Sexuality and Ethics in Advertising - Essay Example

Media Analysis First M. al Affiliation Media Analysis 0 Introduction Business becomes an influential factor that providesthe means in degrading the human dignity. The tangible proof for this is the proliferating representations of women in the advertising media and some of these relate to television commercials (Gould, 1994). This paper wishes to analyze one paradigm of a contemporary TV commercial to feed the significant developments and unfavorable happenings that media have supported to publicize. A paradigm of such TV commercial will be depicted including the characters and roles that give life to it, and the changes and violence that the medium dictates. The discussion will also connect cultural norms pertaining to sexually explicit materials and the public utilization of it. The infringement of human dignity will also be explicate, and lastly, the conclusion. 2.0 Conceptualization: TV Commercial Numerous commercials today are penetrating the world of television, especially in the United States. Representations are often instilled with amatory fantasies and desires (D’Emilio & Freedman, 1989, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 73). Nevertheless, such representations are consistently facing manifold accusations of contesting the ethics and morality of humanity in which most of them come from the Americans (D’Emilio & Freedman, 1989, Foucault 1990, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 73). This concern in advertising has been dubbed by Boddewyn (1991) as a “soft tissue,” which has the foundation of being subjective and community generated roots and values (as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 73). Furthermore, there are many forms of sexual appeals that may be perceived differently from other perspectives. The publicity of lewd materials should consider the potential feedback of the populace. Sexual appeals present in commercials are of manifold classifications and may comprise various factors. This can be made through the utilization of gorgeous models that would portray different levels of bareness and implications (Severn, Belch, & Belch, 1990, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 73). These visual attractions are sometimes incorporated with verbal factors (Severn et al., 1990, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 73) and other factors, such as sounds and scents. Deliberation should be done in order to stipulate on terms specifying the TV commercial if it may depict unethical or ethical concerns in the perspectives of the public (Richins, 1991, as cited in Gould, 1994, pp. 73-74). Also, such measures should be implemented because the commercial should receive positive recognition from the public (Gould, 1994, pp. 73-74). However, even if there is only a little sexual appeal that is tangible in the TV commercial, many would still condemn bareness in advertising (LaTour & Henthorne, 1993, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 74). 3.0 Summary of the Exemplar Mass Media Artifact: Hooters “Lifeguard” The Hooters has a new advertisement campaign that is entitled Lifeguard. In the TV commercial, two handy dummies, the good and evil in orange and white Hooters’ hues, have been utilized as they are murmuring to the lifeguard (“Hooters,” 2012). The initial setting of the commercial is in the swimming pool gym wherein there are old women. Apart from them is a lifeguard that is seemed to be bored because of the view. Later on, these two puppets are saying something, thus, implicating the lifeguard to go to Hooters for there are more young girls who are always ready to serve him rather than staying in a boring gymnasium. Also, the uttering is integrated with demeaning images of oldies. The transition of the scene is quick as the lifeguard sits on the table with many foodstuffs plus two Hooters’ Girls. The lifeguard is seemed to be energetic because of having these two women who come out with degrading images. Moreover, in the plot of the commercial, the old women who are swimming in the gym would nothing to do with the young Hooters’ Girls; however, they are utilized as laugh-about characters in catching the attention of the audience or viewers, primarily men. As compared to the Hooters’ Girls who are young and sexy with sexual representation showing a fraction of their confidential human body, adults are also showing their wrinkled body parts. Further, Hooters is a restaurant with Hooters’ Girls that served their customers or guests by joining them in the table (“About Hooters,” n.d.). This TV commercial by Hooters is worth analyzing because it represents cultural norms of gender, sexuality, and/or social class. 