Beauty Advertising affecting Middle-Aged Women

The advertising industry has been famous for using young beautiful and handsome models to portray their product. In beauty advertisements, the women portraying the product are usually young female adults. Due to this fact, many assume that the main audience targeted is women around that similar age group. However, middle-aged women also experience the effect of beauty advertisements, if not more so than young adults. Middle-aged women, between the ages of 40-50, experience menopause along with body changes, such as wrinkles and weight gain, which make these women more perceptible to becoming hooked by advertisements.

The advertising industry has been developing more useful tactics for making information easier for the audience to remember and gain a deeper connection with the product they are trying to sell. “One of the signature strengths of the advertising industry lies in its ability to transform seemingly mundane objects into highly desirable products.” (Trampe 1030). Advertisements provide a sense of lower self esteem to those who want them, especially women, compared to if one was to see a product on the shelf of a supermarket; the effect would not be remotely the same. This is able to happen due to the understanding of the human brain and the research Paul Messaris conducted to indicate how advertisements affect a person’s brain. The brain works by connecting pictures used in advertisements to visual information in the real world (3). This causes the memories of advertisements to stick to the brain, which in turn when one sees the product again, will remember the advertisement. For information to stick to the brain, the advertisement is most effective when incorporating these five areas.

How women think about themselves and their skin has been changing over the years, especially once menopause begins. In a test by Seiya, Nomura, Hayashi, and Hasegawa, groups of young, middle-aged, and elderly women were asked questions concerning their skin. The results were that younger women were more worried about transparent skin while middle-aged and elderly women worried more about skin-roughness (Seiya 1). Then, in a research study conducted by Naomi Wolf, the main worry from women, young and middle-aged, was said to be the idea of getting older due to the fact they would be getting wrinkles (1).  Menopause has become an underlying reason for the way women are affected by beauty advertisements. “For women, in particular, the midlife experience and its assumed crisis have been framed using a ‘loss paradigm,’ with an emphasis upon women's midlife losses of reproductive capacity, the mothering role, sexuality, youth, and appearance” (Ogle 2). In Ogle’s article, he study’s European women and how they think during this period of time. What he found out was that women were changing from caring about others around them to caring more about themselves. In particular, these women started caring more about the way they looked and if it matched what society wanted (2).

(pressure reasons and reason for self esteem loss). The pressure women are under to become more like models is starting at a young age and then carrying through with them for the rest of their lives. Information was found that spouses and advertisements were saying women should look more like models, which in turn gave rise to women feeling they needed to as well (Shields). Based on the authors own experiences, the realization was that people react differently to what society would dub “pretty” people. The outcome was that “pretty” people were giving more attention and having others want to be friends with them because of their looks, pushing aside others who they did not find as “pretty.” From Authors Gurari, Hetts, and Strube, it was discovered that women were automatically comparing themselves to others around them. This showed the idea of women losing self esteem. Then, Trampe, Stapel, and Siero conduct a research project on how attractiveness-relevant products in advertising affect ones emotions.  The result was advertisers using models reduces self esteem because of the pressure to be like that of the model.

 

*This is a very basic outline of my essay. I tried to group the information into different categories I felt might flow together, if there is something that does not, please let me know.

Obama 2012: From 'Hope' to Hypocrisy

            In Obama 2012: From ‘Hope’ to Hypocrisy, Obama is being questioned about the tactics he is using to run the recent election, portraying him as a hypocrite because he is doing what he was blaming McCain in 2008 for doing. Citizens begin to speak out and comment on how Obama did not keep the promises he told everyone in 2008. The feeling of the video incorporates hopeless and angry tones, bringing the connotative message together with action music in the background and showing close ups of the facial expressions. The negativity that this video illustrates makes it easier for people to remember what is being said. Therefore, when election time came, when a person would remember when each candidate had done, one of the first things that would appear in their mind would be the negative videos.

This video contains a deeper message, showed through the music, tone of voice, and facial expressions of the new reporters and citizens interviewed. The music that is played in the background of this video is something one would here in a movie with a large action scene. This type of music influences people to gain a stronger connection to the video because there is a sense of adrenaline that the music brings. The tone of voice and use of words the reporters and citizens interviewed use sound like there was a loss of hope, angery, or questioned regarding Obama’s previous presidential actions. Then, the facial expressions of the news reporters and citizens were serious and upset. However, when President Obama was asked questions concerning the way people were feeling about having this loss of hope, he did not have an upset look, instead, he continued to smile. This brings a reaction that Obama may have not been as concerned as many would have assumed about the way he ran his term and may not find it such a serious issue.

