Gender Codes In 'Now You Can Snack The Weight Off'?

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Like Slim-Fast claims that “now you can snack the weight off!” or is that just what they want us to think. Throughout this ad, several different gender codes appear. Even though there this only a woman in the ad holding nothing but a bag of snacks, it also shows codes for men too. One can see that the actor is very into her role and that can be seen through the multiple codes that she displays throughout the ad. One can see the female specific codes that she exhibits starting with her being over excited, skinny, confident, stylish, slutty, and is in high heels. However, she also shows some characteristics that are normally associated with male specific gender codes too. Such as the stance that she takes and her almost excessive attempt to …show more content…

This type of thinking that they have to look like the lady in the ad might in the long run lead to lowering their self-esteem. According to Devor “they demonstrate subordination through a minimizing of spatial use: people appear feminine when they keep their arms closer to their bodies, their legs closer together, and their torsos and heads less vertical than do masculine-looking individuals”. In this ad, however, the feminine actor shows none of these things, she actually shows the complete opposite. Devor mentions that “people who hold their arms and hands in positions away from their bodies, and who stand, sit, or lie with their legs part—thus maximizing the amount of space that they physically occupy—appear most physically masculine”. The way that this feminine actress is standing according to gender codes is incorrect, she is in a stance that is known primarily to be a masculine stance. So in a simpler sense, this ad actually breaks the gender codes breaking the balance between femininity and masculinity. In the American society, gender …show more content…

Such things like girls getting over excited, a guy taking a provocative stance, men wearing heals, and females attempting to be aggressive. We as a society have a hard time explaining the difference between males and females. Other than some physical expressions such as aggression, which can be measured due to different testosterone levels in the body, and external appearance. Like Blum stated, “you can parade endless similar statistics but the point is this: Males are more aggressive, not just among humans but among almost all species on earth”. In the ad if one looks closely at the actor 's face, one can see the expression on her face seems to be an attempt at a more aggressive look and maybe going as far as assuming a more masculine looking. According to Devor “masculinity can also be conveyed by stern or serious facial expressions that suggest minimal receptivity to the influence of others, a characteristic which is an important element in the attainment and maintenance of egoistic dominance”. It’s hard to figure out if her face is specifically pointing out the masculinity code or not. But it can be assumed that she is since throughout the ad she can been seen showing many other gender codes that are meant to be for guys and not girls. I don’t

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