Stereotypes in America have existed for hundreds of years. They were present before the Internet, television, radio, and even magazines. This is not to say that these newer media devices do not contribute to the overwhelming prevalence of racism, sexism, and stereotyping. Typecasting occurs regularly in society, for men, and especially women. Advertisers are the single largest contributor to the continuation of female degradation and sexual bias in our society. Advertising plays a tremendous role in promoting labels. Direct marketing techniques demand that people be placed in certain specific groups. The more defined a group is the better for the advertisers. Their goal is to create a situation where an entire group of people feel the same way, think the same way, and most importantly shop the same way. In the ads that I have found there seem to be three main types. The female body displayed as a sexual object; today’s ads have created a society where the Kate Mosses of the world epitomize beauty. It is these types of ads that are responsible for the “80% of school girls … watching their weight” (Kilbourne). These second type exhibits the housewife who is nurturing, caring, older, and unsexual. These ads feature women as competent only cleaning, cooking, and taking care of children. The final type is the empowered female, in control, young, and attractive. It is only the third type of ad, which occurred much less frequently that empowered and recognized women as equal to men. It is necessary that advertisers change their assessment of women. Women are more than sex objects and housewives; moreover, they constitute half of the consumers in the country. With a change in advertising policies companies will serve dual purposes, their sales to women will increase and, girls will have an opportunity to feel good about themselves, their bodies, and who they are.Traditionally women in media have fille...
