Analysis of Tom Ford's Advertising from a Feminist Perspective - Research Paper Example

Analysis on Tom Ford’s Advertising Introduction One doesn’t have to be ideological to recognize that something is wrong with the picture of a naked woman ironing some man’s pants while the man is standing besides her is waiting and reading a newspaper. More so, if the picture is intended for the public to see in order to promote some luxury clothing apparel. Any self-respecting person who values human dignity will be disturbed, if not enraged by this commercial vulgarity. Tom Ford is a prominent fashion designer. He is known as the creative director and the man behind the success of the lavish Gucci. He is also known for using loud sexual insinuations for his ads (AskMen). Tom Ford embodies fame and glamour, class and style. As a matter of fact, he is being embraced, endorsed and admired by many popular Hollywood stars. Thus, his medium can be seen as an expression of art. This could be very misleading. Tom Ford’s advertising is done in tasteless and artless form and exploits women. In this photograph, he deliberately used a naked woman merely to attract attention. A curvaceous woman who only has her shoes on is used to allure the men’s attention to the tuxedo being promoted. This variety of advertising reinforces the stereotype image of women as an object of desire. It fully downgrades women’s value as a mere sex object. It implicitly placed the woman’s role simply as an object of desire, an article to convey a man’s sexual gratification. Making it even worse is the fact that the woman in the picture was doing a household chore such as ironing the pants of the man, while he conveniently waits at the corner. This depicts women’s subservience to men. In short, this photograph alone tolerates society’s anti-women perception on two main points: domestication of women and women treated as sexual objects. These points will be elaborated in this report. Domestication of women In this photo, Tom Ford is guilty of stereotyping women in the sphere of domestic activities. Advertisements have long been used in carrying on the concept of sexist stereotypes (Talbot). The viewing public was conditioned to accept women’s role in the society as to be confined in the four corners of the house as we see them endorse household products with enthusiasm. Women were seen as either a cheerful wife endorsing some cleaning products or a wife wanted to be accepted fully by her family if she can cook better. In this case, Tom Ford offers us a depiction of a perfect-body woman, doing domestic work for a man through ironing his pants who wears a face that longs for his attention. Advertising and consumerism institutionalized the division of man’s and woman’s role in the society (Annandale). Women are the consumers, in the home, literal custodian of the house and thus maintain its cleanliness and order that should win the approval either of their husbands, the man in their lives, or their children. Meanwhile, men were depicted to be the as the providers, and should therefore approve the choices women do in selecting the right products in running their house. Domestication of women is a practice institutionalized by a patriarchal system and being perpetuated by the mass media, education, and even by the church. It has become a social problem because it downgrades the value of women in the society. It deprives women to have equal opportunities to work, to their careers, to benefits and limits the world women evolve. It also institutionalizes the thought that women are always dependent on men’s approval because they can not make important decisions for themselves. It sends a wrong message that women lack inherent intellect and independent identities. The kind of advertising Tomas Ford espouses in all aspects violates the essence of womanhood as it popularizes a medium where women’s biological difference to men is being exploited in the realm of consumerism and commercialism. Sex Objects Even at first glance of the photo, one will already wonder why the woman is naked beside the man. The obvious fact that the image of a naked woman is irrelevant to the product or service being promoted is just unacceptable. The naked woman here was deliberately used for decorative purposes. This advertising of Tom Ford reinforces the already unbalance perception between men and women. This also contributes to male chauvinism and intensifies the already strong practice of sex objectification of women. This picture falls on the conventional mentality of advertising that uses young, beautiful, and yes, bold female models. Tom Ford must be reminded that advertising can greatly influence, directly or indirectly, shaping of the public mind and public opinion (Annandele). It can affect even how women value themselves in relationship to their selves, to male gender, and to the society as a whole. The kind of advertising Tom Ford promotes dehumanizes women to the public. It tends to sell the women’s body as a separate entity from her mind or even separate from her soul. It perpetuates the notion than nobody cares for a woman’s intelligent opinion as long as she has a sexy body. Furthermore, advertising that falls on selling women’s beautiful body magnifies female’s social insecurities (Gunter). Women are fallen victims that they have to strive to be desired, to be accepted and to achieve a perfect and beautiful body to belong. Women’s worth is being measured by the size of her boobs and the hips and the smoothness of her skin. Tom Ford’s advertising contributes, if not worsens the long history of the concept that womanhood is all about being the subject of men’s fantasies which in effect promotes the already grim reality of male dominance and aggression (Lambiase). Conclusion The likes of Tom Ford must be reminded that throughout history, women have been fighting for equality. Not a few women have even sacrificed their lives for the cause and still counting. The likes of Tom Ford must be reminded that everyday thousands of women are being raped all over the world because of the perception that his kind of advertising promotes. The likes of Tom Ford must be enlightened on the thought that millions of women all over the world suffer from domestic violence because there are husbands, who one way or another have been convinced that they have the right to dominate over their wives. There is nothing wrong in using sexuality or a naked woman’s body in advertising. But it should be done with taste and artistry. It should be crafted in a way that a naked woman’s body symbolizes freedom from inhibitions, exploitation and subservience. It’s a political expression for the women as it intends to send a message that a woman’s body in itself is empowerment rather than a mere sexual object or a symbol of desire. Women must be liberated from the bar of soap advertising has boxed them. Thus, responsible advertising must be promoted. Advertising must be redefined in a way that it can promote women’s struggle for equality. Advertising must be gender sensitive, not oppressive nor exploitative. Claiming to be prominent and famous, Tom Ford must be reminded that he must take responsibility on how he can influence the society’s mode of thinking as far as women are concerned. He must take some time out of his convenient life of the rich and famous. He must be challenged to visit some of the women who are in prison, in a rehabilitation center, in a shelter. He might be able to reflect that these women who one way or another were victimized because of his sexist advertising. Reference . Read More