Sexualized Minorities, "Otherness" and Heterosexism.

Non-hetero sex is portrayed in the media along with a buffer. The line is rarely crossed, and heterosexual beings are portrayed in a much stronger light. If any of the same lines of heterosex are brought on non-hetero sex, then it leads to more confinement and often times monitoring occurs.

The first image is an advertisement for being an organ donor. In this ad, a woman in just her bra and underwear is shown along with the line “Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her.” The explicitness of the ad is that the woman is a sexualized being, but an unattainable sexual being. Being an organ donor would assure that your body parts can get inside sexy women like the one seen in the ad. Under the surface, this advertisement perpetuates the notion that women in their bras and underwear are to be looked at and objectified, and that men are expected to have hetero sex.
The second image depicts a homosexual relationship, by connotation versus actually showing the two in any physical relationship. The two men are pictured in bed together, with their shirts off, but most of the advertisement is a white sheet, showing somewhat of a buffer between what is acceptable and what might be considered “lewd”

The third image is from a pepsi commercial found on Youtube. This advertisement was shown in the UK but then banned for its subject matter. In the ad, two men are urging their friend to go up to the bar. When the guy stands up he passes a series of women and finally goes up to a man to hit on him. The two men sitting down are shocked that their friend is hitting in a man, and it is then they find out that their friend is gay. The fact that this ad was banned shows that society as a whole is not entirely ready to view same-sex relationships and that there is indeed a double standard when it comes to heterosexual relationships and homosexual relationships.

The fourth image is a condom commercial showing balloon animals. In the ad, the animals are having a variety of sexual positions and activity, and the whole notion of the ad is that it is “fun” and “uplifting” the fact that the animals are used in place of real people is striking to consider, and that it is acceptable when sex is shown as playful, but if people were to replace the animals, a different response would have been heard.

The fifth image shows heterosexual relations in a different light. In this ad, the notions of condom use are shown, however the undertone of the ad is still somewhat playful in context. The overarching theme here is that it is acceptable for heterosexual people to have sex, but they must do it safely.

Appropriate Sex

Socially constructed "appropriate" sex is commonly found in advertising and main media. First and foremost, heterosexual encounters are what are depicted as being the "norm" next: we have the biggest brand of condoms out there Trojan Condoms. Trojan always advertises the use of "safe" sex and often times depicts it as being safe heterosexual sex.

The second advertisement is a toilet paper company, that has chosen to display their toilet paper as also being pleasurable. Visually, we see a nude man and a woman wearing only a towel. They are facing one another in a way that suggests that they are sexually interested in one another. The appropriate sex here is one where the man is the aggressor. His nudity shows that he is ready-and-willing, while the woman is still wearing her towel, but is in a stance that suggests that the towel may soon come off.

Again we have a heterosexual relationship in which the woman is taking off the man's pants. They both look like they are in the middle of their activities and are "appropriately" enjoying themselves.
With this advertisement we have a man and a woman skimpily dressed with their legs interlocking one another. It appears as though the man has taken off the girl's hat, and they are caught mid-foreplay.
Here we have a man and a woman's feet shot in a way that suggests that they are having sex. The woman's panties are down around their ankles and the advertisement states "The first thing she notices...are your shoes" Here we have the ideal that not only are women interested in shoes, but once we get down to it, all woman are interested in shoes and then the men that are attached to them, and are ready-and-willing to have sex.
Last we have a man and a woman making out for a jeans advertisement. They are both seen wearing only the jeans are are shot in a way that depicts sexual activity.

Specifically Sexualized Masculinity

Masculine sexuality is seen in the media as being assertive, dominating and forceful. There is a “no-holds barred” to the way the male is seen in the sexual light, and while boundaries are set for what can and cannot be shown, there is an air of “no excuses” when it comes to how men are sexually portrayed.

As with feminine sexuality, masculine nudity is prohibited in the public, however more of the female body is shown in advertisements sans full breasts and crotch-area, whereas in masculinity it is common for guys to just be seen with their shirts off. Anything showing their whole body is deemed lewd and unacceptable.

For the first advertisement, there is a guy’s torso shown, the man with his shirt off and in the moment of taking off his pants. This is a still-frame shot that gives way to what would happen next, however the frame is just showing pre-nudity rather than just showing the guy in his boxers or stripping.

The second advertisement uses a tongue-in-cheek approach, showing a sexual act while at the same time objectifying the woman and reaffirming male dominance. His sexual drive is shown as being a picture of a BMW car in place of the woman’s face, and that his desires are not only sex, but cars as well; this reestablishes the male interest and pleasure over the woman’s pleasure.

