‘There is a secret ‘under life’ poisoning our freedom, infused with notions of beauty, it is a dark vein of self hatred, physical obsessions, terror of ageing and dread of lost control’
Naomi Wolf: ‘The Beauty Myth’
Naomi Wolf: ‘The Beauty Myth’
To what extent does the beauty advertising industry promote dominant ideologies that female audiences are influenced by and adopt?
The conventions, representations and ideologies the beauty industry advertises, elicits aspirations, desires and celebrity endorsed images which generate fake realities and materialistic societies. The beauty industry tends to ‘invite our gaze’[1] into a glamorous attainable life, however subliminally they allow female consumers to believe ‘that there is room for improvement in a woman's appearance.’[2] Advertising desensitises consumers into believing the beauty products will enhance femininity, attract a ‘male gaze’[3] and achieve dominance in the 21st century, all in which are ‘on the basis of semi-conscious or hidden memories.’[4]Modelling attributes the protagonist represents in adverts are greatly enhanced when a product is celebrity endorsed or the product is of their own. Celebrity images in magazines, television and websites consistently remind women about the ideal life therefore ‘women see other women in entertainment who are "happy, famous, beautiful, and sexy," they will want to emulate them.’[5] In some respect, women come to understand the processes of achieving such a dominant powerful image in which the ‘portrayal is so unrealistic.’[6]
Advertising possesses many qualities for industries to sell their product and gain high revenues for their business henceforth ultimately improving the economy. However, society believes it contains disadvantages for all consumers as it generates ‘a whole desirable style of life’[7] allowing consumers to believe that ‘not owning the product would involve personal failure’[8].In some respect, the forms and effects of advertising can be explained through Baudrillard’s Simulacra theory because through constant injections of advertising through posters, radio and television in which it ‘is widely known to represent and reinforce the mainstream ideology of contemporary western culture’[9], it hides reality which is irrelevant to understanding our own personal lives. According to Marxist theory, the big institutions that are in charge of the injection of production are known as the bourgeoisie who deem to control the beliefs of the proletariat. Within advertising, the bourgeoisie try to ensure that body image and beauty is standardised across all cultures to achieve continuity and the creating ‘needs’ for a product in a consumers mind. The bourgeoisie gain greater profits, ensuring mass capitalism hence improving the economy.
In February 2011, Rihanna released her first perfume ‘Reb’l or Fleur?’ which was advertised predominantly on social networking sites and YouTube. Generally, the majority of Rihanna’s audience; young female aspirers, actively use such sites, due to technological determinism in the current 21stcentury. It is found that ‘16.7% of the world’s population have access to the internet’[10] which shows that Rihanna’s impact on consumers through technological marketing, generates a vast amount of female consumers to acknowledge her innovative and successful pathway to becoming an idol for all.
Rihanna portrays both alternative and dominant ideologies of women through the representation of dominance, and the control of a patriarchal society achieving sexual emotions being shown in the two minute advert. According to Todorov’s narrative theory, the advert follows a continuous pathway of equilibrium where Rihanna is surrounded by feathers creating an idea of freedom and in control of her surroundings, a disequilibrium where she allows herself into having attachments with many men and a new equilibrium when she discovers her real identity and escaping to her unwanted reality. The contrasting points in which Rihanna sells in her perfume reflects Levi Strauss’ binary oppositions; clearly evident through the use of snow and sun within the mise en scene. The advert incorporates these two opposite ideologies and begins with the ‘good’ image ‘Fleur’ and the bad ‘Reb’l’. These ideologies of women’s status have changed and developed through several decades.
In an evolutionary psychological aspect, ‘Women spend most of their time either pregnant or producing milk’[11]which represents a historical view in the 1950s, which was subject to change 10 years later due to a feminist movement. According to Gunter (1995) who provides a guide to content analysis of studies, results showed that ‘women in magazine adverts prior to the 1970s were rarely shown to be in paid work’[12]. Continuation of studies led to found that the amount of ‘housewives’ after the 50s decreased however advertising still showed ‘three quarters were for kitchen and bathroom products’.[13]Even though there was a decrease in gender stereotype roles, women weren’t seen as influential or successful to challenge the stereotypes within advertising.
By researching and studying texts in the 1960s, it was evident that gender roles of men and women were very distinct; merely patriarchal society.The three texts, ‘Young Love Perfume’, ‘The Joy of Living with Fragrance’ and ‘Coty Lipstick’ were all produced in the 1960s. During this decade ‘women could let her hair go grey and still feel she was making the best of herself.’[14] Statistics have shown that ‘between the 1950s and 1970s, the proportion of women dyeing their hair rose from 7 per cent to 40 per cent.’ [15] This shows that during the feminist movement, the beauty industry realised that a woman’s appearance is the result in more dominance in society. Brands such as L’Oreal created an ‘advertising campaign making dyeing practically mandatory.’[16] Due to this feminist movement, stereotypes of women began to change but were only accepted by a minority.
