Sruti Ahmed

COMM601
Midterm
Oct 25, 2018

Literature Review Proposal: Objectification of Women in Television Advertising

Introduction

Television advertising plays a crucial role in shaping the attitude and behavior of society towards

woman. It is well known that the representation of women in the media has always been

exploitative for advertisers to generate more revenue. Although men are at times sexually

portrayed in advertisements, they never depicted as submissive and their public image is not

affected in the same way as women. The physical attractiveness of a woman is a tool for

advertising industry to attract attention and sell product. As a result, women, themselves, turn

into products or just props for visual media. Such advertisements playing with the woman

physicality and her role in society negatively affect the position of women and fix stereotype

picture of woman. Unfortunately, this can lead to the society and women themselves perceiving

women with that notion. However, some argue that women's depicted roles in commercials have

not kept pace with women's changing roles in modern society.

‘Women have always been, and continue to be, objectified in all forms of promotion reducing

women to being nothing more than objects to be won, prizes to be shown off, and playthings to

be abused’ (Berberick, 2010). This sexploitation has changed the rules of society and attitudes of

both gender within the society. Debra Merskin addresses the pornographic gaze and

objectification in advertising and argues that, ‘Female identity in advertising is almost

exclusively defined in terms of females sexuality (Bordo 1993).’ Women are not seen as people,

a woman in advertisements are shown as object with attributes of natural attraction and visual
sensations. No attempt is made to directly test whether sexual portrayals in advertising lead to

acceptance and internalization of stereotypical attitudes.

Rationale for the inquiry

Research suggests that visual imagery provided by advertisements has a significant effect on the

belief system in a society. Advertisements that degrade women, are embedding blatant rape

culture in society. This culture dehumanizes women in such extent that it is even encouraged and

normalized in our patriarchal society by propaganda that justifies this behavior towards women.

In the case of women, this largely becomes a question about the lack of social power. ‘The nude

body of a woman in advertising is ubiquitous as it reflects ‘cultural norms about appearance,

control, and attractiveness’ (Bordo 1993). Question should be asked to determine the extent to

which female characters portrayed in these advertisements were subject to sexualization and how

media images are perceived and interpreted and to find out important mediators of effects.

Over the past several decades, numerous studies have examined the portrayal of women in

advertising because mass media messages about women have often depicted them in undignified

manner. The objectification of women in the mass media has a history. Issue concerning sexual

objectification started the women's movement in the 1960s by feminists’ groups which ignited

interest in the subject. Unfortunately, since, the phenomenon has increased drastically resulting

in adverse consequences for women. Critics, however, argue is that such an analysis is an

exaggeration and dismiss most feminist critiques of society. ‘Some third-wave feminists argue

that exposing the female body for commercial gain is not objectification, but is empowering and

liberating’ (Carty, 2005). The focus of concern should be on attitudes towards and perceptions of

female sexuality in advertising. The question that needs to be answered is, what women think
about exposing their body? How women view the term ‘objectification/? Is it really something

that they should take pride in or is it humiliating for them? How their experience varies with

factors such as age, race, ethnicity, sexuality?

Although the use of female sexuality in advertising is well documented, its nature has not been

investigated in detail. Extensive research of media content is necessary to analyze the manner of

representation of women in the advertising industry. The approach of the study should be both

media and viewer centric as all audience are not equally affected. Analysis should be done to

find out effects of stimulus created by media and investigate the role of individual differences in

media effects. Given the importance of developing sexuality in adolescence, young girls are most

likely to be affected by the advertisements. Therefore, it is important to continue research across

fields and disciplines, to evaluate the state of women as depicted by the media. Television

advertising is characterized by the ability of the medium to transmit content to a mass audience

simultaneously. The question that should be asked is, to what extent sexualizing women in

advertising changes and shapes mindset of people about women in a society.

Theoretical context

According to Objectification theory due to the heteronormativity of our society, it is seen as the

socially sanction right of all males to sexualize all females, regardless of age or status.

