Nadine Talavera

English 115
Professor Lawson
21 November 2014
Research Paper
1973

Women in Ads
Page after page on magazines and on television shows beautiful faces and perfect
bodies are plastered for girls to see. These images seem to be harmless, as they are made only
to promote a product and catch the attention of the viewers. However, these images that are
produced by multi-million companies damage the perspective of beauty for girls worldwide. It
creates an illusion of unrealistic body proportions that girls dream of and illustrates an
unhealthy attitude as they strive for super-thin bodies generated by the media. Influencing
men to objectify women and degrading women to becoming subordinate. However, in the
thoughts of others, women take pleasure in being objectified. Despite years of efforts, women
are still commonly being sexually objectified by men by judging sexual attractiveness rather
than intellectual value. Objectification in relation causes health related problems that prevent
women from developing mentally and emotionally. Overall the portrayal of women in
magazine advertisements and television add to the growing issue of body image of our
population and contribute to the dehumanization and objectification of women.
For many years women have been fighting the issue of objectification. Women in the
1960's, were put in advertisement to attract the dominant group of consumers also known as
men. In order to attract male consumers, women in those advertisement would need to have

sexual appeal. This need to create sexual appeal to men leads to the dehumanization of
women. Evidently, advertisements soon start to break women apart as they are being reduced
to their sexual body parts [or being] shown in sexual positions with objects [and are even
being seen as a] commodity (Zurbriggen 3). When women are being broken apart in pieces,
it seems to lowers their social standing and makes men dominant in society.The sense of
objectification and dehumanization of women leads to our observation and evaluation of ones
appearance of women in this modern day society.
As the modern age of media continues to grow, the effect of everyday advertisements
creating a stagger amount of influence in women across the country. Advertisements of
women are now idolized, it has become goal for young girls to achieve those bodies that are
shown. However, in reality, the body and even up to the small details like their facial features
in magazine are now shaped and contoured through photoshop. These attributes that are
shown on the models of advertisements is illegitimate and almost naturally impossible for
anyone to have. These images have created a standard that is unrealistic. Resulting into to
feelings of body shame, and unhealthy eating and exercise behaviors which can then lead to
an increase in possibility of diseases such as eating disorders, depression, and low selfesteem (Grotton 5). These diseases are not only harmful to the body but contribute to
negative social and psychological effects to the body. As ideal body for a majority of women
is unattainable it gives rise to discrepancy of their real appearance versus their ideal
appearance making way for body dissatisfaction. As body dissatisfaction increases it leads to
a possibility of extreme changes in eating habits and even different forms of depression.
Similarly, mass media such a television create an important role in of the influence in
body image. Heavier set characters in television shows are less likely to be found and body

perfect models are disproportionately overrepresented (Bell 19). It creates an illusion that
heavier set bodies are not socially normal and shows the admiration of perfect bodies in
society. With the body perfect characters, possessing a number of desirable characteristics
such as happiness, success and popularity [meanwhile] overweight characters typically
are ridiculed and subject to weight-related teasing (Bell 20). While most of the images of
these physical features are created through makeup, lighting, and even cosmetic surgery. With
representations of these characters create a threat to the body image on women and show
correlation on body image and media exposure. As women are continuously exposed to the
idea of the perfect body it makes them vulnerable influencing their thoughts and behaviors.
It leads to women to possibly internalize these ideals and believe that a perfect body will
lead to a road of success and allures the attention of others.
In addition to the effect of body image, magazine advertisements and television affect
women through sexual objectification and oppression. The role of women in advertisements
and the media contribute to more than body image but impacts women through their, career
pursuits, academic pursuits and relationships in marriage and dating (Young). In several
magazine advertisements, women made into objects often times things being placed on them.
The portrayal of women subconsciously influence everyday choices of women and make
women be perceived as subservient. Easily inducing women into subordinate roles in their
workplace, meanwhile, women who aspire to high-status work positions may suffer
discrimination based unfeminine appearance (Fredrickson). This judgement on women not
only cripples their possible job opportunities but creates a barricade on women for higher
position jobs. It makes women stuck and frozen into jobs that they are possible over qualified.
For some however, it is understandable that women do not get higher position in the

