The Peer Pressure of Advertising through Mass Media

Blair in her school outfit along
with her infamous headband

During my reading for the week, I came across the article "Beauty... and the Beast of Advertising". The title captivated me because Beauty and the Best was my favorite Disney Movie when I was younger. As I continued reading, there was a few sentences that really stuck out to me talking about how adolescents are the prime targets of advertisements. It never really clicked in my head that this age group would be the main consumer of advertising but it the author, Jean Kilbourne is right! "They are in the process of learning their values and roles and developing their self-concepts" (Kilborne, 191). This quote instantly made me remember when I was younger what T.V. shows, magazines, and commercials influenced me the most.

Blair and her boyfriend Chuck; one of my
favorite outfit

I think T.V. shows was the greatest influences of my life. My favorite show when I was in high school, and still to this day is Gossip Girl. Leighton Meister's character, Blair, is my favorite T.V. character of all time. I remember my Freshmen year in high school and the show first started airing. After the first show I begged my mom to take me to the mall so I could buy headbands... one of Blair's identifiable styles. Once the show began to progress I wanted to switch to a private school so I could wear a cute uniform, plaid skirt and all. My parents refused and told me I was just going into a phase. However, this phase began to expand. I was introduced to my favorite store, Anthropologie, and couldn't get enough. Luckily for me, my father actually allowed me to dress in the types of clothes Anthropologie sells, but unfortunately his wallet always seemed to get a burden walking out of the store.

The attire most girls wear to
TCU Football games 

I never really realized how much my personal style was influenced on ONE T.V. show, and it still does to this day. I'd much rather wear a preppy outfit with coats, dresses, blouses, and heels, but it doesn't fit where I attend school. Just looking around TCU campus, one sees an advertisement for the upcoming football game and girls are in purple sundresses with big watches and cowboy boots. The stadium even represents that with all of the pictures placed along the exterior walls. Even pictures online advertise how college women dress for the game.

Recently, my style has been evolving into more of a urban/hipster look. I ask myself why I bought brown combat boots and then remember that I saw them in all of the major magazines and that is what must be in style, but why? Why does the world conform to what the advertisements are saying. The answer is simple explained by Kilbourne "[Advertisements] tell us who we are and who we should be" (Kilbourne, 191).

The brown combat boots I
purchased at DSW

There are even tips on how to get more people to shop at clothing stores. The website smallbusiness.com wrote an article titled: "How to Boost Sales in a Clothing Store". One of the key things to do is to place the most popular and appealing clothes on the mannequins in the front of the store. One store in particular does this: Forever 21. This store is IMPOSSIBLE to find the clothes you want it them because it is massive and completely unorganized but they have wonderful advertisements. They have a different style in the store for everyone. From rocker to girly to athletic.  They have something for everyone and their prices are cheap. They keep people coming back because they send out detailed advertisements through magazines and you always see something you want. You go to the store and of course it is hidden (probably in a secret room) and can't find it, but you end up finding something else. It is a genius play and that is why their business is so profitable.

Advertising and marketing is the most important thing a clothing designer can do for their company. That is why so many name brands pop up in T.V. shows and movies. The designer or company is advertising their clothing.

Read more about boosting sales in a clothing store here: 
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/boost-sales-clothing-store-12669.html

Fashion Advertising for the Gay Population

During class on Monday, Dr. Jacqueline Lambiase spoke to the class about how companies are starting to advertise to the gay and lesbian population of the world. As I am interested in fashion, I looked into how the Fashion companies of the world view gays throughout the world. I came across an article on the GLAAD website saying that Nordstrom is now supporting marriage equality. Another aspect that the gay population is constantly fighting about.

When Dr. Lambiase was speaking it was interesting to understand the different levels of gay media. From positive, equal, negative, and the accepted gay media. I love that GLAAD is standing up for Gay and Lesbian rights and getting the name out there to stand up and make a movement.











Seeing all of the different ads really captivated my attention and I wanted to show some of the media-related gay campaigns through fashion.

To the left, Valentino captures two male models rather close together showing off their abs. I think it is an interesting technique to capture more than just one publics attention.

Gucci does the same above just with female models. It even shows one of the models upper butt crack. It just appeals to  both heterosexuals as well as homosexuals.