            This negativity that advertisements like this one gives off makes it easier for the advertisement to become stuck into the brain of the viewer than if a positive one was to be viewed.  A reason for this is because negative news is more concerning to the public than is positive. In popular culture, society has grown to believe that negative attacks have more to say about how that person will function as a leader. In the advertisement, it shows President Obama as a man who has not followed his previous ideas stated in the previous election, and has gone from providing ‘hope’ to being a hypocrite. Obama is shown saying negative comments about John McCain in 2008, such as “If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone to run from.” The video shows Obama saying this comment, then, doing what he warned the nation not to fall for, talks about Mitt Romney as someone the people should run from. Hypocrisy is not something people in culture take lightly, especially from political members which run the nation. This causes society to pose a question of whether they should be able to trust what Obama says again.

            Obama, in this video, is being questioned about the why he is using tactics he detested in the previous election, portraying him as a hypocrite. Multiple citizens begin to speak out and comment on how Obama did not keep the promises and explain how they truly feel. This causes the video to follow a similar feeling, emphasizing on hopeless and anger tones. The incorporation of action music in the background gives emphasis to the feeling of adrenaline that is brought out in a human when they hear it. By showing close ups of the facial expressions, a person is able to get a better feel of what the person is truly feeling. The negativity that this brought out in this video makes it easier for people to remember what is being said, which, when election day comes, is easier to remember than the positive.

Romantic Texting

Texting has become one of the fastest growing influences on the lives of young adults. Almost all of them have some sort of mobile device that contains the ability to send text messages. This increased use of texting has expanded into romantic relationships, and it has changed the dynamics of the way young couples interact. This form of new media has impacted popular culture by reducing face to face interactions and replacing more intimate forms of communication. This may ultimately lead to young adults lacking the ability to express themselves in a romantic fashion on a personal level.

            Texting is a much more convenient way to converse with other people, especially a romantic partner. It is not only simpler in terms of time and effort, but it is also undemanding emotionally. By sending a text message, a person does not need to deal with the negative and conflicting responses and emotions of their partner. At any time, they can simply ignore the text message or choose not to answer right away. In person, it would not be as easy to walk away from the dilemma, especially with the emotions of their partners in front of them. Young adults are naturally more inclined to avoid the realities of a problem. Therefore, by not having the obstacle of facing someone in person, they lack the skill of confronting these romantic issues head on. If they do manage to face the issue, it is usually not on a personal level. Aside from ignoring the emotions of their partner, texting can limit the revealing of feelings all together. Couples can bring up insecure topics through texting without worrying about revealing too much of their own sentiments on the issue. If they feel like their partner will react negatively, it is easier to avoid the problem by hiding their own feelings. This can cause bottled up emotions that can have a negative affect on the long term relationship. It also removes a sense of a connection, which is created by fully working out an issue. Sometimes emotions are not clear by the very nature of texting. It is impossible to see the true feelings of a partner, which are often given by non verbal cues such as body language and facial expressions. This lack of full communication may carry on for a long period of time, which otherwise may have been dealt with immediately in person. By not building up an effective way to communicate, young couples will lack the ability to fully work through problems and effectively express their inner wishes. This lack of effective communication does not only come from unclear emotions but also from fact that face to face interactions help to build up social skills and break down insecurities. Without this, relationships are hurt, especially between young adults. Over-all, texting causes many problems with clearly revealing emotions, especially on the romantic level of young adults.

            Texting has become an ever growing part of our society. The cell phone has improved and now allows for people to be able to send messages. The young romantic couple has used this and in doing so has negatively affected the way they interact. Instead of solving any issues that may arise, a partner has developed the idea that it is possible to just set the issue off to the side and talk about it later, instead of in person. This happens because they are afraid of how the other will react. Simply by using texting, the message is lost in a sense of uncertainty that ultimately damages the ability of young couples to develop the necessary skills to express themselves intimately.  

News

The news is meant to be a local, as well as abroad at times, information update to let the people know things such as recent kidnapping areas, latest accident reports, upcoming weather, sports, politics, other country current relations, war, and more. By viewing these forms of entertainment on television through the news, news programming suggests that sports, politics, weather, local crimes, and celebrity updates are what people are valuing most in popular culture. The factors of what influences these news show broadcasts to air these multiple categories are based on things popular culture deems important. The news would not broadcast a policeman giving a person a speeding ticket because it is worthless to the rest of society. Whatever sparks an interest in society sparks an interest to the news. So it is shown, what society has sparked an interest for is politics, celebrity lifestyles, and important updates such as accident reports. The way the news provides their information is through one of two ways, studio or live.

