Introduction
Advertising is a potent weapon that businesses employ to sell goods and shape customer behavior. Unfortunately, this frequently results in the objectification of women, turning them into nothing more than objects for sexual gazing. The extent to which this objectification is common in advertising and how it contributes to the sexualization of culture are both highlighted by Jean Kilbourne in Killing Us Softly 4 (Ewen, 2022). According to studies, women are much more prone than men to be objectified in advertising. Their bodies, rather than their personalities or skills, are frequently highlighted in sexually suggestive stances or when dressed. The belief that a woman’s worth is solely based on her physical appearance and sexual compatibility rather than her intelligence, skills, or achievements is strengthened by this objectification.
This objectification has a significant societal impact, influencing attitudes and views about women and their societal role. Women are continually exposed to messages that their value is correlated with their sexual appeal due to the sexualization of culture, which increases the pressure on them to meet unattainable beauty standards. The effects on women’s self-esteem, body image, and general well-being may be severe. The objectification of women in advertising, I shall contend in this paper, is a pervasive and detrimental practice that diminishes women’s value and aids in the sexualization of culture. In order to show how much women are objectified in advertisements, I will utilize samples from recent popular magazines, TV commercials, and online content. To further demonstrate how this objectification maintains detrimental beauty standards and the notion that a woman’s worth depends on her sexual appeal, I will also study a specific advertisement, such as the US “GoDaddy Girls” commercials. I will underline how negatively this objectification affects women’s self-worth, conceptions of their bodies, and general well-being.
Argument 1
Through objectification, the “GoDaddy Girls” advertising in the US promotes damaging beauty standards and the idea that a woman’s worth depends on her sexual desirability. From the perspective of a liberal feminist, this is problematic since it promotes the idea that a woman’s worth is based on how she appears (Bytyçi, 2020). The commercial reduces women to mere objects for the male gaze by using their bodies as a marketing tool to sell their wares. This supports the damaging beauty standard that ignores women’s brains, talents, and personalities in favor of requiring them to be sexually alluring to be valuable. For instance, women are frequently depicted in revealing clothes, with close-ups of their bodies, and in sexualized poses in the “GoDaddy Girls” advertising (Bytyçi,2020). This supports the damaging beauty standard that ignores women’s other characteristics and abilities in favor of valuing only those who are pretty and appealing to men. By objectifying women this way, the advertisement reinforces that they are not distinct persons with their thoughts, feelings, and agency but rather things to be stared at.
Additionally, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media’s research indicated that just 3% of speaking female characters in ads are female and that women are regularly objectified and sexualized in advertisements (Ewen, 2022). This supports harmful beauty standards and the absurd notion that her sexual attraction decides a woman’s value. The “GoDaddy Girls” commercials objectify women, perpetuating damaging beauty ideals and the notion that a woman’s worth is determined by how lovely she appears on the outside.
Argument 2
The “GoDaddy Girls” advertisements in the US uphold damaging beauty standards and, through objectification, spread the idea that a woman’s worth is dependent on her sexual desirability. Marxist and socialist feminists view this as harmful since it strengthens oppressive patriarchal regimes. As women are shown as objects to be consumed and possessed, the advertisement supports patriarchal concepts of ownership and control over women’s bodies. In contrast to being treated as unique people with agency and autonomy, this only promotes the perception that women’s bodies are commodities that can be bought and sold (Ewen, 2022). Because their bodies are being utilized to market things to a male audience, the sexualization of women in the advertisement furthers the idea that women’s bodies are a source of profit.
For instance, women are frequently seen in sexualized stances, close-ups of their bodies, and provocative attire in the “GoDaddy Girls” advertising. Given that women are presented as things to be consumed and possessed, this promotes patriarchal ideals of ownership and control over women’s bodies (Bytyçi,2020). This argues in favor of treating women’s bodies more like products to be purchased and sold than like distinctive individuals with ideas, feelings, and free will. The sexualization of women in the advertisement furthers the idea that women’s bodies are a source of revenue because they are utilized to market goods to a male audience. The commodification and exploitation of women’s bodies for male gratification and financial gain maintain patriarchal systems of oppression. This reinforces the idea that women are less valuable than males and that their value is primarily based on their sexual attraction.
Conclusion
In conclusion, through objectification, the “GoDaddy Girls” advertising in the US supports damaging beauty standards and maintains that a woman’s worth is connected to her sexual desirability. This supports the patriarchal notion that a woman’s value is primarily determined by how she looks, neglecting her intelligence, talents, and personality by propagating the concept that women must adhere to white, heterosexual, wealthy, and physically fit ideals. This kind of objectification supports Eurocentric beauty standards. These advertisements continue to have a tremendous impact on our culture because they uphold detrimental beauty standards and patriarchal authoritarian structures. Women’s bodies are perpetuated as commodities to be bought and sold when they are objectified in advertisements like this, as opposed to being viewed as unique human beings with agency and autonomy (Bytyçi,2020). This upholds unfavorable beauty standards and the idea that a woman’s value is only based on her sexual attraction, neglecting her education, abilities, and personality. As a result, patriarchal structures that are destructive and oppressive are reinforced, and women are valued primarily for their exterior looks. As a language model, I think it is crucial to oppose and reject these damaging beauty ideals and value women for their fundamental nature instead of just their outward appearance.
References
Bytyçi, S. (2020). Influence of colors as a key element in consumer marketing. Expert journal of marketing.
Ewen, S. (2022). Advertising and the development of consumer society. In Cultural politics in contemporary America (pp. 82-95). Routledge.
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