Introduction
The media fraternity has perfected the art of promoting products. Through this, some advertisements are premeditated to associate the goods and services with feelings of desire emanating from imaginations based on sexuality or gender.
It is noteworthy that advertisers take advantage of the consumers’ gender distinctiveness to escalate the sale of certain products. It is notable that companies, which seek to acquire market leadership and competitiveness, conduct promotional activities. Therefore, the use of gender and sexuality is one of the strategies of creating adverts aimed at gaining market leadership.
Gender is a socio – cultural construction in every society and advertisers have applied it in the portrayal of differences between males and females. These portrayals include among others identity, disposition, social ideals, typecasts of masculinity and womanliness, and the sexuality related roles (Spade and Catherine 281). Furthermore, advertisers apply sexuality differences between males and females to promote products. The advertisers normally attempt to show the sexuality of men or women in such products.
They have also achieved greater results by showing the sexuality of celebrities in the promotional activities. In the United States, the application of sexuality and gender variances in product promotion is a multibillion-dollar industry. However, advertisers seem to have turned a deaf ear on the effects of gendered and sexualised adverts among adolescents. This paper discusses the use of sexuality and genders in commercials to show the effects of such adverts on adolescents in the US.
Sexuality and Gender in Advertisements
Advertisers have developed massive experience in commercials. Depending on whether their target clients’ in the marketplace are males or females, advertisers normally develop their adverts to suit them. It is notable that men and women have different preferences for colour (MacKinnon 215). Therefore, advertisers can package their commercials in such a way to target their potential clients with gendered and sexuality appropriate messages using colours.
Labelling people as being either male or female present strong cultural and ideological connotations, which advertisers exploit in making appropriate adverts (MacKinnon 215). Marketers apply information-generated form these labels to influence the behaviour of men or women towards others.
Furthermore, such information may be used to develop commercials that influence self-behaviour or needs. Therefore, the use of gender and sexuality in promotional activities influences men and women to buy advertised products. They buy such products to enhance their masculinity and femininity respectively (William, Stephen and Sut 138).
Advertising agencies continuously communicate gendered messages to escalate sales of products. The advertisers portray men as more independent than women. They also portray men as providers in households by depicting the as they engage in different occupations. On the other hand, some advertisers portray women as homemakers and home carers (Davis 187).
Therefore, the men would more likely feature in alcohol commercials, sports utility cars, and corporate management among others. The women normally feature in commercials depicting the use of domestic items.
The advertisers also depict the sexuality of men and women perversely. They have shown their nudity and naked bodies differently. The products such as women bras and underwear depict their sexuality (Greenberg, Clint, and Sarah 323). On the other hand, men’s underwear worn on athletic bodies and bare chest also shows their strength and brevity.
The increasing self-consciousness among men presently makes them less concerned about appearing attractive to others but to enhance their fitness and health. Marketers use such aspirations to create necessities and wants while also developing products to satisfy the needs (Greenberg, Clint, and Sarah 323). In the case of women, advertisers have negatively taken advantage of their weaknesses including lack of autonomy to sway their decisions.
Effects of Sexuality and Gender in Advertisements on Adolescents
There is rising apprehension about adolescents’ exposure to sexuality and gender commercials in televisions, print media, and other electronic sources. The concerns entail the potential impacts such adverts can have on their personality, sexuality, beliefs, and manners (Gruber and Grube 214).
Indeed, research indicates that the adverts generate sexuality and gender stereotypes, which affects adolescents (Napoli and Murgolo-Poore 61). The researchers agree that youngsters are exposed to diverse sensual images and messages advertisements intended for adults but which eventually affect adolescents.
Advertisements showing men enjoying alcoholic drinks and the presence of women affect the way adolescents utilize such images. Youths use media to get information regarding sex, sexuality, drugs use, and relationships among others (Gruber and Grube 215).
The adolescents’ exposure to advertisements with sexual content potentially influences their sexuality development. This has escalated the rate of pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases among adolescent America girls.
It is notable that many advertisements in the US both in print and electronic media contain sexual imagery watched by young people. The advertisements have increased the way they show sexual category appeals and sensual objectification (Pardun and Roberts 134). Presently, many of such adverts contain implied sexual interactions, fervent caressing and depicting provision of gifts in relationships as a norm. Young Americans who watch such adverts may develop interests of achieving similar outcomes (Bradshaw 129).
Sexuality and gender-based commercials have influenced crucial issues about the lives of adolescents. The commercials may sway career planning, cherished relationships, romance choice making, and attitudes essential to child bearing and parenthood (Jamieson and Daniel 153). Furthermore, some adolescents making greater efforts to adhere to gender roles labels may develop mental health predicaments.
The problems may arise from pressure among adolescents to fit within the societal norms and expectations. This may lead to substance intake, risky sexual encounters, and neglect of self-care responsibilities (Jamieson and Daniel 154). The advertisements have also affected the ideologies associated with teenage gender roles. Watching television commercials also influence sexism ideologies among teenagers.
Sexuality and gender commercials have also influenced the actual behaviour of adolescents positively. It is notable that most adverts that portray males and females as liberated and confident have enhanced personality development among teenagers (Jamieson and Daniel 154). Indeed, some youngsters have developed into more confident, forward-looking, and morally upright because of watching individuals associated with certain products in the commercials (Jamieson and Daniel 154).
Conclusion
In summary, the use of sexuality and gender in promotional activities has made the advertising mass communication appear pervasive. The advertisements are intended to educate consumers about certain products in the marketplace in order to escalate sales. However, some commercials that contain explicit content have surpassed the intention escalating sales to influence cultural views and individuals’ personality development.
The stereotypes associated with some advertisements have depicted men and women differently. Particularly, bigot and stereotypical commercials present undesirable outcomes among adolescents. The advertisements have encouraged sexuality and substance abuse indulgence in adolescents.
On the positive side, the application of sexuality and gender to portray men and men as professionals in diverse sectors has affected adolescents objectively. Adolescents have been able to plan their career and develop their personality positively out of media influence.
Works Cited
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