Gender roles in today’s advertisement and digital media are largely based on gender stereotypes. Not only are advertisements conforming to gender stereotypes, but also to contemporary ideals and standards. The new media literacy of performance explains the “roles” in which individuals are placing themselves into. These roles are defined by stereotypes and contemporary ideals. The advertisements that I have investigated cleverly place women and men into specific situations that are gender specific.
Original,
My original advertisement is for the high fashion clothing line Guess. The advertisement is for a Guess handbag. The handbag, in the advertisement is being held by a young blonde woman on a bed. This woman embodies the role of contemporary ideals, and standards of a bomb shell sex symbol. She is the object of the gaze, and is on display just as the purse is on display. The environment, in which the woman and the purse are placed in, only intensifies the feeling of luxury and sex. The composition of the advertisement is one of voyeurism. The advertisement is composed of only a few colors, White black gold and red. The red is found on the woman’s lips and the flowers, which are strategically placed next to her breast.
Remix
My remix of the original guess advertisement returns the power of the gaze back to the female figure; she is now the one gazing out. I have given her clothing, and replaced the purse with a large steak knife, and fork. I have covered the bed with a dinner table. The female figure has decapitated male heads on the table for dinner. I have done this to give her a feeling of danger and vitality. Composition is not one of voyeurism any more, but rather the viewer is simply observing. I have added text that reads “Steak House”. Steak is stereotypically a manly dinner, so I illustrated that thought literally.
-Skye
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