Advertisements and Journalistic Images - What Worldview is Being Sold?

Advertisements are often extremely sexist. Advertisers seem to believe that any product will sell better if a women is being sexualized and/or degraded, from clothes to food to beer. Evidence suggests that this is not accurate. Sex does not, in fact, sell (unless the item being sold is sexual in nature). Despite this, advertisers continue to flood the public with images of half naked women holding unrelated products, or suggestive images like the one below.

In this image, hamburgers at Arby's are being sold. Although beef is not something one typical sexualizes, the advertisers chose to place the burgers side by side with a woman's arms covering them as if they are breasts. The tagline reads, "we're about to reveal something to drool over." 

The worldview they are selling here is that women are pieces of meat, and no more valuable than a fast food burger. Women are merely objects to be drooled over. The aim here is clear - they are gearing their argument towards men who may want to enjoy a cheap hamburger with a side of misogyny. It is meant to evoke feels of lust and hunger and men, simultaneously.  

One might believe (or at least hope) that journalistic images are less biased than advertisements. Sadly, this is not always the case. Just as advertisers are trying to sell us products, news sources are trying to sell us one version of the truth.

And unfortunately, news sources can be just as sexist as advertisements - and even more damaging. The New York Post, which is the 7th most widely circulated newspaper in the US, printed the below image of Hillary Clinton, with the accompanying title: "NO WONDER BILL'S AFRAID Hilary explodes with rage at Benghazi hearing." 

This title, and accompanying picture, plays into the narrative that women are irrational, hormonal creatures that the men in our lives must simply learn to deal with. Hilary Clinton's passion about her chosen profession has caused her to be painted as overly emotional, while a man with the same reaction would be respected. This newspaper is suggesting that Bill Clinton, a former president of the United States, if afraid of his wife because she's so "crazy,"as sexists love to deem women. The worldview being sold here is sadly one that no doubt contributed to Clinton's loss in the 2016 presidential election. The media has called her boring, angry, and old. It has commented on her outfits and her appearance, and shamed her for her husband's indiscretions. Despite what many may believe, our country is still extremely sexist, and Hillary Clinton is proof of that.