Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Demonstrable Demographics


Mimicked Mindset of Many

            In several of my classmates’ posts, I constantly seem to be reading my own thoughts and opinions appearing through their blogs.  After reading numerous entries, I have found multiple similarities in our views on advertising in the media.
Firstly, it is important to establish the messages that the media is continuously promoting through commercials.  Ads today often attempt to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, as well as all the benefits that will come with that.  The key incentive that is seemingly permanent in every commercial is the suggested sexual attraction from others.  In Jenny’s blog, she discusses a recent Dove commercial, and says that although companies may promote a healthy body image, it can still make some people feel insecure about the way they look (1).  I agree with this completely.  In my chosen Axe commercial, the lady is very beautiful and is portrayed as what every man wants and deserves.  Girls in North America today are compelled to buy beauty products so that men will express their interests.  It would seem like women are made to feel like Miss America contestants every day, and that men are the judges.  The media encourages the grading of ladies, when in actuality it is degrading them.
             Also, the impact that these ads can have on society is tremendous.  Justin discusses the power that is associated with commercials connecting with their audience (2).  As stated before, women feel compelled to buy beauty products in an attempt to satisfy the unreachable standards set by the media.  In the same way, men also feel the need to impress women.  The famous Old Spice commercial has made men everywhere dream of being Isaiah Mustafa (the old spice guy).  Adam discusses the effect of the popular commercial saying that Isaiah represents what every man thinks of himself, even though it is not what men actually look like (3).  Although the ad may be demeaning towards a demographic, people will still feel the need to purchase their product to fix the problems suggested in the commercial. 
            In conclusion, I was very pleased with what I read in my fellow classmates’ blogs.  Their thoughts on commercials and the impact it has matches with my own.  It’s great to know that so many people my age are aware of the messages that are presented and how we can accurately interpret them.



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