Advertising for all ages....not

Advertising is a huge part of our modern culture and without it we would probably all be a lot wealthier from not buying all the ridiculous items that are pitched to us daily on television, radio, in magazines, and numerous other places. However, advertising will do virtually anything to get there product sold which includes sexual and stereotypical images that gain the attention of the audience that the advertisers are aiming the ad towards. Advertising is something that fuels our economy, can you really imagine what life would be like without any ads?

In the ad above, there are so many items in this ad that just scream that this is wrong. First off, the chiseled body of the life guard with his shiny, tan skin is showing that this is the desired body on the beach and the only type of man that can be powerful enough to rescue any women that may need their help. Next to examine is that the lifeguard who is supposed to be saving people's lives is handing off his shirt and duties to a horny younger male that cannot take his eyes of the obviously in need woman lying motionless on the beach. The lifeguard is looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching him basically give permission to the young man to take advantage of the large breasted woman lying on the beach. You can tell she is probably not breathing because of the drag marks behind her body and her sprawled body position. This advertisement makes me cringe because of the devious smile on the young man's face as he hands of the Pepsi for the lifeguard shirt. He is most likely going to be left alone with this woman and who knows what his intentions are.....

Going back to body image, the difference between the two men in the ad is striking. The lifeguard is buff, tan, masculine, and confident in his decision to trade away the woman. While the other man is scrawny, pale, and has only one thing on his mind. This is also an advertisement technique to not only attract men to the ad with the attractive woman but also women with the handsome lifeguard. This type of variety in an ad is so that the audience is much broader giving a more likely chance that the product will be sold.

This advertisement also shows that women are not capable of swimming and therefore need to be saved. In this ad however, when she is saved she is put into a new danger as the lifeguard is too interested in a cool refreshment then the well-being of the woman. As we have read in class, the woman is usually shown as an object and that is very, very clear in the ad. Her sexuality is being used as something to trade for a drink as though she is a piece of property or money that can be just traded away without thought. Another frustrating observation of this ad is that when you first look at it, you find it pretty difficult to see what the advertisement is for because the product is relatively hidden within the scene. Only after careful examination do you see the tiny Pepsi can that is in the hand of the obviously sexually aroused young man.

This is just one example of offensive advertisements that float through our culture. Some go unnoticed, because images like the one above are becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives. This sickens me and I truly hope that more people start to really look at these images that our thrown in our faces instead of just chuckling and turning the page. Some people think that change is a bad thing, but come on, it is really time for the advertising world to try some new form of advertising that is not racist, sexist, offensive, or just plain ignorant. This is 2011, a year for appreciation and understanding and this can start in the eyes of all generations that are exposed to advertisements.