The effect magazine advertisements have on women - Essay Example

[The [The [The The Effect magazine advertisements have on Women Introduction:In today's world, Magazines are considered to be trendy, cool and fashionably sensitive. Magazines come in all shapes, sizes and colours addressing and covering a variety of topics and issues. Men and women often tend to carry a magazine with them to pass their time. Magazines have always been used for advertising and seem to have been around forever. They line the shelves of side walk stands and fight for space at the super mall racks. Where ever one turns and goes he or she is sooner or later expected to be confronted with a magazine. Today, we have magazines covering the latest fashion, Hollywood scandal, the glitz and the glamour of celebrity lifestyles, sports and fitness, just to name a few! The 'magazine business' is a multi million dollar business simply because it is affordable and also produced on a monthly basis in general. Although men and women buy and read magazines, it is indeed safe to say that most if not all magazines covet the "perfect woman" to adorn its pages, sell its products and lure customers to take the bait. In this paper we will look at how popular magazines focus on spreading the image that in order for a woman to look beautiful, she must look a certain way and follow a particular style. We will examine the consequences and effects that this has had on women, look at why there is such a great demand for scantily clad women and why does sex sell so quick! We will also look at why Caucasian women are more in demand to pose for magazines and be their glamour girls more than any other race in the world. I will conclude this paper by examining the cause and effects that magazines have on women and how can one be wise enough not to be snared or captured by the glitz and the glamour that these magazines so readily display! Magazines: Their Powers of Persuasion One of the strongest forces that magazines use is 'The power of persuasion'. The power of persuasion goes to work on the reader as soon they pick up the magazine. It was Gloria Steinem who said "Most women's magazines simply try to mold women into bigger and better consumers". And that's the reason why we see magazines such as 'Cosmopolitan', 'Vogue' 'Glamour' etc having celebrities and models adorn their pages and promote their products. Through them they convey to the world, that in order to be like them and look like them you must follow them. Most magazines encourage its readers to go on diets to make them look thinner, try plastic surgery so that they can fix any 'flaws' that they have and urge you to try their beauty secrets and vitamin pills so that you can not only look good but also feel good! These magazines make sure they feature a list of their products that will help you achieve your goal! The power of persuasion works through the medium of suggestion and this is one of the biggest reasons why Magazines have such a tremendous impact on the world at large! Magazines: The Pictures they Paint The front covers of most magazines have pictures of celebrities and models that are scantily clad and in a pose that is both suggestive as well as provocative. On the front pages are alluring captions which act as powerful tools of persuasion and immediately go to work on the readers mind. The November issue of Cosmopolitan has the words "Get a sexy Bod" in bold letters on its front page, Vogue has Jennifer Aniston on its front cover with a bold lettered caption "The Shape Issue" and Muscle Mag has wwe diva Candice Michelle on its cover to promote fitness and subtly suggest how one can and should have a body like Candice. The message that is being sent across to every woman through these magazines is very subtle but yet perfectly clear. They suggest that if you want to look glamorous, be in sync with the latest style and be the center of attention, you must do whatever it takes, buy whatever it costs and only then will you experience life in all its fullest - celebrity style! The trouble with this is that magazines are bought by various categories of people from different age groups. Hence someone who is not necessarily thin begins to believe that she will be considered attractive only when she becomes thin. Magazines often tend to feed the insecurities of women and create unnecessary fear, causing them to face diverse kinds of problems. There has been a rapid increase in women suffering from anorexia, since women are now obsessed with becoming thin and also with the number of women who are spending more than they earn in order to be in vogue and in sync with stereo type cover girl model! Oprah Winfrey had a show not to long ago which focussed on a little girl who was five years old and who was a major cause of concern to her parents. This little girl spent a lot of her time flipping through the magazines her mother subscribed to such as Victoria's Secret and Cosmopolitan. As a result, this child would never go out in public without make up, always wanted to wear the latest fashion and also suffered from depression as she believed she wasn't pretty enough as the models in those magazines. This was just one of the cases that the Oprah Winfrey show brought to light. But the truth be known, there are women from all walks of life, all ethnicities and from different economic conditions who are not only being influenced but also impacted through the medium of these magazines. Magazines: Strategy & Target Audience Different magazines focus on different issues. However each magazine is carefully designed and meticulously packaged so that it can woo prospective customers. "Creating a display that encourages touching may lead customers to interact with products that they otherwise would have ignored and may increase impulse and unplanned purchases" (Journal of Marketing). Sex sells! Creating something that is appealing and luring is what attracts customers in general. It is no secret that a model will be paid 'more' when she is willing to wear 'less'. Every company seeks celebrities and pretty faces to pose, adorn and