In this decade, it was the turn of women and how they started to become less domestic; trying to pursue careers and independence. Through these beauty adverts, ‘even when women are shown in a position of power, it is still shown through a very patriarchal ideology’[17] of a man’s achievement and control, as shown through holding the woman’s hand or introducing her to others in the shot which was parallel to the actions of society in the 1960s. Barthes theory of cultural myth relates to social gender differences as he suggests that women are ‘passive, waiting to be rescued by a man. The male figure are more ‘active and economically powerful,’ henceforth consumers were less aware and educated that women could challenge dominant stereotypes especially in the beauty industry.
Thereafter, feminism began to take place and ‘western women gained legal and reproductive rights, pursued higher education, entered the trades and the professions.’[18] Through research, the BBC made a short video on the freedom for women in the 1960s; ‘26,000 women in this decade went to study higher education and ‘advertisers celebrated these new women’[19]. This crucial change between being a domestic housewife and being independent led women to improve their appearance which changed the dynamic of what men looked for in women. These appearances were generated by the increase in using women as protagonists in advertising and enhanced other ‘ordinary’ women to aspire to have greater status. This idea was represented in the one minute advert ‘The Joy of Living with Fragrance’. The change in importance of women due to feminism, led many more adverts to promote alternative ideologies of women as well as dominant ones which have changed over time due to political, economical and social changes in society.
Now, women are seen as ‘the objectification which fuels stereotypes – reducing them to nothing more than their body parts’.[20] This is evident during the Reb’l transition in Rihanna perfume advert. The audience become aware the many male figures are following her, covering her eyes, and with the use of close up shots, sexual expressions are made and the camera allows the audience to see Rihanna’s body parts. This shows that women are merely seen as sex objects in a patriarchal society currently in the 21st century. Women now believe that in order to attain a successful and engaging life with maximum opportunities by fighting against the patriarchal society, they are ‘expected to be sexy and virginal, experienced and naive, seductive and chaste, they are made to feel that they have to achieve this ideal, by constantly being presented with these images,’[21] therefore creating a modern dominant ideology of women due to this continuous injection of ‘sexy’ objectification of women through the beauty industry.
Using the changes and contrasts of stereotypes of women over the decades and present ones, Rihanna presented ideologies reflecting both dominant and alternative representations of women, parallel to the current status in society of the 21st century, all created by powerful media institutions fail. Such institutions fail to understand the change in society, and are afraid of change due to the risks and controversy it may cause. Contradicting this idea, Rihanna has currently represented herself as a dominant female figure amongst big institutions and proven this through her perfume and enabling control. This success has proved to the beauty industry that taking risks against stereotypical views has a great effect on consumer culture. However, institutions believe that ‘informing and teaching its citizens, helps democracy move toward its ideal state’[22], which is why beauty advertising avoids challenging certain stereotypes in order to achieve the aims of society. Rihanna generates aspirations in which female consumers believe that it’s worthy enough to allow them to purchase a product regardless of the cost. Furthermore, their cognitions will allow them to believe that wearing a perfume produced by a powerful women who challenges 21st century stereotypes within the beauty industry, will allow them to gain a minuet degree of that power.
Modern society today hasn’t yet accepted women’s increased dominance in environments such as the workplace, family culture and social events however this is contradicted within advertising especially the beauty industry. Such industries use women who possess success, power and independence which is evident through celebrity endorsement through a variety products; Cheryl Cole and L’Oreal, Davina McCall and Pantene and Beyonce and Heat. Marketers believe that ‘brands and celebrities can be described as mutually beneficial’[23]in which they ‘pay millions of dollars’[24]hoping that such a tactic would ‘bring magic to the brand they endorse and make them more appealing and successful’[25].Practically, this was illustrated when, ‘Lily Allen under the Chanel umbrella to promote their handbag range in 2009 added a touch of European sophistication’[26]which shows that celebrities can challenge the dominant ideologies of women within beauty advertising. By challenging the stereotypes of women using celebrities; female consumers can identify themselves with opinions they have in reality, and generate aspirations in which celebrities endorse.
