"Dove" and "Axe": Conflicting Standards

Our class discussion today was very interesting. I was shocked to find out that the sentimental Dove campaign based around the importance of talking to your children before the biased advertisers can was created by the same company that owns and produces the Axe campaigns. It aggravates me because when I first saw the new Dove advertisements that were aimed toward a more realistic representation of women, I believed them to be somewhat revolutionary and I was pleased to see a positive change in the media. I was wrong. There is no positive change. Maybe a valiant effort, but to represent one idea only to hypocritically negate it in another campaign, Axe, it only reinforces my initial judgment that the media is only concerned with one thing- to sell.

To recall, we have the Dove commercial showing a young girl in the midst of thousands of advertisements that objectify women with a tag line "Talk to your child before They do". Then there is the Axe campaign, funded by the same company with advertisements focused on women in lingerie dancing rather sexually. They even went far enough as to add in some useful props for these ladies to use: an iron and ironing board and a vacuum. These two campaigns reflect two completely contrasting views. I think the Dove commercial, I mean, if they really wanted to speak the truth, should have changed the tag line to read, "Talk to your children before WE do."

It's upsetting to try and perceive what the future of mass media will hold. If we continue to allow this complete lack of regard to ideal and accurate representations, what will be next?