Representation of women and the functions of advertising - a Woman magazine deep dive

 Exploring the importance of advertising and how representations are encoded and cultivated

The advertising in Woman magazine tends to construct simple and straightforward ideological perspectives pertaining to women, for example:

1. Women’s place in the home – wife and mother

2. Women don’t make important decisions 

3. Women are dependent on men for acceptance and protection

4. Women as sexual objects, and inferior to men

Breeze Soap

• The MES of the model’s full face of makeup connotes an extremely unrealistic beauty standard to the target audience. This is further emphasised through the complete lack of blemishes on her skin, cultivating a heteronormative, patriarchal hegemonic values that women serve only to look beautiful at any given time.
• This unrealistic image is cultivated further through the complete absence of the MES of the bath, positioning the target audience in a voyeuristic mode of address. The completely nude model’s body is emphasised, with her arms covering her breasts, drawing attention to them. Furthermore her body is wet and glistening, fetishizing her further by emphasising her curves. The image verges on pornographic or simply erotic, and this is anchored through the proairetic code of her kiss being blown in a seductive manner.
• “Because You’re A Woman” - repeated more than three times, emphasising the sociohistorical context, that women are expected to be spectacles for men. Additionally there is a conflation between cleanliness and femininity, that suggests that to be clean is synonymous and even metonymic of being a woman, constructing a stereotypical representation. It also conversely infers that if the reader is not clean then they are somehow less of a woman. 
• The voice constructed through the lexis is both patronising and potentially friendly. It could potentially be a man, for example the reader’s husband, or a close female friend
• However, the preferred dominant ideological perspective of the advert is that simply this woman is beautiful and is desirable, providing the target audience with an aspirational mode of address. 
• By using soap, the inference is that the target audience can exist in and participate in patriarchal society.
• The MES of the model’s highly performative makeup and style constructs a representation of a young hegemonically attractive. 
• The MES of the bubbles and the soap symbolises her cleanliness and purity, which constructs a stereotypical expectation of women. In order to be a woman one must be clean. This gender essentialism is reinforced through the lexis of “because you’re a woman”, repeated throughout the advert confirms societal expectations in a blunt and stubborn way
• Soap is an essential product that prevents illness. However, here, it is symbolic of femininity.
• The copy speaks to a highly impressionable audience, and uses a patronising mode of address with “darling you need breeze”. The tone of voice is perhaps stereotypically feminine yet reinforces and cultivates a relationship between the audience and the brand. 
• The model is vulnerable, completely nude, and apparently in a bath. However, the MES of the bath is removed, emphasising her completely naked. The curve of the models breasts and buttocks are clearly visible, positioning the audience in a voyeuristic mode of address. The image seems to resemble an adult model from a pornographic magazine such as playboy.
• The selection of a performatively sexually attractive model conflates cleanliness and sexual attractiveness. The model is significantly younger than the target audience. The sole purpose of this advert is forcing women to feel insecure about their bodies. 

How insecurity is cultivated through lexis in Woman magazine

Darling, you need breeze
Are you an A-level beauty
Makeup to work miracles
So easy even a girl can assemble it
Beauty at a moment’s notice  

Creme Puff by Max Factor

Positioning 

Anchorage

Voyeurism 

The male gaze

Spectacle

Dominant ideology

(Patriarchal) hegemony

Lexis

• A narrative is constructed through the progression of images, which resemble a comic strip, therefore anchoring a clear and concise perspective. 
• The female model resembles many different glamorous film stars, including Audrey Hepburn, creating intertextuality, and therefore an aspirational mode of address. As the Hitchcock article suggests, to be a film star was a popular dream for women at the time 
• The montage of images constructs a voyeuristic mode of address through the MES of the Man’s expression. His happy facial expression at seeing the back of a beautiful woman is almost fetishistic in it’s mode of address, yet reinforces a patriarchal ideology, that women are spectacles for men
• The woman is constructed as spectacle as she is being looked at by a man. This intradiegetic gaze constructs and emphasises her attractiveness and her desirability. Here, the function of makeup is to please a heterosexual male audience, reinforcing a simple straightforward and sexist representation of women. 
• In the copy “beauty at a moment’s notice” functions as a slogan, but also reinforces the patriarchal hegemonic norm that without makeup, women are undesirable. Therefore this avert cultivates a sense of anxiety, which is further cultivated and reinforced throughout the magazine and throughout contemporary ideology.
• The MES of the model’s tailored suit dress has connotations of both luxury and intelligence. The sophisticated mode of address is therefore associated with the product.
• The Lexis “beauty at a moment’s notice” suggests that the product can be used quickly and easily, which is particularly desirable to the working class target audience. In doing so, this advert suggests that the target audience may be working, which is somewhat unusual in the context of the time it was made. This idea of working may be anchored through the broadly professional lexis. Furthermore her outfit and the font are mature and sophisticated, suggesting a more sophisticated target audience. Finally the setting, while unclear, may be the lobby of an office, suggesting that the woman may have a job. The pearl necklace may be symbolic of her role as secretary. 
• The woman is the sole woman, isolated in a male environment. Yet she appears confident and glamourous, and even may be a referential code to romantic comedies. 
• The product is reasonably priced and targets a mass audience. Yet the advert connotes glamour and independence can only be achieved through appealing to the male gaze and self-subjugating for the dominant patriarchal hegemony. 
• There is a lack of wedding ring or any other signifying feature suggesting marriage. Perhaps this constructs an atypical representation of a slightly older unmarried woman.
• The setting is a date, with romantic connotations, and the potential of marriage. 
• The woman is completely distracted and immersed in putting makeup on in public, suggesting the importance of this process. Butler argues that putting on makeup is a ritual performance that constructs identity. Here the woman is able to effectively construct herself as a woman
• The anchorage of the man positioned behind the woman reminds the target audience of the reality of a constant male gaze. It suggests that women should be prepared to be looked at at every point of the day. 

Is media a tool of subjugation or an emancipatory device?  or, Why is Woman magazine so very sexist??

Why is Woman magazine so sexist? What possible advantages are there to propagating such a sexist ideology? 

• Reflects the socially accepted ideological perspective at the time it was made
• Representations are constructed by those with authority to manipulate their target audience 
• By reinforcing sexist stereotypes, the producers are clearly cultivating sexist, straightforward hegemonic standards of society 

Marx argued that everything was a tool of the bourgeoisie (those in power) to dominate the proletariat (those not in power) to control them. This ensures that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor

However, bell hooks argues that financial, racial and gender-based prejudice are all linked 

In the 60s especially, media industries were dominated by men. By reinforcing these sexist ideological perspectives, a world is created where men are in charge, and women are subordinate

This process is called patriarchal hegemony, and Woman magazine is a tool of oppression  

By cultivating a sense of anxiety and worthlessness, a consumerist ideology is constructed, where all life’s problems can be solved through buying things. This highly manipulative mode of address was typical of the time that this product was distributed