Theoretically, many women are sexually objectified and treated as an object to be valued for its

consumption by others. The theory states ‘sexual objectification occurs when a women’s e body

and its functions are separated out from her person, reduced to the status of mere instruments, or

regarded as if they were capable of representing her’ (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). It explains

not all men engage in sexualizing, but since the objectifying gaze is not under the woman’s
control, women cannot completely evade the threat of objectification. The theory also suggests

the viewers of visual media could suffer from detrimental effect, such as eating disorders, body

shame, body consciousness, anxiety, depression, and sexual dissatisfaction.

According to social cognitive theory ‘Human behavior has often been explained in terms of

unidirectional causation, in which behavior is depicted as either being shaped and controlled by

environmental influences or drives by internal dispositions’ (Bandura, 1999). When women are

represented as pieces of body and reduced to visual sensation instead of a human being, it is no

surprise that society changes with individuals creating a personalized reality that mirrors the

environment.

Strategies and Initial Finding

There is a consistency in the findings of the studies that all confirm that female characters are not

realistically portrayed in the media and often they are sexualized. However, the way it is

perceived and interpreted by society and women, turned up with varied results as there are

positive and negative evaluations to advertisements and their characters. Some women believe

women are victimized and humiliated by those advertisements. On the other hand, Contemporary

women may be unfazed by the sexual objectification found in today's advertising and perceive

this phenomenon as an exercise of girl power. These women believe exposing body of women, is

an individual and independent decision making and should not be criticized. Comparing and

critically analyzing the difference would build up the theme of my literature review.

Female bodies have been exposed to a maximum possible extent through television advertising.

These advertisements reinforce women’s role as an object of male pleasure and devalue women

distracting them from humanity. It is apparent from the findings that the sexual objectification of
women in advertising is not recognized by the mass media and the public. Taylor and Francis

pointed out that ‘representations of women are a visual conglomeration of their legs, breasts,

faces, and hair. Such depictions reduce women to a less than human state because they are not

shown as whole persons (Chambers, 2013).’ Studied found that use of female body in

advertisement are associated with the accessibility of men to fulfil their desire to view women as

sexual objects and feel satisfaction within a perverse culture.

According to Bartky. ‘when a woman’s body or body parts are singled out and separated from

her as a person and she is viewed primarily as a physical object of male sexual desire (Bartky,

1990).’ Sexism, prejudices and gender discrimination in the advertising industry, also result in

presentation of women in a degrading manner. The television media have the ability to influence

change in attitudes through the correct presentation of women to strengthen the social awareness

and eliminate gender discrimination.

Outline of Proposal

Objectification of Women in Television Advertisements

I. Introduction

a. Physical attractiveness of women as a marketing tool

b. Continuation of objectification of women (Berberick, 2010)

c. In advertising female identity is female sexuality (Meskin, 2010)

d. Identifying the issue and questions to be reviewed

II. Rationale of Inquiry

a. Normalization of sexualization of women in advertisement in society

b. Exposed body of women reflects cultural norms (Bordo, 1993)

c. History of objectifying women – Rise of women movement on this issue

d. Perception of Third-wave feminists (Carty, 2005)

e. Effects on visual media on young girls

III. Theoretical context

a. Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997)

b. Social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1999)

IV. Strategies and initial findings

a. Difference in opinions on objectification of women

b. Representing only body parts dehumanize women (Chambers, 2013)

c. Women viewed as physical object (Bartky, 1990)

d. Conclusion
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bandura, A. (1999). Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective. Asian Journal of Social

Psychology,2(1), 21-41. doi:10.1111/1467-839x.00024

Bartky, S. L. (1990). Femininity and domination: Studies in the phenomenology of oppression.

New York, NY: Routledge.

Berberick, S. N. (2010). The Objectification of Women in Mass Media: Female Self-Image in

Misogynist Culture,5, 1-15.

Bordo, S. (1993). Unbearable weight. Berkley: University of California Press.

Carty, V. (2005). Textual portrayals of female athletes: liberation or nuanced forms of patriarchy.

Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 26(2), 132-155.

Chambers, J. (2013). Taste matters: Bikinis, twins, and catfights in sexually oriented beer

advertising. In Sex in Consumer Culture: The Erotic Content of Media and Marketing (pp. 159-

177). Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9780203810729

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Womens

Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly,21(2), 173-206.

doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x

Merskin, Debra L. Media, Minorities, And Meaning. Lang, 2011.