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"Sex Sells" is the Flickr stream for the worst in sexist advertising
By Brian FairbanksSeptember 29th, 2010, 12:26 pmComments (8)
Many men don't realize how difficult it is for some reason to flip through a magazine or drive past a billboard without seeing something that's undeniably insulting to women. That's why we're glad Flickr user woman_objectofdesire has a great, 34-page Photostream up.
It's called "Sex Sells" and captures hundreds of pics (615 at last count) of women being used in degrading ways in advertising. As many of the images are from international publications, you'd be forgiven for being slightly relieved that America isn't the worst culprit here... then again, it's nothing to get high and mighty about.
Note the fine print on this one: "Men don't want to look at naked men." Uh, thanks, jbs, "men's underwear."
Let's not forget that naked women often feature on the covers of records. However, I guess we can't fault a guy who recorded his live album at a sandwich shop.
Leave Lily Tomlin's stand-in alone, Ron Rico!
Here's the PETA ad that Copyranter called "Maybe the best PETA ad ever (though it still features a topless woman)."
Commentarium (8 Comments)
Certainly many of the examples in the series are disturbing (especially those with not-so-subtle references to rape), but some seem like odd choices while others don't even appear to be advertisements. The only logic I can come up with to justify all the choices would mean that any photograph/illustration of a female is exploitative - perhaps that's the point, but it would be an odd one for Nerve to promote.
The real Eddie Mack was a black blues singer. I don't know who this imposter is.
VoR, I tried not to use the ones that were REALLY offensive because, well, why promote the real culprits?
I don't feel the ad for Leather Goddesses of Phobos II should have made the Flickr user's list. Sure, it's tasteless, but that's kind of the point - it was what Infocom called a "sex farce." Complaining about a LGoP ad being sexist is kind of like complaining about Playboy ads being too racy. It kind of misses the point.
Thanks for mentioning my photo collection! The common element of all the photos should be the objectification of the female body in advertising. I tried and eliminated most of the photos which do not directly fit in this category - although "sex sells" is a very broad subject, which should also include e.g. the sexy TV presenter who sells the broadcasting chain. Sure, this side has a strong voyeurist touch, but it can also be used for critical and research purposes:
www.flickr.com/sex-sells
The link doesn't seem to work for me, apparently the 'member is no longer active'?
Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but MY member was REALLY active pawing through those pics.
Get over yourself. You can't watch TV or flip through a magazine without seeing an ad that's insulting to men, either. Don't believe me? If there's a man and a woman in an ad and one of them is stupid, which one is it every time?
And the notion that the female body is beautiful, in contrast to the male body, is insulting to women? Really? Get the fuck over yourself.
Now you say something