Images of women in advertising; its impact on social perceptions of beauty and body image idealisms, and the extents to which we go to become them.

In this essay, the author

• Analyzes how the extent to which women have gone to achieve ‘ideal beauty’ is extreme. in the 21st century, americans spend more money on beauty related product than they do on their education.
• Explains that advertising is a form of social communication that influences and often manipulates us. the advertising industry is especially important because of its close connection with movies and magazines, and fine arts.
• Analyzes how the exemplary female prototype is seen to display youth, good looks, seductiveness, and perfection. however, due to advancements in technology, most of the women and other imagery seen is not real.
• Compares the case against advertising to that against political propaganda, religious proselytizing, and any other form of emotional blackmail. advertising attempts to achieve its ends by emotionally abusing its audiences.
• Analyzes how the manipulation of both image and people is used to play on our emotions, creating issues we never realized existed, so that they can sell products.
• Analyzes how cortese acknowledges the extreme standards and portrayal of women used in advertising to sell products in his book ‘provocateur: images of women and minorities in advertising.
• Explains that cultural ideology tells women that they will not be desirable to men unless they are physically perfect. this ultimate image can only be achieved artificially through the purchase of vast quantities of beauty products.
• Argues that the images of ideal beauty and flawlessness are false and will never be achieved. even the model on the front of the magazine does not reach this standard of unrealistic perfection.
• Analyzes how cameron russell's ted talk addresses the way image manipulation occurs in the fashion and advertising industry. she describes her image as one that is carefully constructed and prepared by stylists, makeup artists, and photographers.
• Analyzes how russell touches on the idea that she is a "pretty white women." the idea of racism in the industry is also shown in jean kilbourne's documentary.
• Explains that advertising and its portrayal of women have huge impacts in the creation of beauty and cosmetic surgery industries.
• Analyzes how the cosmetic surgery industry skyrocketed in popularity from 1997 to 2007 and shows the progression of beauty and cosmetics over time.
• Analyzes how jean kilbourne's 2010 video killing us softly analyses the effect that these images have on women and advertisings societal effects.
• Opines that female role models do little to help with the ever growing epidemic of eating disorders prevalent in western culture today.
• Explains that the media's obsession with model thinness and clothes sizing, also assists advertising in creating unrealistic expectations of girls.
• Explains chitty, s. d. a. a. b. (2011), body shape and endorser effects on brand attitude and body image.