4.0 Analysis: Cultural Norms The contemporary generation has altered so many things about the community lifestyle. Furthermore, the community is becoming more open to sexual matters in the public domain. Sexuality has always been questioned in some media representations, especially in TV commercials. Also, gender concerns and social groups are often degraded through the presentation of demeaning images. There may be times that these representations may come as laugh-about materials, but they do not dissolve the violence and abusive representations pertaining to sexual appeals of a person. However, sexual appeals come in manifold degrees as such can be fused with other forms of sexual enchantment. For instance, a sexually definite representation can be determined through the vehement and demeaning types of pornography from the separate classification named erotica (Fisher & Barak, 1989, Gould, 1992, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 75). Pundits believed that viewing or reading certain types of explicit representation with regard to sexual matters can be doomed as unethical conduct towards women (Gould, 1992, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 75). On the other hand, watching or reading sexually explicit materials has become a cultural norm. It is because using such erotica can also bring favorable output to a person, especially to a married couple. For instance, perceiving such sexually explicit material can trigger a healthier behavior unto sex and the release of sexual force through a safe dimension (Gould, 1992, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 75). Some of the TV commercials that emerge nowadays become suggestive norms. However, some of them have also turned out to be abusive that may pertain to the demeaning images of women (Gould, 1994, p. 75). Furthermore, women became the center of public attention because of their demeaning viral images. The worst is that certain social groups, such as old women, are now being used as sexual representations that created offensive images. However, even if some TV commercials may just utilize them in comparative matter, there has to be appropriate representation of these oldies since they deserve the highest respect in the community. 5.0 Infringement of Human Dignity The general appeal is not a single focus since certain clusters of such appeals should also be considered (Gould, 1994, p.74). As what has been mentioned, social cluster, such as old women, is instilled in TV commercials; they should receive a favorable public recognition and should be treated as most high. However, they could still create vagueness on the reputation of old women even if images are utilized through the latter’s permission. The use of demeaning images of women, contrasting the young from the adult one, clearly implicates an offensive scheme. The nudity theme in the commercial is a plus factor to give birth such advertisement as a degrading one. On the other hand, nudity material is illicit as noted by Miller vs. California (1973) when it involves these three terms: (1) appealing a lewd interest; (2) apparently abusive and; (3) lacking any saving worth (as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 74). As to cultural, in contrast to legal terms, commercials can be regarded as lewd through varied clusters, which may consist of media supervisors who prohibit the publicity of such advertisements. Even if the optimum level of evaluation is through introspection, individual’s regularities should be considered in the regularities of the society (Gould, 1992, Linz et al., 1991, as cited in Gould, 1994, p. 75). The concerned media and some clusters have integrated and compelled societal regularities due to the violations committed by these TV commercials. Furthermore, even if sexual images may not be deemed as illegal, it should be deemed as unethical. In the first place, sexual images are unethical in which they violated the rationale of human dignity. Illegal and unethical can be fused, but these two terms can never be accepted by the rational community. Hence, the ethics and morale of every person should be dignified and preserved through deference. 6.0 Conclusion The media are influential tools in creating attraction and boosting attention to the public. However, in the line of marketing activities, advertisements have become detrimental because of the demeaning images of persons and misrepresentations. Recent TV commercials do not protect human dignity, but they ruin the reputation of a person or a certain cluster. The paradigm that has been mentioned in the utilization of women figure - young and old - is perfectly tangible into Hooters’ advertisement campaign. To utilize the sexual image of woman either young or old, suggests an explicit and offensive representation that can create unfavorable feedback from the viewers. The general public may sometimes be generalized in the deliberation of these TV commercials, thus, dissolving the significant social groups that can be solely harmed. Furthermore, there are a lot of things that need to be considered when talking about the sexual representations in commercial advertisements. Only if ethical issues are the sole element in constructing the plot of the commercial, there would have been no violations committed by the media. Somehow, legal issues are dissolving the rational, ethical, and morality of the plot, which trigger acceptance from the public. Therefore, it is necessary to stipulate the policies well that centers the media on its publication of immoral images. Nudity should be annihilated in all forms of media because the human body is holy and sacred. References About Hooters. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hooters.com/Company/About.aspx Gould, S. J. (1994). Sexuality and ethics in advertising: A research agenda and policy guideline perspective. Journal of Advertising, 23(3), 73-80. Hooters-“Lifeguard”-(2012):30 (USA). (2012). Retrieved from http://adland.tv/commercials/hooters-lifeguard-2012-30-usa Read More