Sexism & Violence in Ads - Then & Now

Throughout the years, you would think that our society would improve its opinions of women. With the civil rights movement, women obtaining higher education, and having the right to vote, you would think that their place in society would drastically improve. Sadly, this is not the case, especially for advertisers.

Looking at the first ad, you can see the woman is lying naked on the ground next to a pair of shoes. In my eyes, the advertisers are stating that it is more important to place higher value on your shoe than your wife. By having the woman naked, it also alludes that she is worthless. Lastly, her position on the ground makes me wonder whether or not she was thrown down there by her husband. In that time period, it was a normal practice for men to be violent towards their wife. With saying that, I am no way condoning what is showcased on the vintage ad. It is the historical context of the ad that makes it more reasonable.

Moving on to the more recent ad, I found it very surprising that Dolce & Gabbana took the risk of showcasing sexism & violence in their ad. For me, it is very disturbing to look at, for it shows a woman being held down by one man while many others look on. It alludes to the fact that they might want to gang rape her, which is a very controversial topic concerning women's issues. Some may argue that women will be attracted to this ad for it displays sexual submission. With the popularity of books such  as 50 Shades of Grey, some feel this visual is acceptable. For me, it is inappropriate and too risque. I understand that many girls enjoy being submissive while having sex. Yet, this should not be displayed openly to the public where little children can see it and get the wrong message. I understand sexualizing women is a huge part of advertising, yet ads like the one for Dolce & Gabbana push the envelope too far.

All in all, I have concluded from both these advertisements that sexism & violence are still key to making a successful ad. It sums up that despite how hard we try, we are still living in a man's world where woman still have little say. Although a woman's voice is becoming stronger, ads like these prove that we are taking many steps backwards.