promote their magazines. Magazines such as FHM, Penthouse and Playboy to name a few have women pose nude or in very revealing attire. They use women as bait making them stir the feelings of lust in millions of men, causing them to ultimately succumb and buy the provocative magazine. Hugh Heffner the founder of Playboy has made an empire out of this simple marketing strategy. Whether it's done with the dignity of England's middle-aged Ladies of Rylstone, whose strands of pearls are the only thing between their flesh and the camera lens, or as raucous as any other calendar we've seen, images of unclothed women always seem popular to the male audience. (Pollack, Joe) What must be noted is that the women who get featured on the pages of these popular magazines often shoot to fame overnight. They get highly paid for their raucous photo shoots and depending on their performance are often rehired or contracted by other magazines. They make a lot of money in a little time and flog the attention and spotlight. Diva's like Anna Nicole Smith (Playboy) and Torrie Wilson (World Wrestling Entertainment) have had their careers take off after posing for such magazines. The lives of these women are constantly in the news and public eye. They are portrayed as glamorous, seductive and as the ultimate diva with the perfect body that all men crave. For these divas their body and physical appearance is of utmost importance because the amount of money they make is directly related to it. Hence, there are loads of these celebrities and models who adorn the pages of magazines that go in for silicone breast implants, plastic surgery and a number of other beauty treatments to give them the perfect hourglass figure and flawless features. These women whether they realise it or not have the power to influence a lot of young and old women in this world, as well as to captivate and draw millions of men who are raging with testosterone. While these women go on to achieve name and fame for themselves, I sometimes wonder if they think about the results that they ultimately have on society, or the lives they impact and the culture they help to create. Although there are hard core porn magazines out there, there are lots more magazines that sell sleaze and soft porn and promoting it as just another entertainment and fashion magazine! "Today, pornography is so seamlessly integrated into popular culture that embarrassment or surreptitiousness is no longer part of the equation. How many eleven-year old boys or girls would be ashamed or amazed to discover a copy of Penthouse or Hustler Would, Playboy have the power to shock, scare of confuse a preteen girl today Would it even have the power titillate a preteen boy, exposed to the 'everything but' covers of men's magazines that bray from the local newsstand- magazines that would have once been considered softcore pornography but today have slipped into the main stream media." (Paul, Pamela) The world at large has been greatly impacted and influenced by media and magazines have contributed their fair share. Today, one is more interested to read about the gossip and secret lives of Hollywood Stars and the sensuality that they promote rather than the old style down to earth magazine which has now gone out of fashion after being eaten away by the new breed so readily available out there. Magazines: Impact and Consequences It is a common saying that every action has its corresponding reaction. In the early 90s when celebrities where getting into silicon implants, magazines were covering their every move and then promoting pictures of these women who now had perfectly formed breasts. This created a sudden interest in silicon implantations all across the nation and the demand for implants skyrocketed. Coincidence Definitely not! Because that is the power of sexual imagery which magazines constantly project. Women who read these magazines often go through the following problems sooner or later! Anorexic Behaviour: Models that are featured on magazines are extremely thin and delicate. This spurs, especially teenage girls to desire to attain the same shape and structure. To do this they keep strict diets, often starving and vomiting themselves in order to keep thin. "The National Eating Disorders Association confirms National Institutes of Health statistics in pointing out that 1 to 2 percent of American women are anorexic - between 1.5 and 3 million women - and that, of these, sufferers typically became anorexic in adolescence. Anorexia is the biggest killer of American teenage girls. (Wolf, Naomi) Inferiority Complexes: Not everyone can look or behave like the typical cover girl. These scantily clad models are built up to have everything a man wants. When a young woman finds that she does not fit the 'diva mold' she is often left feeling insecure about her looks and ultimately herself. She begins to suffer from depression and her self esteem gets greatly affected. Relationship Issues: Because they are deeply affected and impacted by these magazines, women are often left confused and scarred. This is brought out beautifully in the book "The Beauty Myth: How images of beauty are used against women" by Naomi Wolf. The men who buy these magazines also get affected because they now want the women in their lives to look the same way as Playboy's latest cover girl and this adds additional pressure to the woman, which in turn brings great damage to her relationships. Excessive Spending: Lured by these magazines, women succumb to the pressures of going in for plastic surgery, silicon implants and spend lavishly to keep up with the latest fashion. They splurge on clothes and accessories when they are unable to afford them and as a result normally have huge credit card debt. It is hard to run any home peacefully and successfully; having debt with compound interest accumulating every month, just makes everything even harder! Health Issues: Going in for beauty treatment, plastic surgery and silicon implants not only costs money but also have side affects which are now being well documented. To sum it up, if one does not have a strong set