The Perpetuation of Subtle Prejudice: Race and Gender Imagery in 1990s Television Advertising

1) AT&T Commercial:

http://

www.youtube.com/watchv=KmA2VIkND4Y&feature=PlayList&p=9CF8B0D1AB0B9FF8&index=17

This commercial, although a quite comical idea, was semi-racially based if one was looking for it. A man of Asian decent is trying to help his good friend do some holiday shopping because he is in a body cast with a broken neck. Although they might not have intended to make it seem racially unequal, the fact that the Asian man does all of his shopping tells him what he got for each person and so forth, upholds the racial stereotype of Asians being the hard workers.

2)Gap print ad: Bazaar Magazine

In this advertisement, the main person is an African American woman who is dressed in a vest with a white thermal longsleeve shirt on. Her hair is short and she has a pretty skin complexion, but her eyes are closed and she is half-smiling. However, on the corresponding page, there is a white woman, and they show her whole body facing the front and her eyes are open. This reinforces the stereotypical dominance of the white woman over the African American woman. Also, the advertisement with the black woman only shows her from her belly button, and it cuts off the top of her head. Also, since the ad is black and white, she does not stand out nearly as much as the white woman because she is wearing darker colors, whereas the white woman has on white jeans. Also, the white woman has a sultry facial expression, whereas the African American woman does not have much of an expression at all. 

3) Downy Fabric Softener print Advertisment: Bazaar Magazine

This ad shows three women, two white and one black, with their arms around each other as they walk around in a nightlife setting. The black woman is in the middle looking and talking to one of the white friends, who does not even seem to look back at her. She is looking somewhere else and paying no attention to the talking friend. Also, the two white women appear to be leaning somewhat away from her as she is talking, as if they want to escape her grasp. Lastly, the African American woman is wearing pants and a longsleeve shirt, whereas the two white women are dressed in a skirt and a dress. It is as if they want to portray the white women as sexually asking for it, but they want to cover up the black woman as if they are ashamed to portray her in the same manner. These little things are what reinforce racial and gender stereotypes. 

4) Calvin Klein print ad: Bazaar Magazine

A white man and a woman are leaning up against a door frame on the balcony of their large condominium. The woman is leaning up against it while the man is positioned standing over her with his arm above her head. The woman looks as if she is trying to seduce her male counterpart, and he has a fierce look as if he wants to control or dominate her. She is also in a very short fitted black dress, which only adds to her sexualism. This is very typical of the way women and men are portrayed in advertisements. And it unfortunately is true- "sex sells."

5) Carl's Junior commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gby0zfCYiA

Paris Hilton walks in a car warehouse garage with a revealing one-piece swimsuit, where she proceeds to sexually wash the car while sponging herself as well as making sexual gestures. This is a prime example of how women are portrayed by the media- sexual deviants and nothing else. She licks her fingers close-up to the camera, crawls all over the car in stilettos, and the cameraman zooms in on her rear end. Also the music sounds like something you would hear in an old style saloon or something of that sort. That commercial, ironically brought about a lawsuit for Carl's Junior by the FCC I believe. Additionally, that commercial officially clenched the reputation Paris Hilton now has as being "skanky." 

6) Tiffany & Co. print ad: Bazaar Magazine

In this ad, an African American woman is modeling a beautiful necklace. However, if you look at the ad, you have to really look at it to tell whether the woman is black or white. She could almost look tan. Also, they only show her from the chest up and only lighten the photo at the top of her neck to her chin. 

7) Bluefly.com print ad: Elle Magazine

This ad sexualizes women because a white woman is sitting naked at a Thanksgiving dinner with her family. However, they do not even seem to notice her and she has a submissive facial expression. 

8) PlanB print advertisement: Elle Magazine

There is an African American woman holding a PlanB pill. This reinforces the stereotype of black women as sexually irresponsible women. Placing a black woman as the focal point of this ad makes black women look like the type of people that would purchase PlanB, as opposed to white women.

9) Dolce & Gabbana print ad: Elle Magazine

Giselle Bundcheon is seducing the viewer by slightly opening her mouth and staring longingly at the camera.

10) Giorgio Armani print ad: Elle Magazine

A woman in a fitted sleek black dress goes down her lower lower back to just above her butt. She has a stern, dominatrix look on her face, and there is a man looking at her with lust in the background. This reinforces the stereotype of women as sexually promiscuous. 

As I went through all of these advertisements, the typical gender and racial stereotypes are reinforced.