African American Women In Advertising Analysis

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Recommended: A thesis on dehumanization

The text at the bottom of the ad chosen reads, “The lighter way to enjoy chocolate. HERSHEYS.” The left side of the image depicts the back of a larger African American woman who is not wearing any clothes. On the right we see rippling heresy’s chocolate syrup. Hershey’s is trying to make a correlation between the colour/shape of the women on the left, and Hersey’s chocolate syrup on the right. Throughout this paper I will be taking a look at how women are affected by advertisements that promote dehumanization, body shaming, objectification, and the negative portrayal of African American women.
A large issue that I have with this ad is that it compares a women’s body to an object/food. By doing this they’re dehumanizing this woman and treating …show more content…

It guilt’s women and enforces unfair body expectations on them, while shaming those who cannot meet them. “Messages abound telling women that they are not good enough or beautiful enough, encouraging us to constantly change ourselves, often through the use of various products and practices.” [2] (Pg. 232) In this advertisement we …show more content…

“The lighter way to enjoy chocolate,” to me this phrase is referring to the fact that African American women are often nicknamed as “Chocolate” due to their darker skin, and that’s why this African American woman is being compared to Hershey’s Cholate syrup. Therefore, this advertisement implies that Hersey’s chocolate syrup is the lighter way to enjoy chocolate, rather than a larger African American woman. This ad is may be detrimental to the self esteem and confidence of many women. “Despite a small degree of tokenism, black women are rarely represented in mainstream iconography.” (Pg. 248) [4] This advertisement resonated with me on a more personal side as I relate to being an African American women dealing with the pressures of societal expectations. African American women have many stereotypes that follow them in life. They are known to be big, loud, sassy, and obnoxious women. So, when it comes to playing a role in advertisements, we are immediately placed in roles that fit our description. Advertisements such as these just reinforce the negative stereotypes placed on

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