Document Type

Essay

Award Designation

Honorable mention

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

5✸`‰©5❷O";">There are over 90 million televisions in the United States, serving roughly 98% of the United States’ population. An average American will watch 30,000 commercials in a year, which results in a total of over 2,000,000 commercials in a lifetime (Allan and Coltrane, 1996; Bretl and Cantor, 1988). An American will end up spending about three years of his or her life watching commercials (Kilbourne, 2001). Since the media and particularly commercials are so pervasive in American society, it is imperative that the effects of this advertising be studied and understood. It is also important to analyze the clothing portrayed in advertising and commercials and how it symbolizes stereotypes and reinforces gender roles within our society. Clothing choice is a major factor in advertising, and the clothing a character wears often times advances the advertiser’s goals for a consumer to buy a certain product by emitting certain images. Clothing can add to the overall tone of commercials, such as comfort or excitement. However, clothing choice can also maintain negative gender roles. For example, a sexy woman in a beer commercial may lead to the unrealistic stereotype that women who drink alcohol are more sexual, and that men who drink this beer will have access to these women.

Disciplines

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Women's Studies

Comments

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