Below, an Abercrombie & Fitch model is shirtless gazing into the open air while grazing his upper thigh with his hand in a sexual way. This also appeals to both gays and women.

Above all, I personally support the GLAAD and what they are trying to put out into the media with supporting gays. I also support them as well for many reasons. When I was living in Tucson, Arizona, a lot of the male swimmers that I swam with came out to everyone my junior year in high school. What I loved about my school was that no one bullied them or made them feel unappreciated because no one looked at them differently. They were still said person. However, when I moved to Texas, everything changed. I didn't know one single gay person when I graduated and if I did, they didn't confess to it because of the conservitivism in my high school as well as the people I went to high school with. It was also a small town so they would have been ridiculed, which is horrifying that things like that happen. Even today at TCU, I hear people use the term "faggot" way too loosely. It offends me because some of my best friends are gay, but people don't think they are hurting anyones feelings. I believe that the TCU community needs to stand up and make a difference just like some of the top companies in the world are doing. Nordstrom being one of them. Standing up with Nordstrom is Google, Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile, Nike, and Starbucks. These companies are supporting Gay Marriage, just like I would do. Homosexuals are the same people as heterosexual, just attracted to the same sex. I believe people throughout the world need to start realizing that.

Read more about the Nordstrom Marriage Equality: http://www.glaad.org/blog/nordstrom-comes-out-support-marriage-equality

Women Athlete Stereotypes

The American Prospect wrote an article about Women Olympians and the stereotypes they still go through today. I used to be a female athlete so this article really hit home with me.

Usual attire for Karrie Walsh

Since the 1900's Women have been competing in the Olympics, but usually in a negative demoting stereotype claiming they need to be more feminine in both appearances and grace. This sexist view has brought many female athletes to their knees suffering, sometimes ruining their career altogether. Eating disorders become common. The female athletes that get the most coverage during the Olympics are usually Women's Gymnastics, Figure Skating, and Women's Beach Volleyball... ironically the three sports that require the least amount of clothing, aside from Women's Swimming. Figure Skating along with Women's Gymnastics is common for known as the "beauty sports". Make up is a requirement, and sweat isn't as apparent as other female sports. These sports produce a pre-pubescent connotation, which usually leads to eating disorders. Eating disorders are the end of an athletes career, depending on the severity. Jenny Kirk, a ice skater had her career end after an eating disorder.

New Attire allowed by Olympic Committee Karrie Walsh

The attire required by Women's Beach Volleyball is a favorite by many men. The women wear tight fitting bikinis, a common publicity requirement to capture more viewers. However, this Olympic season, the women's volleyball team had the option of wearing more clothes than usually required. This brought modesty back to just drawing attention onto the actual athleticism these female athletes obtain.

This was the usual swimsuit required by
our team to swim in (Me)

In high school, I was a four year varsity female swimmer. The way that the high school jocks looked at us were "wow your sport is really tough, but you aren't as pretty as the cheerleaders". This brought frustration to a lot of my teammates and we felt like we were being undermined for our talents. This also occurred in the Olympics this year. An Australian swimmer, Leslie Jones, was compared to Michael Phelps (the most decorated medalist ever) for being 30 pounds lighter, weighing in at 150 pounds. The press made a big deal about this, hurting Jone's attitude, but she brushed it off and kept competing throughout the Olympics.

The world to this day still believes women should only be wearing heels while cooking dinner and cleaning the house. It disgusts me that the media makes female Olympians feel like they aren't feminine enough even though they are the top athletes of their sport in the World. Looking around as a former female athlete in college, it disgusts me how women still view this. Being in a sorority, I feel like the only female colligate team recognized by my TCU peers are TCU Cheerleading and TCU Show Girls. The women who break through these stereotypes should be recognized for keeping a strong head on their shoulder because honestly, if I was still swimming, I don't think I would be able to be mentally tough enough to make it through college as a female athlete for an unrecognized sport.

To read more of the article see links below:

http://prospect.org/article/olympic-girls-go-bad-boy

https://kractivist.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/athletes-dont-wear-heels-women-at-olympics-are-shaking-off-pressure-to-be-feminine/