OBJECTIFICATION OF THE FEMALE IMAGE IN ADVERTISING

Abstract

The female image has been exploited in advertising for more than a dozen years. For such a long period, one can observe a real regression: the image has turned from restrained into loose. The female image in advertising is enclosed in a strict framework, it is filled with stereotypes that are used to increase the effectiveness of advertising. The article examines the development of the image of a woman in advertising from the XIX century to the present, compares female and male images, highlights gender stereotypes actively used in advertising, shows the consequences of objectification: constantly observing idealized images around, young girls begin to hate themselves and their bodies; all this leads to eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem and attempts to fight against it: the activities of Jean Kilborn; progressive advertising of Dove; the association The Brave Girls Alliance; statements by media personalities (such as singer Lorde and model Cindy Crawford); the introduction at the legislative level of the requirement for models to provide certificates about a healthy body mass index; the organization of the Advertising Standards Commission of Great Britain (ASA). The possible reasons for the use of such images have been studied as well.