Introduction I was skimming through my magazine one evening, and I came across your “Sexy Hair” hairspray ad with a look alike of Marilyn Monroe clothed in a black robe. It is not as if the ad was out of place in my magazine, but I did take a double take of the picture. The woman is exceedingly attractive and has an obvious sex appeal. But I find myself thinking, what does this beautiful woman’s body, have to do with the product of hair spray? I then thought about other ads that included full body images but only to advertise a shoe, lip color, or eye shadow.
There are many similarities etween all these advertisements. The girls are normally pretty, slender, often times famous, and overall “pleasing to the eye. ” Now do not get me wrong, I would love to look like the woman in the picture, but what is about the United States that we cant put a beefy, heavier set woman in an ad- and not about weight loss or body building. I analyzed the “Sexy Hair” advertisement a little more by studying the layout, color, and text to analyze what the visual is saying about women. Analysis, What is this picture really saying? This visual is directed towards women whom are 18 or older.
It is meant to catch the ye of the woman who wants to feel beautiful, sexy, and adventurous. The Marilyn model strikes the eye of the woman who feels the need to have a great sex appeal or need to feel sought after by men. But who said women need to have this sexy, adventurous, “uncensored” personality? The first thing I noticed was the colors used in this image: Pink, Black, and White. Oh, and the luscious red lips on the model no doubt added for the extra zest. Pink has been known as the feminine color for quite a while now. PINK being a logo and clothing line for Victoria’ Secret, the well-known underwear and clothing store for omen.
PINK started in 2002 to catch the eye of 15-22 year olds. The PINK line is a hot pink color, and not the light pink used for the earlier line. So would it not be a safe assumption that all girls and women love pink? I think it is interesting that according to many surveys including one from Diana Adam’s article “Men vs. Women: Our Favorite colors based on gender” shows that men and women actually prefer blue. For women, purple was the second most liked color. A theory from Jacci Howard Bear is that men like women in pink. He says “The color pink and women is likely ore of a cultural association than a strong preference.
However, this cultural association could mean that pink is not the ideal color for targeting men. ‘… when it comes to attracting the opposite sex, women will find that the color pink is a safe bet. While flattering, it also makes them appear vulnerable to men, and brings out a man’s protective nature. Women who don’t want to attract a man who sees them as needing to be looked after, may decide to wear the statement color red. ” ??” Secrets of Attraction Two: Color” Aha! Pink attracts men, that is why it is worn and known as sexy. And then there is that little insert about the color of red.
That it might be worn after” This uncensored, “not needing to be looked after” attitude is portrayed in this visual with the Red lips and hairspray bottle. It is a curious thought that the model isn’t wearing pink though, only the text is pink. The model is wearing black. Black is known for making curves known but slimming down as well. Every woman has that little black dress that they wear to look and feel sexy do they not? Do we really need to wear that little black dress to feel wanted and sexy? These are the questions posed by women on a daily basis.
Now apart from color, the layout really brings out the woman’s casual seductiveness. The woman is kneeling, and the text is shaped to fit her kneeling position. This draws attention to her slim figure. Her feet are behind her, bare and pointed. Her right hand is dangling gracefully, and her left hand daintily hold her clothing together in the middle- Just perfect so that a little skin is shown, but not enough to show too much. I do not think it was an ironic mistake that the hairspray and quote are in line with the her somewhat bare leg. The woman is in a very poised position, and almost ooking as if she is saying, “dare me. Does this image really make women think that if they buy the “sexy hair” product, they will look like her? I think a lot of women in todays society have the need to look and feel sexy, and some will go to any extent to feel that way- even if that means buying “Big Sexy Hair” hair spray. But why is that? Because today we have such a sex saturated society. Porn sites and magazines are one of the most successful businesses that we have in the United States today. Women have to compete to be seen, it’s no wonder they will buy any product with a eautiful woman thinking that if they use it they will become the same way.
Now the text says it all. The “dare me” attitude is really revealed when the famous Marilyn Monroe quote is read. “l love to do things the censors won’t pass. ” What does that even mean? Do men really think it is sexy when women do things they aren’t expected to do? I think the quote is meant to hit the women who have a need to feel powerful. Women in the 1950’s were fighting for equality, but what are we fighting for now, dominance over men? It is a curious thought as to why women in the U. S. feel he need to be powerful and adventurous and that men think it is sexy. Styles Change, But Sexy is Forever,” is a phrase that tells us that this image of being sexy has been around for a long time. I think over the decades sex appeal has been brought out and acted upon more and more, as it appears in more and more ads and movies. Not beautiful- but sexy. Conclusion In conclusion, I think this image is saying that sexiness is an important trait for women to have. Labeling a hair spray bottle as “Big Sexy Hair” assuming that women will buy it because they think it really will give them big sexy hair is a sure sign that omen want to look sexy, and feel that they need to be sexy in order to attract a man.
This is a disappointing observation, because I feel women should seek to be noticed for their personality and their values. Sure it is good to look attractive, but women feel attractive. It is a sex saturated society, and I feel in this day and age the United States has lost their values somewhere along the lines. But it is only women who can surely make the change. If women keep dressing to be sexy, men will notice them for their sexiness. Women have to demand more, and be more, than Just a “Big Sexy Thing. “
