11: UK Love

Do the Brits really differ that much from American culture? It’s an interesting question whether or not the UK is more accepting of “controversial” topics when it comes to sex, sexual orientation, and the like.  Personally I noticed the most difference when I read one of my favourite magazines – Cosmopolitan.  There are two completely separate issues printed per month: one is American and the other is the UK edition. A few days ago when I was skimming through the UK edition online I noticed that there was a particular article written about the different accepted controversial topics within the UK and America.

First off, they were saying that a show called “Skins”, a very popular show in the UK, has caused an outrage in parents in the US.  The show features teens who are experimenting with sexuality and drugs.  They call this issue the “culture clash” between the UK and America.

Another very controversial issue they were speaking about it homosexuality.  It was reported that in various US supermarkets, an image with Elton John, his husband, and their son, was covered up as it was on the first page.  This was said to be done to protect young shoppers.  The UK saw these as a large culture clash because they in general are very welcoming of all types of sexual orientations. Personally I think it is ridiculous to be covering up such an image… what do they think they are protecting kids from? Homosexuality is not something that can be learned from looking at a picture, it is not chosen so therefore if they learnt the facts maybe they would understand there is nothing to be “protecting” young children from.

From my point of view between the UK and American Cosmopolitan issues there are some extreme differences.  The American issue of course talks about sex, but in a soft, politically correct way.  Everything is worded very perfectly to not potentially offend any viewers. In addition the photos used in the magazine always feature simple poses, with either fully clothed or underwear bearing models. This version of the magazine seems to be quite acceptable to most Americans. 

The UK version features sexually explicit stories, articles, and advertisements.  They don’t dare leave anything out when it comes to talking about sex and sexuality.  The photos used are either underwear models or nude models in daring poses. The other interesting difference is that included in every Cosmopolitan UK edition, there is a “Cosmosutra” section showing different/favourite positions for the month to try.  It is rare to see something so descriptive in the US version.

So are the Brits more accepting to sexual culture? The fact that they even have to have two different versions of the magazine in general tells you a little something about the difference in cultures. I believe that Britain seems in this instance to be more culturally accepting than the US. But I also think they’re doing it right! I feel as though in North American culture people are too shy or prudish to embrace sexuality. Who says these issues need to be so taboo in society; we all have bodies, wants, and needs – let’s use them!

Source:

 http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/lifestyle/todays-big-issue-culture-clashes-112544

10: The New Ideal Male

Gone is the Hulk image as a representation of a real man. Men’s ideal representations in our popular culture have made a shift from somewhat unattainable images. These images tended to be anywhere from superheroes to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hyper masculine man usually had sported overly large muscles, had superpowers, and/or was rugged looking. In other words they were the definition of “manly”. These ideal males were used in advertising to portray the dominant male figure. At the time it seemed as though that was what men were striving to be, therefore it made sense to advertise using that image of the male.

The shift that happened in advertising is that now the ideal male is represented as a more metrosexual style of man. This man is still hardworking and usually fit, but not to the extensive point of protruding muscles and veins. He is more of a successful career man, but also a family man who cares about his kids and partner. He can also be a working male who is single, but still very image conscious and usually self-absorbed. This is true of women as well being the house maker. She is loyal to her family and wants to keep them healthy. For this reason advertisements that are telling the woman what to feed her family instead of garbage work very well to target the woman.

The design for the ideal male is looking good while still being a manly and strong. This has created an upswing in lots of advertisements, but for this purpose I will be discussing the rise in men’s body care products. Advertisers use notions of strength and technology across male cosmetics.

A perfect example of the new ideal male would be those featured on the new Old Spice body wash, deodorant, and soap ads. They feature “the man your man could smell like”. From a male perspective the slogan is to “smell like a man, man”. There is one in particular that features a well dressed male, who looks distinguished and is very charming. The ad features the man saying how he can turn things like concert tickets into diamonds into whatever you like, therefore he is a successful male that can provide for his woman and make all her wishes come true in the snap of his fingers.

Another important aspect of the advertisement is the fact that for a portion of it the man is half male, half horse. This symbolizes the power and strength behind the man, without the large vainly muscles popping out of his clothing. In some cultures the horse also represents success, nobility, wisdom, and loyalty. That is exactly what our ideal male is said to portray.

The Old Spice advertisements are funny and charming, while depicting the man every man wants to be, and the man every woman wants.

