Men, women, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgendered…we are all intentionally exposed to images every day. In this image driven culture we are bombarded with thousands of advertisements selling things from cars to clothes. No matter the product however, it seems to be a general consensus that sex and perfection sell. I think a question that should be addressed is…at what age do we start paying attention?
At the age of 19, personally, mirrors are no longer seen as simply a reflection of my appearance at that moment. Because of the social constructs that have been formed by advertisements and consumers alike, the reflection staring back at me is not what is there, but what could be and what is there for the beautiful and sexy models on television and in magazines. We tend to overlook the good we have and instead wish we had the legs of the woman on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Addition, the breasts of the women in Victoria’s Secret, and the ass of J-Lo.
However, these advertisements are intended for my age group, yet I had these similar body complexes when I was younger when I had not been exposed to Victoria’s Secret, or the dreaded Sports Illustrated…I had however watched Disney Channel, and listened to pop music…but can that alone create a complex?
The images above are for an advertising campaign for Candies, which is a clothing line intended for girls from around ages 11-16. The models are Brittany Spears, holding the pink teddy bear, and Vanessa Hudgens with the ironing board and open refrigerator. These women are seen as idols for young girls.
When I was young Brittany Spears was a role model and icon for whom girls like me aspired to be. She may be wearing a bra and underwear set that was created by the Candies clothing company, however that is not the only thing she is selling. Her come-and-get-me stare and open body language is not just an ad for clothes. It is selling girls the idea of “If you buy these clothes, your body will look like this….you will have the confidence I am exuding…”.
Vanessa Hudgens, posing in the opposite picture is a current Disney Channel sensation and icon for young girls. In this split photo set she is sending mixed signals for her impressionable fans of innocence and sex appeal. On the left she is clearly showing off her tight and toned body while using the ever so popular childlike pink bubble gum. And on the right she is surrounded by non-alcoholic, fun and fruity drinks and is still creating a sense of sex by using milk and body language. The milk shows to me the irony of these images in that it is an innocent thing being corrupted. Here a drink, which we have been surrounded by since birth, is no longer seen as simple, wholesome, and healthy (similar to the typical characters portrayed by Hudgens). And this advertisement oozes sex, and breaking the innocence of a drink as simple as milk and takes away the good-girl persona that has been built by Hudgens.
By taking these teenage icons, old and new, and showing them as sexualized beings we are exposing our youth to what we feel as a society they should be and do. As adults we are able to be aware of the not so hidden messages being portrayed in advertisements…but do today’s children understand what is being intentionally thrust upon them? And it comes down to the question…
How young is too young?
I knew your question (at the end) was supposed to be rhetorical but I still sat here trying to think of an appropriate age. Reason would say roughly 16 or 17 years old should be the cut off. However in a country so stuck around having the perfect image, these ages are only the ideal age. Instead, we see advertisers aiming for middle school students, and perhaps younger.
ReplyDeleteA thought that came to me was the younger sister in Mean Girls who is dancing to along with the Girls Gone Wild video on TV. It's meant to be a joke, but its beginning to become more of the social norm. There are different ways for advertisers to address the young populace, but they too may be asking themselves: how young is too young?
I completely know what you are talking about with the Mean Girls reference. Even during my oblivious High School years when I saw that and cringed, realizing that this may be funny but it is becoming the norm...girls wearing too short skirts, and wanting to put on makeup before they make it to Middle School.
ReplyDeleteI think advertisers might even rephrase the question as what age should we start? I feel that over the passed decade the age has dropped. Even the commercials for toys the girls seem to be made up and as sexy as they can be for 12 year olds, where as I remember scrunchies and leopard sweat pants being the norm in the ‘90s...but that’s another discussion all together.
I too found myself pondering your concluding question Paige, wondering when an appropriate time for young women to come into their sexuality would be. Pre-teenhood? Puberty? Advanced adolescence? I haven't been able to come up with a good answer because I feel that that's a matter that highly depends upon the individual. Who's to say that a 14 year old is or isn't old enough for her first sexual experience? If she feels ready for it and prepared to deal with the consequences, then sure, I wouldn't have too many qualms with that. But what if she were younger, like 11? That thought simply doesn't sit easily with me.
ReplyDeleteIt's disturbing to think about now but one day in the near future it just might be considered a norm for children as young as this to be venturing into what was once forbidden territory. Not only are children being exposed to highly sexualized images earlier on in life, but the degree to which these images are sexual is rising as well, I'd say. In a Candie's commercial that I can't find for the life of me right now (ugh!!), two teens are shown sneaking into the flagship store in New York at night and running wild; trying on clothing, taking pictures of their outfits, and flouncing around in provocative poses. The most appalling part comes when they are discovered by the building's aging security guard, and instead of running away they unabashedly draw him into their photo session, getting onto his lap, kissing him on the cheeks, and other such actions.
Am I really that old to think that these are completely inappropriate things to feature in a commercial aimed at young women in the range of 11-16 years old? What scares me is that advertisers have a lot of nerve when it comes to pushing the envelope, and for the sake of the dollar racier and racier ads are allowed to taint the minds of the young and impressionable. Is there really much we can do at this point to even combat this?