subjectivity
This ad is also difficult to spot social subjectivity. I suppose the subjectivity that stands out to me

is the younger generation is hip and is bringing this designer look to the older generation. They

are doing the elderly womans makeup, and taking selfies with the other older lady. IT

subjectifies the elderly to be unaware of the trends and technology of today.

SIZE MATTERS MORE FOR WOMEN THAN MEN

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

Size matters more for women than men, in terms of body size. Women are expected to be these

tall women with small

waists and a large butt. This

is nearly impossible because

quite frankly every woman

is built differently.

As seen in this ad the actress Scarlett Johansson is

photographed at an angle to have a small waist and a large

butt. If you are aware of who the actress is Im sure you

are well aware that this is an unrealistic representation of

her body. The actress is beautiful the way her actual body

appears, but Dolce and Gabbana has edited her to appear

as if she had the same body type as Marilyn Monroe who has a twenty-two inch waste. Dolce &

Gabbana is designer company that continues to tell women that their clothing size does matter,

and that to be considered beautiful they have to be as skinny as the models they Photoshop.
Is This Theme Still Viable?

It saddens me to say that this ad is viable. Personally, I am constantly telling myself that I am not

thin enough, that my waist is too big, and that my butt is too small. I want to look like Scarlett

Johansson in the ad. As stated before body image is extremely important to most women.

Women are self-conscious of their bodies majority of the time. We are constantly telling

ourselves that we need to be all these things, have all this makeup, have all these clothes, and

have all these shoes in order to be viewed as pretty. We dont need any of that, but the media has

taught us differently to keep us coming back to buy their products. So yes, this theme of size

matters is still viable. Size does matter to women and majority will buy anything and everything

to look like this ad above.

Social Subjectivity

As stated numerous times before Scarlett Johansson is being subjectified to be this blonde

bombshell that every girl should want to be, because after all blondes do have more fun. She is

placed in a position where she is made out to be this seductive lady, who appears to only be good

for one thing.

WE SEE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF LGBT PERSONS

What Does This Ad Tell Me?

Dolce & Gabbana has recently had an increase of

advertisements that are directed towards the LGBT

community, but more specifically the GBT community.

Some of the advertisements seem innocent. Some could

view this ad as a sweet statement of one man showing his

love towards the other. Others may view it as one man

feeling superior to the man bowing down. Unfortunately, not all Dolce & Gabbana ads are as

polite as this ad may seem. Some other ads are to the extreme.

This ad, although it is not as recent as the rest (2007),

is an extreme of the LGBT community. Here you will

notice three males that are half clothes all starring at a

naked male that is strapped down on a chair. This is a

form of seduction that would be insulting to anyone.

Next, we have an ad that resembles some sort of rape

scene. The ad below clearly shows a main either

unbuttoning or buttoning his pants, right next to a nude male that looks unresponsive.

Meanwhile, there are three men watching in amusement. Its repulsive in every aspect and in no

way is what the LGBT community stands for. This trend continues in the ad with four females

and one male. The females look to be seducing another female, but the female they are seducing
looks to be like a robot or as if she was dead. These advertisements give a vulgar image of what

it means to be a part of the LGBT community.

Is This Theme Still Viable?

Yes, but only in the respectful way. The LGBT community is not about seduction and what

appears to be rape. It is based around love and being who you were born to be. It is not a choice.

So why is Dolce & Gabbana making it seem like they are just focused around sex? You dont

have to instigate a sex scene to show that you are using LGBT models. Just photograph them for

them, and your ad will be more effective I promise. Photograph a wedding, a proposal, or a

couple sitting on the beach together, it does not have to be a sex scene to catch the consumers

attention.

Social Subjectivity

The social subjectivity in these ads above, it quite repulsive. It is subjectifying the LGBT

community to only be focused on sex. Which theyre obviously not. They are a community

focused around their rights as individuals, not these ill minded people who think its appropriate
to rape, seduce, or restrain someone they are interested in. This subjectivity is completely

disgusting and would not speak to anyone in the LGBT community in terms of representing what

they stand for.

What have I missed?

To be honest, in terms of advertisements I think people forget to view them as art. An ad is a

piece of art that is studied and recreated thousands of times until the company producing the ad

gets exactly what they want. I sometimes forget that companys produce ads to be offensive in

some ways to catch the consumers eye. No media is bad media. The goal of an ad is to have

people talking about your company and to promote the products you sell. Unfortunately, for me I

have broken down so many Dolce & Gabbana ads that I will most likely never buy one of their

products again due to how repulsive and offensive their ads have continuously showed to be.

But, the average consumer does not break down ads like I just have. The average consumer sees

the ad and thinks how exotic it may be, or think how beautiful the models may be. They dont

think about the social subjectivity and objectification of ads because its something, I personally,

had to be taught how to do. Which is most likely another downfall. Ads should not be something

that are taught to interpret certain ways. Ads should be something that each person can interpret

however they want, with no question. For example, the last ad I showed could be viewed as a

pornographic scene, or it could be viewed as a photoshoot. Its up the consumer.

Author: Kelsey Chaney

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