The Reconstruction of Womens Images in ads.docx
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TheReconstructionofWomensImagesinads
TheReconstructionofWomen’sImagesin
VirginiaSlimsAdvertisements
XieMinxian
VirginiaSlimsisacigarettebranddesignedespeciallyforfemaleconsumers.Women’simagesintheadsarereconstructedwhichisincontrasttothestereotypicalimagesofwomen.Therepresentationofwomenischanging,soisthewomen’sidentityconstructed.Thestereotypicalimagesofwomenwhoarefamily-centeredandmale-dependentaredemeaning.Adimagesnowtendtobegender-neutral.Identityisasymbolwhichproducesmeaning;women’sidentityisreconstructedbythewaytheywearandthewaytheypresentthemselves.Thechangingidentityofwomenmeansanimprovedsocialstatus.There-representationandreconstructionofwomenarepushedbythefeminismliberationmovementssincethebeginningof19thcentury.Thereconstructionofwomenintheadvertisementhasapositiveeffectonthetransformationofwomen’sidentityinreallife.Womenstarttobeontheroadofgainingequalitytomen.
1.Femalestereotypes
JungandLeebelievethatwomenareoftensexuallyobjectifiedandstereotypicallyportrayedinadvertisingandmediaingeneral.Theportrayalofwomenismeredecorativeobjectsinadvertising.IntheUnitedStates,sexualimagesofwomenarefoundnotonlyinmagazinestargetingmenbutalsoinmagazinesaimedspecificallyatwomen(277),thushelpingtopromotetheself-fulfillingprophecythatwomanshouldacceptanobjectifiedviewofthemselves.“Overtime,Americanwomenhavebeenrepresentedinthemediainmorediversesocialroleswithlessovertsexualimages.However,empiricalresearchontheirmediarepresentationclaimsthat,althoughitmaybesubtle,womenarestillshownprimarilyinsubmissiverolesandassexobjects”(JungandLee,278).Objectificationofwomenisoftenusedasthecentralorganizingtermintheanalysisofadvertisementcontent,whichallowsustopaysystematicattentiontoavarietyofbehaviors,suchasportrayingwomenassexobjectsand/ordecorativeterms.Whenobjectificationoccurs,thefemalebodyisseenasadecorativeobjectthatisusedaspartofthescenefortheadvertisedproducts/services.Objectificationiscloselylinkedtogenderstereotypesperpetuatedbywomen’srolesinthemedia.Althoughwomen’socialandprofessionalrolesinadvertisementshavebeenvisiblyportrayedinthepastdecades,moresubtlecueshavebeenadoptedbytheadvertisingindustrytoportraywomeningender-stereotypicalways.Goffman(qtd.inJungandLee278),whosuggestedthatadshelp,constructtheidealofmasculinityandfemininity,pointedoutsubtlecuesinwhichgenderstereotypingcanoccurinadvertising:
womenbeingshowninlessprestigiousoccupationthanmen;menperformingexecutiverolesandcontrollingthewholesituationinmale/femaledepictions;womenbeingshownincontextswheretheylowerthemselvesphysicallyorliedownatinappropriatetimes;womenengaginginself-touchasanindicationofthefemalebodyasdelicateandprecious,whilemenmanipulate,grasp,orshapeobjectsorproducts;andmenmakingeyecontactwiththereaderwhilewomenengageinmentaldriftorfocusonthedistance,asmallobject,oraprotectivemalemodel.Womenareseldomthecenterofacommercialadvertisement,beingthebackgroundtomen.Inadvertisements,womenhaveclaimedthattheyareportrayedasasexualobject,inepthousewives,orseekingapprovalfrommenandthereforerelegatedtonarrowandoutdatedroles.
2.Thesignificanceofreconstructionofwomen’sidentity
AccordingtoAristotle,representationisthemosttraditionaltermtorefertousingsymbols(words,pictures,musicalnotes)inventedbyhumanstostandfororrepresentreal-worldthing(Peng23).ToLuceIrigaray,womenare“falselyrepresented”andthewholestructureofrepresentationisinadequateinthewaythat“boththesubjectandtheOtheraremasculinemainstaysofaclosedphallocentricsignifyingeconomythatachievesitstotalizinggoalthroughtheexclusionofthefemininealtogether.”Achangingrepresentationofwomeninthemediameansanewconstructionofwomen’sidentity.Thereconstructionofwomenhelpsthembuildupanindependentimageinsteadofbeingobjectified.IntheVirginiaSlimsads,womenareportrayedasanewimagethattheyareindependent,beautiful,andsmartandpowerfulwhichgoesagainstthestereotypethatwomenaresubordinatetoanddominatedbymen.Itmeanssubversionofconventionalfemininityandthereconstructionofwomen’sidentitywhenwomenhavelearnedthatconsumptionprovidesopportunitiesforthemtofindsurvivalvalue,moralworth,andself-fulfillment.
3.Contentanalysesofthespecificads
ThewholeconceptofVirginiaSlimsadvertisementispresentedintwodifferentways:
oneisacomparisonbetweenold-fashionedstereotypicwomenimageandanidealone;theotheranindependentfemaleimage.