of beliefs and a positive image of themselves, then it becomes very easy for them to be swayed through these magazines and succumb to their powerful persuasions, ensuring that they will pay a 'price' someday, somehow! Magazines: Cover Girls & Models Most of the women who adorn the pages of these popular magazines are of Caucasian descent or simply put - white women. Whenever you flip through a magazine you will find that most of the models are white and if there are models of any other ethnicity they are extremely rare. Models that are not of white descent don't normally get featured on magazine covers or receive the same amount of publicity as those who are white or Caucasian. What is the reason behind this Does this have something to do with the skin colour of the model or is it due to the preferences and demand of the customer Whatever be the reason - till date, I believe that it is hard for a woman of a different ethnicity to enter into this glamorous world and feature on the front covers of these magazines, which only further goes on to prove that there is racial prejudice and preference present even here! Magazines: General Overview I believe it is also important to note that there are magazines out there which carry a positive message and encourage women to look good, eat healthier and live better. However they are far too few when compared with the rest. It is very important for parents to watch what their children are reading and advise them about the impact that these magazines can have. If you as a parent subscribe to adult magazines then it is your duty to ensure that it is kept out of the reach of your children. The impact of such images on children are devastating and often last a lifetime. It is wise to view any magazine having a down to earth mentality, because in all reality no one has a perfect life, irrespective of how beautiful, successful or rich they are. It is important not to get persuaded by these magazines which fight to get your attention and capture your emotions. Having a set of good strong moral values is often the factor that helps you to know what to read and what is best left on the shelf! While these glamorous cover girls help these magazine owners mint large sums of money, these cover girl models are quite often degraded, humiliated and exposed in the process. Although they are paid well, they pay a heavy price in the end. It is a well known fact that these models suffer a lot to maintain their figure. Over a period of time, they go in for a lot of plastic surgery to keep in shape and remain flawless. They often suffer from various diseases and have addictions which are caused due to their hectic and fast paced life. This part of their so called glamorous life is not always published, although their have been articles in the recent past on Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Ritchie, which made the public aware that they both suffered from eating disorders. While it is good for one to hold their head up in the air, it is necessary for them to have their feet placed on the ground! This is where you draw the line between reality and make- believe. What it is unfortunate, is, that the majority of people who are addicted to these magazines do not necessarily have the ability to distinguish between what is true and what is false! Like all things in life, magazines bring both good and bad influences to the world we live in. Conclusion: Although magazines have existed for decades, today, with the increase in technology and digital media, magazines have now pictures that are more real than life, special effects to remove their visible flaws and marketing tools to target a wider and bigger audience than ever before. The business tycoons who own these magazines are set on maximising their wealth in every possible way and generally don't think about the consequences and impact that their magazines have on society. If they do think about it - they have a ready explanation to justify their views. Therefore, it is left to us, the reader to decide in the first place, if we really want to spend our money on magazines and if the answer is 'Yes', then we must be very particular in choosing what we buy. There have been a large number of women who have been affected in a negative way by these magazines and it will take time and effort for them to be healed from their scars. However because of this, we cannot deem all magazines to be negative or harmful! Ultimately, It is left to us, to be wise and make a decision as to what we entertain and bring before our viewing. Magazines that encourage women to change their looks, their style and ultimately themselves - are 'junk' because they convey to women that they are not good enough being themselves. This junk is not required in our houses and lives and it seems ludicrous for one to spend their money on something that will invariably lower their self esteem and confidence in the long run. Instead, If we do decide to spend our money on a magazine, let it be on magazines that create a positive out look on life, encourage healthy living and promote good clean values. In closing, I think it is important to repeat that while magazines like all other things in life have both good and bad features, it is wise for us to remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt "Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." With this in mind, let us pay attention to what we entertain in our lives and the next time we go to buy a magazine - let us choose something that builds our self esteem, strengthens our confidence and equips us to be better individuals in REAL LIFE! Works Cited: Paul, Pamela. Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. New York: Times Books, 2005. Peck, Joann & Wiggins, Jennifer. Journal of Marketing: It Just Feels Good: Customers' Affective Response to Touch and Its Influence on Persuasion. (http://www.marketingpower.com/content31035.php) Pollack, Joe. Sex Sells: An article from: St. Louis Journalism Review [HTML] (Digital) Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. New York: Harper Collins, 2002. Read More