POST 3

For many centuries women have been regarded as nothing more than house laborers. Despite our many accomplishments proving that we can perform any task our male counterparts can, it has been an ongoing struggle for women to prove themselves. The advertising industry is one such that illustrates women as inferior to males. In Susan Bordo's essay on "Hunger as Ideology"depicts the food advertising industry as hunters preying on the weakness and insecurities of women eating habits, self images and their social roles. She shows where the roles of male figures supports the exploitation of women. Bordo states that advertisements can use biased and outdated gender roles to market their products. These advertisements end up "stabilizing" or reinforcing old fashioned views of the role that women play in society. Many of the messages contained in these advertisements are nearly subliminal in that the viewer on a subconscious level with just a casual glance can understand them. Bordo suggests these advertisements, which "stabilize", not only strengthens but also may cause a long lasting effect based on the themes that are presented. In the "Men Eat and Woman Prepare" section of Bordo’s essay examples are given of advertisements which stabilize the role of women as the food preparers who are meant to provide and serve food to a male whose role is to consume it.

From food preparers to sex symbols. Now adays commericals and advertisements view women as sex symbols, which is very sad. Naomi Wolf’s “Culture” from The Beauty Myth, examines beauty as a demand and as a judgement upon women. in her book Wolf examines how modern conception of women's beauty impact the shepherds of employment, culture, sexuality, religion, eating disorders and cosmetic surgery, according to wikipedia. I strongly agree with Wolfe argument that women in Western culture are damaged by the pressure to conform to an idealized concept of female beauty—the Iron Maiden throughout modern society, from Victorian Times to today. She argues that the beauty myth is political, a way of maintaining the patriarchal system. It allows women to enter the labour force, but under controlled conditions. She also claims that this system keeps women under control by the weight of their own insecurities. The beauty myth is sometimes viewed as succeeding The Feminine Mystique, which relegated women to the position of housewife, as the social guard over women. In this sense, Wolf claims that public interest in a woman's virginity has been replaced by public interest in the shape of her body, (wikipedia).

A prime example of Wolf's Beauty Myth is Victoria Secrets. Please see link below:

http://sexinadvertising.blogspot.com/2008/04/victorias-secret-meets-brand-gap.