Sexism in Advertising

Ever wondered how you might become more "alluring," "confident," or "enticing?" Do you ever wish people viewed you in a more "seductive," "captivating," or "magnetic" light? Wouldn't your life be easier if you were more "loveable," "desirable," or "in command?" Apparently Bloomington-Normal's newspaper, the Pantagraph, has the answer to all your problems. In one of the newspaper's new advertisements (appearing in the last few months), run by the Trim Spa Company, the paper outlines exactly what every individual must do to be accepted and loved. Trim Spa has a new fat fighting pill that is destined to help all the imperfect people out there finally achieve outer beauty. After all, who would want to be with someone that is ten or twenty pounds over weight anyways? Thankfully, we are lucky enough to have a paper like the Pantagraph that understands this basic truth, and is honest enough to set the record straight.

The Trim Spa advertisement outlines a formula for weight loss, bound to leave you "Irresistible and In Control." Their new fat pills are created "to literally destroy fat" (they even have before and after pictures to prove it!). The pills supposedly "produce 100% more weight loss than diet and exercise alone," and may even "reverse years of overeating." And if that is not enough, they only cost $39.95, and come with a 110% guarantee. Indeed, how could you say no to "becoming all you ever envied?" What is most appealing about these fat pills is how great they will make us feel, at least according to Trim Spa. The company states about two of the models in the ad, "Sure, these two look happy and care-free. Why wouldn't they? They're sexy, intriguing, and beautiful, with bodies to die for." And why shouldn't they be happy? They have the stereotypical bodies Americans are told they need to be accepted, complete with washboard stomachs and well-toned bodies. So there is only one thing left to do: "Put your dreams into action and start working on your own "dream body" today!"

Back in reality though, matters are not so simple. In the real world, people have to live with debilitating diseases like bulimia and anorexia, due to hundreds of thousands of distorted media images like those presented by Trim Spa. This philosophy (presented throughout the corporate media) is what I like to call the McDonalds Culture: classified by the simple belief that happiness can be bought through materialism. Corporations tell us what "real beauty" is, what we should desire, and how we should go about getting it. Those who own the corporate media would have us believe that simply buying a new outfit, losing thirty pounds, or driving the latest sport utility vehicle can win happiness. But here lies the central problem in advertising-there is no direct causal relationship between consumerism and happiness. As anyone who has gone on a spending spree will maintain (myself included), when all is said and done, no new shirt, c.d., video game, skin cr¸me, or car will make us into better people, or quench our thirst for rabid consumerism.

The McDonalds philosophy is particularly devastating when applied to relationships (friends and significant others). This ideology implies that attraction must be based upon the exterior. Forget honesty. Forget light-heartedness. And forget personality. We must base our relationships on facial features, waist or breast size, clothing, and weight. In short, our exterior is taken as a "natural" determinant of our validity and desirability as human beings.

While it is not difficult to understand the underlying message of the commercials promulgated in the mainstream media, it is much more difficult to conceptualize and apply an alternative model for achieving happiness, desirability, and beauty. There is no single answer to the question of what makes someone happy or desirable. One thing that is certain though, is that mainstream conceptions of beauty are leaving many feeling unfulfilled and inadequate.

There is nothing shameful in honestly stating that sexual attraction is a necessity in relationships. But this has never really been the question for most people. Most Americans understand that it is impossible for most to develop bodies similar to those presented in the Victoria's Secret catalogue or on The Man Show. The real question is: how far do we go in allowing corporate conceptions of beauty to dehumanize us to the suffering of those that do not fit into the mainstream ideology? Naturally, there are levels of indoctrination within American consumerism, and what we really need to ask ourselves is: are we so shallow that our desirability must be determined by 20 lbs less weight? Should our confidence be based solely upon our new Volkswagen, a new shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch, or through what sorority or fraternity we are in? Most people would probably answer no, but talk is cheap, and actions are what really count. In a society like ours, where commercials condition us to base our lives on superficial, material goods, we have to ask, if most people are really rejecting this type of thinking, why are these commercials and advertisements so prevalent?

It is very possible that if we ascribe to all the beliefs promulgated in the mainstream media concerning commercialism, we may go insane with confusion and self-doubt. But that is exactly what the corporate media is in the business of doing-filling people with self-doubt, in order to dupe them into buying more "stuff." Corporations are in the business of selling a product to an audience. It is only logical then, that they will seek to do this by creating feelings of inadequacy within Americans, so that they will continue ratify the current system of economic inequality and injustice. However, if Americans realized that their happiness does not need to be determined by the size of their wallet, the size of their house, or by the size of their biceps, the whole system of rabid consumerism might fall into jeopardy.

We need to learn how to define happiness and beauty based on a more humane set of principles. Questioning mainstream values whenever they seem to contradict with common logic may help in accomplishing this goal. This is not always easy though. It takes time and effort to analyze commercials and advertisements, in order to determine their legitimacy. Nonetheless, we can at least become more critical consumers in such an unjust system. We can base sexual attraction more on personality than on looks; we can look for ways to make ourselves happy without buying worthless possessions; and we can start to treat people with the dignity they deserve, even if they do not meet mainstream conceptions of beauty and desirability. While it is undeniable that humans will link physical appearance and attraction to desirability, we must reconsider how far we are willing to allow corporate garbage like that printed in the Pantagraph to dehumanize us from the suffering of others.

It is essential to understand how the quest for profits in advertising plays a role in dehumanization. The time has come to stop corporations from poisoning our humanity and determining how we live and think. Cookie Cutter formulas for beauty should be left in the kitchen where they belong. They should not be applied to real human beings. We are much more dynamic and diverse than an SUV or a new pair of Nikes, and I suggest we begin to treat each other as such. We have seen what the road of garbage consumerism leads to, and I think it is important to ask, wouldn't it be better to trade eating disorders, low self-esteem, and unhappiness for a chance at a happier, more fulfilling life? The choice is for every American to make; and I encourage them to make it, at least on a conscious level. We can treat each other with dignity and respect, based not on the external, but on character, diversity, and dignity; or we can continue to judge others by the price of their house and the quality of their khakis. The beauty of a democracy is that it is our right to decide. And in a democracy, we have a responsibility to treat others with the same respect we would demand, regardless of their sex, race, sexual preference, or physical attributes.