How well did you analyse the three adverts?

Using the notes on the next few slides go back to the work you did on the three adverts and consider what you have done and make any improvement. There is a lot more that you could have had written but hopefully you have some similar comments to what I have done.

Representation – Advertising in Woman

• Assumes women are concerned about feeling fresh, smelling fresh, being treated with ‘kindness’ (vulnerable, dependent on others - male, evidence of patriarchal attitudes), feeling ‘feminine’ – make decisions about which soap to buy, but not necessarily about more important issues, very much tied to the idea that women belong at home
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• ‘Because you are a woman’ – assumes men would not be concerned about these things, ‘gentlest lather’ - assumes that women are weaker, need for things to be kind and gentle

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• Female is naked, clothed only in soap suds – conforms to stereotypical notions of female beauty – slender, perfectly made-up, hair slightly tousled, lips rounded to blow bubbles – subtle sexual connotations, set up as a spectacle to be stared at in a sexual way, sense of objectification, even though it is a female magazine
• It’s a ‘beauty soap’ reinforcing the ideas that women must be beautiful, this is what they are valued for (not other qualities that be might associated with men

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• Aspirational image for women to look up to, build a sense of what they should be like, part of the singular stereotypical image of women (identity theory) taht was cultivated at the time.

Representation – Advertising in Woman

• ‘Now you can be sure of your beauty always’ ‘Just a few quick touches… you’re perfectly lovely again’ – attractiveness is dependent on a product – consumerism but also pushes the idea that women are judged/ valued on their beauty

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• Female is passive – putting on make-up, male is active, dressed professionally, moving towards her.

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• Female ‘needs’ make-up when she’s meeting an ‘exciting someone’ – needs to be beautiful for a male - dependent on male for acceptance, she is almost doing this to attract his attention, she is making herself look nice for him
• ‘Frantically rushing/Dashing out’ to meet a man - conforms to the idea that women are concerned with being a wife but she need to be ‘chosen’ by the man, not making the important decision herself
• Male behind her – sense that he is in control, protecting her, he is wearing a suit so is connected with the world of work

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• Female looks at herself, male also looks at her – object of his gaze

Representation – Advertising in Woman

• Girls worry, Loneliness in a busy world - offers up quite a different representation by challenging the idea that women are always happy, smiling, image is of a woman with a more serious facial expression, not overly sexualised.
• ‘9 to 5 job, postings and promotions, earning good money’ - suggests that women are not just connected with the home but are in the workforce, career focused - Brenda wants a more rewarding/ high status job after not getting a promotion, encouraging women to joining the army traditional a male domain, want to take care of themselves (earn money) not rely on men
• Traveling abroad, Berly want to do something exciting - suggest that women want more out of life and and seeking opportunities (not relying on men) ‘careers, travel, independence friendship - suggests that women want to bemore than just wives and mothers, no longer fulfulling reflecting a changing attitude (second wave feminism)
• All three women in the advert are clear making important, possibly life changing decision - work for the Army could mean moving to new locations, getting further education, leaving friends and family,
• ‘The WRAC respects individual characters and temperaments’ - suggests that women are not expected to conform to singular stereotypes
• Repeated use of the word ‘girls’ does however still diminish females as it has negative connotations of being young and immature, the advert does also suggest that it will be fun - ‘sun’s shining, plenty of space to relax’ so some more traditional ideas still persist