Celebrity endorsement entices women to buy products as they are supplemented by conventions of aspirational advertising. As women are representing themselves more widely in different scenarios, this is influenced by their outward appearance and how they present themselves amongst others. Statistics have shown that on average ‘women expose themselves to more than 200 synthetic chemicals before she has morning coffee’[27] which also represents the heavy influence the beauty industry has. Celebrity endorsement affects women’s insecurities more than ‘normal’ advertising because celebrities represent a desirable image in which women of the mass population want to ‘try to achieve this unattainable look they constantly see in media advertising.’[28]Consumers believe that the purchased product regardless of the money spent will enhance their appearance and potentially minimise their insecurities however, in effect, they are ‘paying the advertising campaign used to influence their purchase’[29]. The idea of purchasing products to achieve a dominant look in society by the women’s increased knowledge of ‘fake realities’ portrayed in adverts represents the copycat theory. Women strive to be like famous successful women, therefore go to any means necessary to achieve such power through the products the beauty industry believes to sell. Due to this selling technique, ‘UK industries take £8.9 billion a year out of women’s pockets.’[30]
In conclusion, the media influences women’s desires and beliefs into what their appearance should look like. Over time the ideologies of women both dominant and alternative ones have changed due to the increase in important and influential aspects the media generates especially through the beauty industry. Simply, the injection of beauty representations of women are exaggerated, which refers to the hypodermic model as the actions, images and expressions are injected into culture in which women have to live up to. However some would argue that these changes are due to independent decisions rather than the effect of the media therefore it is hard to determine the cause and effect of the objectification of women and how they present themselves in the 21st century.
Word Count: 2,355
[1]Coad, D. (2008).
[2]Effects of Media portrayal of women.(n.d.).HomePage. from http://www.mattbarton.net/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Effects+of+Media+portrayal+of+women
[3] Mulvey, Laura. 1989. Print.
[4]Homer, E. (2008, December 26). Star Struck. Media Magazine, 1, from http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscr
[5]Effects of Media portrayal of women.(n.d.).HomePage. from http://www.mattbarton.net/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Effects+of+Media+portrayal+of+women
[6]Effects of Media portrayal of women.(n.d.).HomePage. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from http://www.mattbarton.net/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Effects+of+Media+portrayal+of+women
[7]Branston, G.,& Stafford, R. (1999.pp.379
[8]Branston, G.,& Stafford, R. (1999).pp.379
[9]Women on Television.(n.d.).Aberystwyth University – Home. from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/
[10] Skinner, Andrew M ."The Impact of Technology on the Media Industry."Nottingham University. Accenture,.<http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~nhn/G53DDB/LectureNotes-2007/lecture06-AndrewSkinner.pdf>.
[11]Cardwell, Mike, and Cara Flanagan. p.100
[12]Gauntlett, D. (2002). p.55
[13]Gauntlett, D. (2002). p.55
[14]Butler, G. (2006, June 11). What makes women happy? | Life and style | The Observer, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jun/11/familyandrelationships6?INTCMP=SRCH
[15]Butler, G. (2006, June 11). What makes women happy? | Life and style | The Observer, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jun/11/familyandrelationships6?INTCMP=SRCH
[16]Butler, G. (2006, June 11). What makes women happy? | Life and style | The Observer, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jun/11/familyandrelationships6?INTCMP=SRCH
[17]Women on Television.(n.d.).Aberystwyth University - Home . from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/
[19]BBC - Learning Zone Class Clips - Greater Freedom for Women in the 1960s - History Video.(n.d.).BBC – Homepage, fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/greater-freedom-for-women-in-the-1960s/3515.html
[20]Urwin, R. (2012, January 26). p. 15.
[21]Women on Television.(n.d.).Aberystwyth University - Home , from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/hzi
[23]Homer, E. (2008, December 26). Star Struck. Media Magazine, from http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers
[24]Jambeshwar, G. (2007, January 1). Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behaviour and Brand Building by Dinesh Gupta :: SSRN. Going to search. from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1203322
[25]Jambeshwar, G. (2007, January 1). Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behaviour and Brand Building by Dinesh Gupta :: SSRN. Going to search. from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1203322
[26]Homer, E. (2008, December 26). Star Struck. Media Magazine, from http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers
[27]Ferrier, M. (2011, September 23). Luella Bartley: 'English women are more concerned with looking cool than sexy' | From the Observer | The Observer from http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/oct/23/luella-bartley-english-style-interview?INTCMP=SRCH
[28]Webster, I. (n.d.). Media And Influence On Women Body Image. EzineArticles Submission from http://ezinearticles.com/?Media-And-Influence-On-Women-Body-Image&id=720646
[29] Casey, Bernadette. Television studies: the key concepts. London: Routledge, 2002. Print.
[30]Gauntlett, D. (2002). p.77