The third advertisement shows an Abercrombie and Fitch model taking his shirt off. He is not-so-much modeling the clothing as he is showing off his physique. The interesting notion here is that several times Abercrombie has received flack for their ads and showing barely-clothed male models, whereas a brand like Victoria’s Secret is able to adhere to social boundaries and guidelines with their bra and panty show.

The forth picture is a composite of various advertisements and magazine covers featuring men. In particular, the area of interest is the Dolce & Gabanna advertisement seen on the left. The man is seen wearing only his boxers and a watch, and the lighting is subdued so as not to give too much away. You also don’t get any full-on glances of the male’s body or anything that would give way to being socially unacceptable to show.

This last advertisement shows male sexuality with humorous undertones. The guy is seen in a passive pose in front of a fireplace, which is a very common stance for a woman. The humor of the advertisement explicitly shows that while women would be taken seriously and shown as sexual, the man here is just a mere parody of the idea of sexuality. This affirms the notion that while women are expected to be sex figures, males are not to be seen as sexual because it may then lead way to them being even the least big submissive.

Feminine Sexuality

The media’s portrayal of femininity and its inherent link to the woman as being a sexual being is prevalent and found in most often advertisements, but not excluding role models and other such media artifacts outside print media and photography.

The first advertisement shown is a perfume advertisement for Calvin Klein’s Escape. Perfume in and of itself can be seen as a necessity higher than the basics of toothpaste and shampoo, but something that can be used as a tool for smelling good and feeling one’s best. In this case, the advertisement is showing perfume as having an erotic power, and the name of the perfume clearly ties into the notion that being a woman and wearing this scent will allow you to escape and go outside of your comfort zone and boundaries. The woman in the ad is seen as an aggressor, and an object that wants sex at all costs. She is driven to literally be on top of the man and to act accordingly.

The next picture shows the cast from the MTV show The Hills. Arguably, these four young women can be seen as MTV’s mold, creation and above all billboards for fashion brands and boosting MTV’s ratings and sales. On another level, these girls are role models for the younger generation. Teenage girls look to the cast of The Hills as being “who they want to be” and how they want to dress and appear. The other level here is that these girls exude a type of sexuality, that of the “consumer lifestyle” mentioned in the Markle text; that consumerism is sexuality and sexuality is consumerism. These girls are attractive in the way that they present themselves, and are presented in a rich and luxurious style that girls look up to them while at the same time, guys are attracted to them.

This Bebe advertisement is interesting in that it is “selling” their product by the means of a scantily-clad woman, seen as being feminine only by the means of showing her body, wearing a bikini, and being surrounded by purses. The bikini adds an element of sexuality where by no means necessary are women going to feel compelled to buy the product by the attractiveness of the girl, but they also might envision themselves as being attractive and catching the eye of men if only by the means of purchasing Bebe products and accessories.

America’s Next Top Model is an interesting specimen to behold in that the whole show is centered around 1. Tyra Banks and 2. Tyra Banks’ desire to make girls’ dreams come true: that they are attractive, and that they are womanly enough to be hired on as a “Top Model”. In the context of this picture, there are two models from one of the cycles of the show, seen wearing very little clothing, and performing what appears to be a menage a trois with the man on the floor and the two of the women facing each other. Both women exude “femininity” in that they are wearing girl clothing and accessories (of what little they do have), but given the context of the photograph including their body language and facial expressions, sexuality is also a huge focus of the picture.

This last advertisement for Versace seems to show a “his” and “hers” cologne. While there is a man pictured to display the “ideal” masculinity” The ideal “femininity” of the woman is clearly displayed in that you see more of her body than you do of the man’s. Her curves and relaxed body position allude being held by the man suggest sexual undertones, all the while perpetuating the ideal that a woman is feminine by 1. her body parts and 2. her inherent desire to seek out sex and be nude.

Pornographic images are frequently found in mainstream media. That which objectifies women and puts them in the position to be lewd sex slaves and will stop at nothing to get sex. Below are some videos, discovered on YouTube that contain commercials, music videos, and television shows alluding to pornographic acts.

The first image is the Carl’s Jr. ad featuring Paris Hilton. This commercial only remained on the air for a short period of time due to its taboo subject matter. In the video a scantily clad Paris Hilton is seen rubbing all over a car, washing the car as well as shoving a hamburger in her mouth. The point here being that while Paris Hilton is not participating in sex acts, she is still alluding to them by her appearance as well as her body language. She is seen as nothing more than an object.