9: Sex Starvation

“Rev up your sex life!” Look familiar? That’s probably because this is the type of slogan posted all over magazines when you’re scanning the rack for something that sparks your interest. Just the other day I received my Women’s Health magazine in the mail and the first thing I saw was a cover title like that.  Low and behold when I turn to the page it is a full spread of why couples are having less sex than they should be. You’re in a rut, you’re tired, you’re stressed, overwhelmed… etc, etc and the list goes on. Relationships are being starved of sex because of other stresses and issues. Sex should be used as a release from all of these everyday stresses.

Another issue with the lack of sex is the lack of exercise and healthy eating.  Obesity is a major issue in Canada within children, teens, and adults. It’s hard to believe that these people are entirely comfortable in their own skin, which makes getting down and dirty a little bit unbearable for them to imagine.

Sex can help us! We need to start feeling more confident about ourselves and be willing to use this act as a way to help.  What a way to feel sexy. We don’t need magazines and television telling us we need to be having more sex in our relationships – we need to start acting now. Society is far too high strung, maybe we should all think back to the hippie days and relax a little bit – feel liberated.  Once we assess the real reason the sex numbers are soaring down, we can start to fix it.

What has your life or relationship come to when you are too stressed to do the one thing that should release your stress?

8: Liberation of Facebook Sexuality

While many might think that this means we are more open to sex, Rutherford suggests that mostly the liberation has been women who are more willing to be on display as objects of lust for men.

This is a fascinating point, and I have noticed it has come into play on one of the most popular web pages. Of course, I’m talking about the ever famous Facebook.

I have seen countless amounts of female Facebook pages that seem to be either A: trying to entice men, B: trying to make other females jealous, or C: All of the above. I’m going to go with C as the most realistic answer, but am going to speak more relatively to women trying to entice men via Facebook pictures. Women seem more and more interested and willing to show off their bodies not only to people they know, but to the general public.  We all know it is normal for celebrities and the like to be seen worldwide prancing around in their bikinis, but now it’s just your average female.

It seems almost as though these women have a low level of self respect.  Of course you need to ask yourself what kind of woman wants her 1000 friends on Facebook (half of which I’m sure she barely knows) to see her half naked in her pictures? This could be a self respect issue, but it could also be a confidence issue. It seems as though many of these half naked pictures are put up just for the comments that deem: “you look beautiful”, “sexy”, and so on. The thing that these women may not realize is just how “on display” their body is.  Once you’ve uploaded a picture to Facebook for your friends or the public to see, these people have the power to save this picture and pass it along. Whether it is for confidence or to lure men, women should be looking at the dangers of doing this.

But not only women are doing this. Although it does seem as though there are more woman showing themselves off in their Facebook profiles, men are doing it too. I see many profiles of men making an attempt to, I would assume, persuade the on looking female by using pictures with flexed muscled, shirts off, etc. It is rare to see a male topless picture where the man is not flexing his muscles.

Many people are willing to post alluring photos of themselves on Facebook, which is a superficial view of self for most people. It has almost become a second identity to people, which they are judged by day to day. Whatever happened to don’t judge a book by its cover?

How about don’t judge a person by their Facebook cover?

.. Yeah right like that would ever happen.

7: Sexy Architecture

Webster’s dictionary describes the phallus (another word for penis) as “a representation of the penis and testes as an embodiment of generative power”. Key word here is power.  Power and sex are so commonly linked it is not surprising to find links between the two and architectural design. The phallus being used as a symbol of power and might gives power to the male through architecture. Time and time again we find symbols in our society to continue to prove the idea that men are the more powerful sex.

The Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee, Florida, is both an architectural and historically significant building.  Many of the state capitols look alike, with one seemingly common theme to them.  The common theme in architectural design to these buildings is a large upright tower with smaller buildings attached on the side.   To many eyes, this can be seen as a depiction of the male phallus. For example take a look at the photo of Florida State Capitol, and see how easy it is to find the sexual innuendo. When pictures are caught at a certain angle it’s almost hard NOT to see it:

Another historic building that was found to be quiet obviously a male organ is the water tower of Ypsilanti, Michigan. (See below)

The towers phallic shape has not gone unnoticed by the public. It has been deemed the “brick dick” by locals, and is a common building for comedians to poke fun at. One of the legends to the tower is that if a student ever graduated a virgin from Eastern Michigan University, the tower would collapse.

These types of things bring up the real question of why this seems to be such a popular design for monumental and historical buildings? Could it be because of masculine power? Or merely because it is a rational architectural design to use? Or of course maybe it is not due to power, just to draw attention to the monument as humans are extremely sexual beings.

