Axe commercial

I was searching on YouTube for interesting commercials and came across this AXE commercial. It's a good example of women represented as sexual objects. I thought the classroom setting was pretty thoughtful. This is slightly pushing the envelope. It's crazy how many AXE commercials have been banned. You Tube features many of them. This particular commercial is European and therefore was probably aired . I doubt it would ever air here. Oh, and here's the translation of the dialog: "OK girls, with this review we finish the fluid dynamics section in our chemistry class. Very good, now please take out your test tubes."

CLICK TO VIEW AXE COMMERCIAL

Using Sex To Sell Movies

The results of the content analysis of movie trailers featured in Chapter two were interesting. Although we are all aware of the sexual content that is used in advertisements and movie previews to help sell the product and recruit viewers, it is the over representation of female characters used that is shocking.

The findings of the content analysis showed that among the all-male trailers that features sexual portrayals, none of the sexual portrayals focused on the male characters only. All of the sexual scenes in the trailers featured both genders or females only. I found it surprising that the females that were sexually portrayed could not be coded as characters by the coding scheme because they either never spoke during the trailer or were shown in fewer than three scenes. That goes to show you that females are not needed to add intrigue to the trailer through dialogue, only needed to represent sex and sexual imagery.

I also found it surprising that of the "young adult" age group, approximately three fourths of all young adult females were portrayed as sexual. It seems that from these findings it is apparent that females ARE the "object of gaze". Lin, as quoted by Lambiase in this chapter, says that "women are in the vanguard of prime time television's attempt to use sex for selling products in the U.S." I believe this to be very true.

Also important was the suggestion that these sexual images may run the risk of offending or alienating female viewers. It could also be harmful if these sexual instances continue to lack intimacy or romance (Sex in Consumer Culture 27). I agree with the authors when they state that movie trailers may not seem to be selling a general sense of sexuality, but rather female sexuality.

The Codes of Television

John Fiske's "The Codes of Television" discusses interesting aspects of filming, camera work, setting and lighting, and characters and costumes, and how they play into a synchronized story, each working in its own way to represent social codes. I thought it was neat to learn all the different ways the camera can shoot a character in order to get the audience to gain the right perception. This is something that I would have never actually realized until reading this. As a viewer, you're not paying attention to the ways in which the CAMERA is persuasive; you are watching the actors who are persuading with their acting skills. I guess it can be somewhat subliminal. Your mind is picking up on it, although, your not conscious of it. I can see how this fits in with all the other discussions of ads and the way they portray genders, classes, and races. Although we may not feel as if we are being influenced by such ads, there is always an underlying motive.

After reading about camera effects, NBC'S "To catch a Predator" popped in my mind. If you can recall, every time Chris Hansen would come out to talk with the suspect, the camera would not zoom in close to his face. Rather, the camera would be at a distance that could show the majority of his body. On the other hand, when filming the suspects, the camera would zoom into the faces of these predators into an "ECU". It is not shot this way accidentally. According to Fiske, this is an example of the camera creating an effect through the social code of interpersonal distance. "In western cultures the space within about 24 inches of is is encoded as private" (4).

Here, he explains that if not by means of intimacy, anyone entering this space is hostile. Also, Fiske describes these ECU's are effective because it implies that seeing closely means seeing better and the viewer is then capable of seeing into the villain, through his words, and thus gains power over him. These technical and social codes, he describes, manifest this ideological encoding of villainy.

SEX SELLS...but for what price?

While reading chapter three over sex in music videos, I had a thought. If I were Britney Spears, I'd probably end up shaving my head, drinking out of control, and running over pedestrian feet as well. In the section, Sexuality as Fantasy Fulfillment, it talks about one video in particular, Spear's "Toxic".

She plays three different roles in this video, or rather represents three different sexual fantasies. I started thinking that this poor girl has been nothing but a product her entire life. I know...I know, she chose this lifestyle and so her becoming a public product is the consequence. But, I just might think she has experienced it to a greater extent than anyone else. Management, PR, fans, sales, all pushing her to fulfill a "standard" and constantly changing her image to overcome competition. That "standard" is always changing and so shall she.

I think the "Toxic" video HIGHLY exemplifies the media's effort to sell EVERY possible aspect of the object (Britney). That lifestyle, of always having to sell, sell, sell in order to be accepted, would screw anyone up. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not a Britney advocate or anything, honestly, I think her music should be flushed down the shitter. I'm just saying...hell, I'd probably go get lit, flash the town and shave my head as well. Media has gained her mass popularity, success, fortune, but it has also hindered her from creating her own identity. I don't think she has one clue to who the hell she really is. It's kinda sad. But hey, SHE'S RICH!

"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?

Sexual Content on Television

After reading chapter 8, I became more aware of why I hate MTV. I've always disapproved of this network and everything from its programs, commercials, and music videos. When I was younger and up until the age of 18, my father would block this channel from our television to keep me from tuning in. I would often be upset at this because, of course, that's all you're friends are watching and that's what I had socially learned to be a current representation of pop culture.

I wince now at the fact that I depended on it for entertainment as much as I did. I now cringe whenever I turn and see the demoralizing of youth advertised in an entertaining way to the majority of the youth in this country. I am appreciative that my father was in tune and cared about me enough to want to keep me from being persuaded by this trash. I wish more parents would do the same.

MTV may be a joke to you and I, but it is not one well received by adolescents. All, if not most, of the programs aired are dramatized situations between young adults based around sexual instances, partying, and fighting. This is not including videos aired which are also expressively, if not directly, sexual in content. The growing viewership worries me in that this is the generation that will be leading the next. If television continues to become more liberal in content and holds back more and more in censorship, we should definitely fear for the future of youth. A study by mediawise.org adds these findings:

Sexual Imagery, Violence, Alcohol and Tobacco Portrayal in Music Videos [On MTV]

• In one study 75% of concept music videos (those that told a story) involve sexual imagery and more than half involve violence - usually against women (Pediatrics, 2001).
• An analysis of music videos found that nearly one-fourth of all MTV videos portray overt violence and depict weapon carrying with attractive role models being aggressors in more than 80% of the violent videos (DuRant, 1997).
• One-fourth of all MTV videos contain alcohol or tobacco use (DuRant, 1997).
• A longitudinal study found a positive correlation between TV and music video viewing and alcohol consumption among teens (Robinson, 1998).

If we continue to have negative findings when researching the correlation between television and teen behavior, what will be enough before media responds?

News Reporting and Disabilities

Visit one of the sites and consider the stereotypes of disabilities that you are familiar with. Where did you get these stereotypes, from news coverage or mass media?

The site I visited contained an article titled "The Columbine Syndrome" and it particularly caught my attention. The article is based around violence as a product of mental illness. Not just any illness but very minute, easily treatable "illnesses" such as A.D.H.D. and depression. Its been a popularly held belief that the "Columbine Shootings" were in fact a result of the depression and anxiety possessed by Eric Harris. "Ever since the news got out that school shooter Eric Harris was taking Luvox, an antidepressant, kids’ mental illness and eventual mass murder have been linked in the public mind" (Warner). I believe that this sensationalized stereotype gained acceptance as a result of the mass media coverage of this tragedy.

In a recent survey, eighty-one percent of respondents said they thought children with major depression would be dangerous to themselves or others; 33 percent said they believed children with A.D.H.D. were likely to be dangerous. I believe this stereotype would not be held today if it weren't for skewed mass media coverage and its subliminally judgmental reports.