workplaces, but in movies, females make up only 11% of all clearly identifiable protagonist,
78% are male (Lauzen 1). It is significant evidence that female characters are under
represented compared to men. More often female characters play supporting roles such as a
wife or sister and are portrayed as young and beautiful. It perceives women as submissive,
sending a message that women are objects and are only present to support men.
Researchers from Washington State University have found that magazines have helped
diminish the line of sexual boundaries and consent of partners. The correlation of men who
read articles about how to land a hot girl are more likely to make inappropriate sexual
advances toward women who arent interested, or push a sexual situation too far even when
their partner is telling them to stop (Culp-Ressler). It gives men dismissive attitudes and
further diminishing the line of sexual boundaries. The way women are portrayed in magazine
such as Playboy and Maxim are the same way we look at houses or sandwiches not as a
whole individual, but as a composite of separate attractive parts (Culp-Ressler). It makes
men feel entitled to sex and react negatively when they are deny because it has become apart
for our culture women are become accustomed to the abuse of their rights .
In relation to women being perceived as submissive, it becomes a contributing factor
to the accounts of sexual violence against women. The consequence of sexual objectification
towards women make men feel the right to induce or even force women into certain actions.
Although, sexual objectification is not only taking control of women but also occurs on a
daily basis in our culture in which their bodies are looked at, evaluated, and always
potentially objectified (Fredrickson). Men do not see an issue in looking at women walking
down the street however, it subconsciously makes women cautious of their environment
especially with type of clothes that are being worn. Such actions prevent women from walking

down the street alone at night and making them dependent on others for protections. In
relation women are more likely to be taken advantage and can result into harassment. In a
large study related to the effects of workplace harassment by Dansky and Kilpatrick, of the
3006 women surveyed, it showed that women ages 18 - 34 who have been harassed show a
significantly greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression compared to those
who have not experienced harassment.
Undoubtedly, the portrayal of women in the media have create negative outcomes,
however some think otherwise. Objectification has become a natural part of woman's life. It
reality women like to be objectified, to an extent - feeling attractive and sexy feels good...our
self-worth is wrapped up in it (Breines). For some women self objectification is used to
boost self-esteem, and it feels good when getting positive attention. Physical attractiveness
even correlates with high popularity, dating experience and marriage opportunities. As well as
womens economic power and social mobility (Miner-Rubino, Twenge, and Fredickson
170). With such alluring attributes to physical attractiveness it is no doubt that women try to
change themselves to become the ideal standard of beauty. Meanwhile for men, the most
common excuse is it is natural, men are prone to objectify women because it is a biological
factor. It is known that men are more animal-like, likewise company prey on the instincts of
men with those animal-like brain and use women to lure them into the product. However, the
use of self objectification is a double edged sword it can easily turn sour when attention is
negative or lacking (Breines). Beauty in society does not last forever, it fades quickly and
will have to spend time to or even money to maintain such physical appearance.
As the role of media and advertisements continue to grow a rise of the use of
photoshop began. Photoshop became apart of everyday advertisements and so celebrities

stood up to stop the the issues of these false images given to women. Often times, celebrities
bodies are manipulated to becoming skinnier yet still considered curvy, making the standards
for beauty unrealistic. Keira Knightley spoke up about the issues of photoshop and said to
Times I think womens bodies are a battleground and photography is partly to blame.
Another more younger celebrity Lorde tweeted about pictures she found of herself performing
onstage during a concert. Lorde comparing the original and a photoshopped version, I find
this curious - two photos from today, one edited so my skin is person and one real. remember
flaws are ok. Even famous fashion model Gisele Bundchen retaliated about the use of
airbrushing in high-fashion campaigns. Gisele spoke with Fashionista about her thoughts of
airbrushing, our imperfections are what makes us unique and beautiful. As the use of
photoshopping and airbrushing women more and more celebrities continue to fight its use.
The image perceived by women and men are fake and in the future hope to change the
standards of beauty. (
Overall, the images of these models with beautiful skin and perfect bodies is similar to
the imaginary friends of little kids. Stated in a more simplified way, they are not real. More
often then not, all the images that are seen in magazine and the media are photoshopped and
airbrushed. It creates an unrealistic standards that women have to live up to, although these
images are not even real themselves. Because of these unrealistics images, women have
become crippled in society, they view themselves equal to their physical appearance. For
some women it helps increase self-confidence, however, for most women it creates negative
social and psychological effect. With the media overrepresentation perfect body model, and it
leads to women to internalize that a perfect body leads to success and make them vulnerable
to mental illnesses. As the media perceives women as subservient, it typically put women into

subordinate roles, and are at the significantly greater risk of sexual harassment. In magazine
where women are sexual objectified and dehumanized, it makes feel entitled to sex and
diminishes the line of sexual boundaries and can lead to depression and posttraumatic stress
disorder. As the influence of media continue to grow, many celebrities have stood up against
these issue of degrading women and to stop the use of photoshop and hope to change the
standard of beauty. All in all through the portrayal of women in magazine and television
contributes to the dehumanization and objectification of women and continue to add to the
issue of body image to our population. the portrayal of women in magazine advertisements
and television add to the growing issue of body image of our population and contribute to the
dehumanization and objectification of women.