(1)There-representationoffemaleimages
AfterthebrandVirginiaSlimswasintroducedin1968theyearafterthepeakofwomen’sliberationmovementaroundtheworld,theadvertisementdepictedatransformationofwomen’simage.Bythestrongcomparison,theadaimsatrevealingthephenomenaofwomenfightingfortheirequalrightsasman.Anidealjobandanimprovementoftheirsocialstatusweredesirableforwomen.Womenarenothappywithwhattheyaredoingonlymenarehappy,womenserveaspleasingmen.
(a)(b)
Onthesurfacetheadvertisementconsistsoftwoparts:
theold-fashionedsceneofwomenandthere-representationofwomen.(a)Therightpartoftheaddepictingwhitefemaleinblackhatandredcoat,theblackandwhiteclose-upofwhitemalereadingnewspaperwhilewhitefemalesworkold-fashionedprintingpressinbackground.(b)Close-upofcrouchingwhitefemaleinshinyblackjacket.Snapshotofwhitefemalehangingclothesouttodry.Ononehand,theadvertiserisintendingtopointoutthecomparisonofwomen’sstereotypedimageandthenewrepresentationofwomenthroughclothesstyling,positionandbodylanguage;ontheotherhand,culturallyandideologically,theadsaremainlycomposedoftwoparts.Onepartportraystheoldimageofimagewhichdepictswomen’slowerpositioninfamily;theotherpartconstructsanewmodernimageofwomenthroughwomen’sbodylanguage,clothesandposes.(a)Intheblackandwhiteclose-up,womenareportrayedhouseholdlaborforceswhoarepreoccupiedinthehouseholdchores,whilemenfreefromwork.MaledominatesthepicturewhilefemaleserveasthebackgroundHoweverintheotherpart,thewomanisthecoreofthepictureindividually.Awomanissmilinghappily,confident,independentwearingfashionableclotheswithfreeattitudedoingsomethingtheylike.Thepositionthatwomenholdisalwayssubmissivetomenorcontrolled/manipulatedbymenPositionandanglesofthebodyindicatethedifferenceofpowerdimensionsofinsociety.Additionally,intheold-fashionscene,themalefigure,byvirtueofhisstandingabove,hasmorepowerthanthefemalewhoisontheground.Thepositionsandanglesofthetwobodiesalsoofferindicationsofpowerdifferences.Womenbeingshowninlessprestigiousoccupationthanmen;menperformingexecutiverolesandcontrollingthewholesituationinmale/femaledepictions;womenareshownincontextswheretheylowerthemselvesphysicallyorliedownatinappropriatetimes.(b)Intheheupperpart,awomanisfeminineandweak,involvedinhousework.Thiswouldincludethetypicaldomesticmother,orwife,whocooks,cleansandpartakesinmost,ifnotallthedomesticchoresasisherapparent“duty.”Thefemalebecomesonebyknowingly,orunknowinglyacceptingandlivingtheroleamale-dominatedsocietydefinesas“appropriate”.Intheotherpart,thewomanactsastoughthroughherbodylanguageanddirecteyecontactwiththecamera.
Themeaningoftheadslogan“you’vecomealongway,baby”signifiesthedifficultiesthatwomengainarightofsmokingasmen.
(2)Thereconstructionoffemaleimages
Inthelateryearsoftheadvertisements,women’sstatusdidimproved.Withafruitfulsuccessofwomen’srightsmovement,womenwereportrayedashappy,male-free,independentindividuals.Theybegantogetridofstereotypicandnegativewomenimagesasmerelysubmissivehouseholdlaborforceashousewife,baby-nurse,ormaid.
Onthesurface,theadlinesgo,“wemakeVirginiaSlimsespeciallyforwomenbecausetheyarebiologicallysuperiortomen.”Theadsloganisstill“You’vecomealongway,baby”.Thewomanisportrayedasasuperwoman.
Ononehand,theadvertiserisintendingtopointoutthatwithVirginiaSlimscigarette,womencanbeasstrongasmen;ontheotherhand,culturallyandideologically,theterm“superwoman”insociologyhasbeenusedtodescribeawesternwomanwhoworkshardtomanagemultiplerolesofaworker,ahomemaker,avolunteer,etc.Thenotionof“superwoman”differsfromthatof“careerwoman”inthatthelatteronecommonlyincludessacrificeofthefamilylifeinfavorofcareer,whileasuperwomanstrivestoexcelinboth.Theportrayalofwomenasasuperwomanundoubtedlybreaksthenotion“onlymencanbesuper”.Womancanbeasstrongasman.Theadvertisinggurusseemtoknowwhatwomenreallywant.Itsendsamessagethatwomencanachievethesameasmen.Themeaningoftheadslogan“you’vecomealongway,baby”signifiesthedifficultiesthatwomengainarightofsmokingasmen.
Fromthetwoanalysesabove,itisnotdifficulttofindoutthatthereisnoexceptionaboutadramaticchangeinwomen’swearing:
intheblackandwhiteclose-upwomenwearingdressesorskits,intheotherparttrousersorpantsuits.Whatwomenwearindicateswhotheyaretosomeextent.Thedresscodeforwomens