 There are two different types of coverage that news casts may perform. One is preformed within the studio; the other is live out in the streets. The value of including covering living events, for example a car chase, is to inform the society there is a danger and what and where exactly it is happening. If a person is watching a live broadcast at home and they know someone who is driving around that area or they themselves were planning to drive around that area, then they would be warned. The news stories that I feel should be covered live are entertainment and breaking news. This list includes sports, because that has become an important past time for many people in the American society, along with anything concerning politics, car chases, and others that might affect a person’s life or safety.

Advertising

It is true that consumers are becoming less and less in control of their privacy. Cookies, and other new technological advances, are monitoring what one does; even collecting information about people without their knowledge if they do not know about cookies (Greengard). Being born into a society that has already been placing cookies into electronics makes them unaware because it has become so common for everyone else. By advertising agency’s using cookies, the agency’s can learn what websites or televisions channels and times would be best to broadcast their advertisements.

 Advertising industries using things like cookies can monitor what time people are home, where their favorite stores are, and even favorite internet sights, to find out what the best time would be or place to sponsor their advertisements. By using cookies, advertising agencies are technically taking polls from people without their knowledge. When finished, the agencies know what internet sights a person has been on and what television channels they have watched and at what times. This gives agencies the advantage to post similar advertisements on internet sights they have views, or broadcast commercials on channels and times pertaining connections. Deciding how commercials to make the commercials, comes from the idea of status quo.

 Advertisements do contain this idea of a status quo. The status quo has mainly interpreted women as people that are suppose to take care of the house and the family, while the men watch sports, perform daring tasks, and do laborious work. This gives advertisements an idea on how to make their commercials appeal to whatever age group, race, or sex they choose. By using cookies, this status quo is kept updated, following what men and women buy, along with following what times they come home and what is being watched.

 Advertising is becoming both harmful and positive; however, the positive is greater than the negative. Invading a person’s right to privacy by using cookies, especially since many do not know about them, has become the negative side. The positive side, however, is that advertising company’s are able to advertise products that are more likely to interest the person instead of making them watch advertisements containing information having nothing to do with what they like.

Cover-up

Makeup advertisements, especially for cover-up, have strongly persuaded me for essentially all of my teenage to adult life. Growing up, acne and rosacea have been a major self-consciousness that causes me to feel unattractive. This is mainly due to the way society has perceived the way beautiful women are suppose to look. Models and actresses are never shown with blemishes, creating this myth that in order for me to have a chance of being admired like these women, I would need clear looking skin. Model’s, along with actresses, are even consistently used in these advertisements, bringing the myth’s connection of these women’s beauty to the makeup they illustrate.  

In this advertisement, Jessica Alba, an actress, is modeling this new cover-up for Revlon; a cover-up that changes from white to the color of ones skin so there is a perfect, flawless match. What this advertisement is intending to sell me is, “in order for one to have flawless looking skin with a cover-up that matched my skin tone; one would need to buy this cover-up.” However, there is additionally a deeper impression that is being created, which is, “in order to be beautiful and happy like Jessica Alba; one would merely need to wear this makeup.” My first response to seeing this advertisement is that I needed to have this cover-up because finding a cover-up that actually matched my skin tone was extremely hard. In actuality, I truly did not need this makeup. Makeup is actually one of the causes of my problem with acne, so why would I want to buy what is causing my dilemma? This, along with other advertising tactics used in our culture, is used to show society only what the beginning product can cause, but not the after affect.

Honors Homework

            Before taking this honors class, the term popular culture was rarely brought up in my life, nonetheless me having to try explaining what popular culture is. With popular culture constantly changing, it is hard to keep track of what is popular. Susan Smulyan commented on how most people are born into a life where their outlook on popular culture forms from what the mass-mediated entertainment is. What Smulyan is saying is that people are born into a popular culture which they gain a part of forever.

            After taking this class, thinking of popular culture is hard to stop. Everyday, I wake up in the morning and put a cell phone in my hand, turn on the television, and put on designer clothing. Before this class, I would have said popular culture is what possessions everyone wants to have; but now, I see popular culture is what shows a majority of unity between the people in our nation, majority being the key word because there are some that do not like certain popularities.