Whatever the reason, I believe it is quite comedic to have buildings that portray sex.  Maybe that’s the key to why all these buildings seem to be so historically significant.

Sources:

http://www.flhistoriccapitol.gov/

www.arborwiki.org/city/Ypsilanti_Water_Tower

www.michiganexposures.blogspot.com/2011/…/ypsilanti-water-tower.html

6: Identity Crisis

“Who are we when there’s 7 billion of we?” – Professor Strangelove

Loneliness and depression are said to be two of the most common addressed in medical institutions in our society.  Why is this so? The extreme role of media in our perceptions of self has created an identity crisis. It is difficult to maintain a cohesive identity within society when everyone seems to be following the masses. Many members in society are striving for the same identity, which deems the question of how are we different from one another? We try to be different but there is a strong competition with others within society to fight for identity. Sometimes it feels as though there are 500 people trying to be the same person, but we all can’t be the same person. This is where the identity crisis comes into play.

How do we deal with feelings of being just another somebody?

When our identity is feeling unstable, we try to find something secure to hold onto. Advertising offers an indirect solution to feelings of instability due to personal identity. Consumption often feels like the one thing we can control in our lives, and therefore advertising plays a big part in this control. We can control what we choose to buy, when, how, and why.  Advertising gives us the means to explore many different options but showing us what products are out there and why they are right for us.  Our control comes in when we are at the liberty to decide what exactly we want to buy and when. Even though we can control our consumption, identity will always be something that is ambiguous.

Our identity in western cultures is that we must be approved by everyone we met.  When first meeting someone the average citizen of western society will ask what you’ve achieved, your schooling, your job, etc.  It is no longer important on first impression to talk about your interests and hobbies, it is important to place yourself in a credible position in society due to achievements. I believe that this is where western society get the “better than you” mentality.

5: Advertisers Using Taboo Concepts for the Good?

Rutherford’s thesis of “fascination around taboo to attach meaning to goods” brings up an excellent idea of how advertisers can keep their product in our minds, especially when we are surrounded by media all day every day. They use myth, illusion, and hoaxes to catch our attention about taboo topics in society. This is manipulation by advertisers on consumers.

How can they do this to us so easily?

By using taboo ideas and materials in advertising, we are drawn to the advertisement itself.  It creates and interest and excitement within the consumer whether they relate with or need to product at all.  They draw us into the ad by showing us something we are not used to, or not used to thinking about in public.  This is where they catch the consumer – remembering the product. When it comes to remembrance most people remember things that stand out to them in particular.  What stands out more than anything? A taboo idea, theme, or object.  The advertisers use this in hopes that the consumer will remember their advertisement, and therefore remember their product.  It can really trick a consumer into buying things or services they do not need, or it can be quiet useful to society.

Sexual abuse, violence, drinking and driving, suicide, aids… and the list goes on.  There are types of advertisements for help with these issues as well as collecting donations for the cause.  These advertisements often use graphic images and ideas that could be deemed “taboo” under most circumstances.  It’s these types of advertisements that catch your eye and make you lose your words while you watch it.  It’s these types of advertisements that you sit back after seeing it and say “wow”. But it’s these types of advertisements that work.  They get us to see something that hits close to home for some people, or is something that is never thought about for others.  Whatever these advertisements do for you, they at the very least make you think, and usually leave an impression on you. This is an excellent example when advertisers mind tricks and manipulation can be used for the enhancement of our knowledge and understanding of these important taboo topics.

Source:

Rutherford, Paul (2007). A World Made Sexy: From Freud to Madonna. University of Toronto Press.

4. Vacation or Vacation Club?

I spent my reading week this winter in Walt Disney World, Orlando Florida. While I was there I decided to pay extra attention to the advertising Disney World does within the “world” to promote their organization. From the moment Disney bus picked us up at the airport, to when it brought us back to the airport at the end of our trip, Disney World was getting into our minds about planning our next trip through Disney travel.

Disney Vacation Club was established to help travellers easily, and cost efficiently, book Disney theme park vacations, cruises, and a multitude of other popular travel destinations. Basically, a member of the Vacation Club can visit and park, destination within their guidelines, or Disney cruise at a discounted price.  They offer many popular destinations such as Mexico, Cuba, many areas of Europe, etc.  The idea is that there is a destination in there for everyone. The vacation club seemed to be their number one promoted idea within Disney World. Of course they try to get you back to Disney World first by giving reminders about booking your next vacation, and the deals you can be given for doing so.  But to make sure they’ve got you hooked in, they have vacation club in the event that you do not want to return to this specific Disney destination.

