How are woman presented in advertisements today?

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Gabija Gudaityte

10U-South

English Coursework-Media

                 

                                                                                            3rd November 2004

           

How are woman presented in advertisements today?

In this piece of coursework I will be looking at different adverts. Advertising products is very successful and powerful business. Everyday an average person watches and hears one thousand five hundred adverts. A thirty second weekday advert between seven, twenty six pm and eleven pm costs eighth hundred and seventy pounds per viewing. If the advert is shown five times between seven, twenty six and eleven pm every weekday it will cost twenty one thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds.

Advertisements can be used in two different ways; in magazines, newspapers and on TV. The adverts that are shown in magazines and newspapers are known as still adverts. The adverts that are shown on TV are known as moving image adverts.

Adverts have a main role to influence the audiences in their everyday life; from main needs (food, clothes, shelter) to luxury wants (mobile phones, cosmetics, jewellery). The adverts try to make their products seem important by linking it with real life situations.

In the early days adverts tend to be stereotype (women as housewife, men as career man). Advertises still use stereotype but in a more knowing ironic way (women as entrepreneur, men as ‘housewife’).

I will be looking at how women are presented in advertisements today and in what way their roles have changed throughout the twentieth century. I will be analysing four types of adverts; women as housewife/mother (male gaze), women regaining femininity, women portrayed as a weaker sex and women equal to men.

Before World War Two women were advertised as housewife /mother through the male gaze. Males stereotyped women as housewives and mothers who will always be there for them and their children at home. Women back then were happy enough to receive a washing machine for Christmas. This is portrayed by the Hoovers spinner rinse adverts which I will be analysing.

At the beginning of the advert the print goes across the screen. The print says; STRICTLY FOR HUSBANDS. After the print it shows a man coming back home after work. Then camera focused on women’s hands. This shows that she is doing house work. Camera zooms in to show her wedding ring. Back then single parents did not existed in the adverts so this shows that she is married and has a family. It shows women’s negative facial expression. Looking at this facial expression I can tell that she is tired and not happy. Then mans voice comes up in the background. He says; “Is this, the women in your life? Still putting up with old fashion methods like this… ” camera focused on the women. She is lifting up heavy bowls of water. Then camera zoomed in to show the audience that the woman is exhausted. Mans voice appeared in the background again and he continued saying;  

Join now!

“…or is this the woman in your life who proudly owns spinner rinse.” This time camera shots the image from the long shot. It shows women pushing up spinner rinse. She is wearing high heel shoes and short skirt. Camera zoomed in again to show the audience her positive facial expression. This time the woman is not exhausted but she is happy owning spinner rinse. Now the print goes across the screen. The print says GIVE HAPINESS-GIVE HOOVER. At the end of this advert camera shots the image from long shot. This image shows the audience a happy family standing ...

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