In keeping with the video
Killing Us Softly 3, which we watched in class today, you will visit the website
Gender Ads and choose an image from all of those available. There are over 3800 images on this site so use the categories at the top of the page to narrow down your area of interest.
Once you choose one of the categories, a number of thumbnail images will appear with a short paragraph to the side that ends with a series of questions. In your post, type the questions, answer them, and provide a direct link to one of the images of your choice.
http://genderads.com/page3/difficult/difficult.html#
ReplyDelete(1) What specific social forces result in women and girls being told that their very existence is a difficult matter? The social forces that tell girls their a diffcult matter is sterotype girls are weak and to caring to be mentally and physically tough. Our vision of women in movies, commericals and music potray girls as passive people.(2) Are men shown in ads in similar positions of vulnerability? Men I believe are shown socially different then women. Men are potrayed to be tough and have the ability to overcome anything. (3) What can parents do to teach girls (and boys) that they should be proud about who they are? parents can instill their children with positive associations and examples. They should show their children role models in our society who have combated these sterotypes.
http://genderads.com/page6/heroes/files/page62-1034-thumb.jpg
ReplyDelete(1) How is heroism created in the following images? What activities or situations characterize heroism?
Heroism is created in Girls Clubs of America, Inc. advertisement in two ways. First, the obvious heroism is the text at the top of the image. A girl is imagining her future and she hopes to marry a rich man who will "take care of her." This text is portraying a girl who plans to be completely dependent on a man when she grows up.
The second act of heroism is shown in the fine print in the bottom. It provides a description of what the Girls Clubs of America, Inc. do for young women. Although it is not the main theme of the advertisement, it negates the information at the top of the ad by saying that the club fosters strong women.
Historically, acts of heroism are portrayed as a female or other weak member of society that need to be rescued by a strong man. In the case of this ad, heroism is shown by the Girls Club by helping young women make the most of their future.
(2) Throughout time, how has heroism been connected to gender? In what contexts are men judged to be heroes? In what contexts are women judged to be heroes? In what contexts are gay, lesbian, and transgendered people judged to be heroes?
Heroism has most often been connected to males. The male is usually portrayed as saving a woman.
Women are judged to be heroes when they break out of the social norms and do an act that is usually considered to be masculine. Discrimination against women being heroes does exist, however. Often, women need to go above and beyond what a man would need to do to become a hero.
Outside of the LGBT community, lesbians and gays are not often portrayed as heroes. Within the community, however, they can be seen as heroes when they are part of a protest to gain rights or take a stand against violence towards the LGBT community.
(3) Do you believe that the cultural notions of heroism are now changing?
Yes. Men are no longer the sole breadwinners of a household. Women are now moving into more masculine roles which I feel started with the "Rosie the Riveter" movement. I also feel that culturally this subject varies from country to country. In the United States, we are a more male-dominated, individualistic society. This, however, is changing.
(1) Why are women constructed as surreal objects? Is this construction merely a form of experimentalism within graphic design or does it reflect the complete mutability of the female body?
ReplyDeleteI think women are often described as surreal objects because of the fantasy about women,which many times has sexual connotation. I also believe this phenomenon is closely related to the dominant,traditional "male-friendly" or even "phallocratic" trend in the advertisements.
(2) Can you find comparable examples of the surrealization of men in advertising?
Yes,I could find one of the examples. Here is the link: http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/superFoiegras.jpg
(3) Do all of the ads in this exhibit reflect gendered perspectives?
Yes,pretty much. All the advertisements exhibited here are representing women. In this sense,these advertisements are mainly for males and seemingly from the males' point of view.
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/evian_mermaid?size=_original
(1) Reviews images # 6, 7, and 8. What are the political implications of these ads? The political implications of these ads are that white people are in a higher class than non-white people. This is based mostly on what the people are doing in the ads. For example, in ad 6 we see two white people in a luxurious setting relaxing drinking wine, while an African-American janitor trudges along in the backgroung.
ReplyDelete(2) In what ways do these ads reflect our understandings of social class? In what ways do they not? These ads affect our understanding of social class be reinforcing stereotypes. For example, in ad 8 there are again two white people in a luxurious environment that are dressed very nicely while a Hispanic woman waits on them as their maid. This is reinforcing stereotypes in our culture about Hispanic people and the types of jobs that they usually have. It is communicating that white people are higher on the social class scale than other races. It does not, in my opinion, comment on the impact of gender and social class.
(3) Do social class ads share any characteristics in common with other gender ads? Yes, they do. These ads may not be commenting on the same thing, one being gender and another being social class, but the message is much the same even if the characters are different. In both types of ads there is one group that is portrayed as more powerful, more dominant, and ultimately in control of the other group.
...and here is the link to these images.
ReplyDeletehttp://genderads.com/page21/socialclass/socialclass.html
http://genderads.com/page6/grotesque/grotesque.html
ReplyDelete(especially image #3)
Discussion Questions:
(1) What are the cultural sources of the ideas behind the male grotesque? I think the cultural roots are the stereotypes that men in the home are lazy couch potatoes while women do all the housework.
(2) How does the male grotesque contrast with other representations of men and women? In many other ads men and women are often portrayed as attractive and desireable. The male grotesque shows men in a negative light and often shows the woman as more intelligent, hardworking, or classy than the man. This contrasts with many images that show male dominence.