To start off the bus that picked us up from the airport was called the Magical Express. This magical express was painted to portray a cruise ship and had Disney Cruise advertisements all over it, even though it was headed to Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Once we were dropped off at our hotel we proceeded to check in. With this check in you are given a booklet which contains all the important maps and documents you need for the trip. Also in this package are tons of flyers for none other than the Disney Vacation Club: how to become a member, the advantages of becoming a member, where you can go and so on.

When we really got out into the hotel atmosphere and walking around all the different parks, we noticed Disney Vacation Club booths set up all over the place! They would try to suck everyone in from young couples, to older couples, to large families.  It seemed as though they were being quiet successful most of the time with getting people to have a seat and listen to what they have to say.

Lastly, on the bus ride back to the airport they play a funny video involving the characters and how they are sad to be leaving Walt Disney World. Following the sad goodbyes the video sprung into ways to continue the magic.  Well the vacation club of course! It was crazy to see so many advertisements for the same thing in one week and almost I would say was overwhelming.  Because of the nature of Disney World you are taken out of the everyday world and everyday advertisement, but brought into a world of Disney advertisements and products.

While I always thought society was far too surrounded by ads I have realized that a society which only advertises one thing can be far more overwhelming and controlling.

3: Vintage Sexism

Freud was wrong about a lot of his theories, but one thing he was right about was the great importance of the sexual drive. In viewing many vintage commercials in class is it evident that men have the power over women in vintage advertisements and in society at that time.  For instance the Folger’s commercial displays a woman making coffee for her husband, and her main focus is for him to like it.  Her major priority in life is not only to do things for her husband, but to do everything up to his highest standards.  If the woman does not follow through with pleasing her man then she feels inadequate and useless.  The woman feels her place in this world is to be there for the pleasure of her husband.

Another advertisement that was shown was the vintage Volve commercial.  It essentially was diplaying the stereotype that women cannot understand or drive cars as well as men can. The idea of the advertisement is that a woman could not drive a stick shift, while the Volve is an automatic.  This is geared toward men who want a nice new car, without the risk of their woman driving it and ruining it.

An interesting point was brought up in class about how in today’s society when a woman and man are driving together in a car, more often than not the woman is in the passengers seat. This could be explained in a number of reasons. Depending on the seriousness of the realtionship it could come down to just a matter of who owns the car.  Another point that was brought up was it could date back to when men had the control over women. If the car is the symbol of power and freedom, when occupied by two genders the man is taking dominance over the woman.

Personally I think the majority of this comes from the fact that civalry is not dead.  A man likes to take care of his woman, therefore he wants to escort her when driving in the car, as he feels that is his duty. While this still could be seen as displaying dominance over the woman, it is more respectful than doing it for the sheer reason of dominance. The man in this case is serving the woman by escorting her around. 

In any case, it is different for each driving situation. I, however, chose to believe that a man still has the desire to serve his woman.

2: Online Pornography Leading to the Industry’s Downfall

Advertising for porn is quiet tricky. How much is too much? Showing full on naked sexual acts in advertising is a little much I would say. But they need to advertise somehow.  The best way to be able to advertise is online because as we all know from pop-ups, anything can show up online – there are no boundaries.  Will the soft pornography industry be able to keep up while losing funds because of online porn? With online porn marketing it seems like it may be a tough battle.

Of course they will, they are the porn industry, but they will be suffering a substantial loss of revenue. Michael Strangelove quotes Jacquie McNish in his book stating that

“In the old, physical world, the entertainment industry has two revenue streams: subscription and advertising. But in the new, electronic world, there are few things that consumers seem willing to pay for” (Strangelove p. 83).

This is such a true statement. Nobody wants to pay for something they can get for free. So why would anyone pay for a subscription to a soft porn magazine, when they can access the same content online? If the industry wants to stop this it will be nearly impossible. People will always make their own websites that can be accessed for free.

However, the soft porn industry can either make the websites that they own have a membership fee, or they can simply take any of their content off the internet. That way, if anyone wants to illegally post their content, it will likely be much less quality than the industry itself would put out.

The way they should NOT try to get people to subscribe is by using the obnoxious pop-ups. I hope to never again see one of those million that tend to pop up on the screen when you have a computer virus.

In conclusion I think that eventually everything on the internet is going to be viewed for a price. So I can safely say the soft porn will likely start heading that way.

Sources

Strangelove, Michael. The Empire of Mind: Digital Piracy and the Anti-Capitalist Movement. University of Toronto Press: 2005.