The second video is for an Axe body spray product. In the video a guy is seen as having “X-ray vision” where he sees a number of girls in just their bras and underwear. At the end of the commercial the man meets a girl after he sprays himself with the cologne and then she sees him in his underwear. The commercial again gives emphasis on sex acts, and is pornographic in a “foreplay” sense; this commercial was also seen on the mainstream circuit for a period of time.

This next advertisement is something that is completely mainstream, although has been out of public eye for a period of time. The ever-popular Herbal Essences commercial featuring a woman in the shower with her shampoo having an “Organic experience” while her partner is listening to her talk to the shampoo, he is perplexed and wondering who she is talking to.

The Pussycat Dolls can be viewed as burlesque dancers in the Pop Music circuit. They are always tightly dressed in very few articles of clothing, and are seen in this music video bumping and grinding on chairs. The pornographic material seen here is the objectification of women, their stance in the Pop music scene as being nothing more than bodies to look at, and the above all adherence to the norms of Pop music singers - you have to look good and not necessarily sound good.

Lastly, here is a clip from Gossip Girl. The tone of the show is young adults having sex, in this particular clip one character is seen as getting “Sex tips”, although the whole 52 seconds of the clip portrays nothing but pornographic material.

Objectified and Empowered Sexuality

“In the subordination of women, inequality itself is sexualized: made into the experience of sexual pleasure, essential to sexual desire. Pornography is the material means of sexualizing inequality.” - Dworkin.

Dworkin describes "obscenity law" as both concealing (discrediting) information or images as well as burying or hiding what is deemed to be “filth” (i.e. dirty, disgusting, unacceptable). Dworkin describes that the naked body is considered filth and must be covered up. In terms of the advertisments, you get the general idea of nudity with concealing the "obscene" information such as certain private parts, as that might stir a male erection, which in terms of obscenity law, this is the act that must be concealed and avoided. The advertisements skate on the lines of what is acceptable and what would be considered “filthy” and violating obscenity law.

The following images are a way of visually showing what it means to be either an objectified woman, or an empowered woman in terms of sexuality.

The first advertisement ties into the notions of being within the safe realm of obscenity law, while still grasping at the notion of a woman and her sexuality. She is seen here as being dirty and even begs to be cleaned by the writing on her stomach. She is not an individual, but rather a mannequin, an anonymous headless body that need not be known as a person or a human being. This is what Dworkin discusses in her text, as well as Jensen & Dines: the inequality of the woman is that she is not a human being. Therefore the objectification of the woman is seen clearly in the advertisement.

This second advertisement expresses similar notions, such that the woman does not have her face shown. In this case, it is just her upper body and mouth pictured, which can be seen as representations for her submission to sexual acts. Her stance and the photograph explains that the cologne is not the only thing “For Men” as such this is not just an advertisement but another example of a woman’s objectification.

Once again, the woman for this alcohol advertisment is not shown as having any specific identifying features. There is nothing that claims her to be an individual rather than just a model of the woman’s body. There is not much to elaborate on this advertisement as it has the same concepts as the previous two.

In this Calvin Klein advertisement we see a different dynamic and that is that there is both a man and a woman pictured in the ad, as well as both of their faces being shown. They are also wearing clothes. However, the stance and body language of both people allude to sexual acts, and on the man’s terms versus the woman’s. This woman is seen as being in the man’s submission and the look on her face suggests that she is powerless to him. She is allowing herself to be objectified.

This last advertisement speaks to a different dynamic and that is the “empowerment” expressed. Beyonce is known to be an empowered woman, a “Diva” as many would deem her, she is a media epitome of the “strong” woman, who is in charge of herself and exudes confidence. The advertisement is for a brand of makeup, in which Beyonce’s whole body is seen, and still skirts on the line of “obscenity law”. She is wearing clothing, however it is nude clothing, and while it does have texture it still shows the shape of her body without showing off her whole body. Hartley might suggest that Beyonce exhibits the “positives” for being a sexual model and that Beyonce has a higher self-image than those who are not photographed in such a form. The other notion here is that Beyonce appears to be confident, as if she has her eye on a man. Hartley explains that in some ways “men will follow sexually if lead by a woman”. Beyonce is leading and expecting a man to follow. The contradiction here is that while Beyonce is empowered, she is still subjected to the same treatment as the women in the previous advertisements: she is known and is her own brand, however she is still submitting herself to objectification, and still fits the mold of a woman as a body/thing rather than a human being based on her celebrity status.

-Jill Potter