Sex in Advertising

Recent Commercial...
            In today's world, the topic of sex is not as shocking as it may have been, say 40 or 50 years ago. Why is this? Sex has been even more casual in the media. Sex is referenced in popular shows like sex and the city but it is also in front of our faces in advertisements.
            The reason that sex has been seen as not a big deal is that we see it everyday.From burger commercials to commercials trying to sell women underwear... it's everywhere! Because of this, shows like sex and the city can get away with showing sexual scenes and sexual words. It also lets modern day reality shows get away with the vulgarity of referencing to sexual things.
          When compared to commercials to the 1950's, there is a significant difference. Commercials were not sexual in any sense. Their purpose was to sell the product with nice and homely people that could easily be your friend. Because of this homely lifestyle being portrayed, television shows were much more homely. Shows like "Leave it to Beaver" portrayed this lifestyle as well. Television mirrored commercials much like how it is today. By this correlation, society was much like television, tailored and sophisticated.
        Television is mirror as to how society is at the time. in the 1950's, society was more tailored. in 2012, it's all about sex to sell products.



Commercial from the 1950's

True Life Tells the Truth about Plastic Surgery

True Life - MTV Shows - Full Episodes

            While talking about plastic surgery shows such as 'Extreme Makeover" in class, it has become apparent that these shows have become a phenonmenon. But why? I don't see the appeal to these shows.
These shows make viewers make them feel like it's okay and acceptable.
             In shows such as "Extreme Makeover", the idea of plastic surgery is glamorized so that the everyday housewife can look it that and say, "Maybe a nose job is necessary."
             While reality shows that corrupt our thinking are on the market, there are other shows that show the consequences of taking plastic surgery so lightly.
              I am a frequent viewer of MTV's true life, and when talking about plastic surgery in this unit, one episode stood out to me. This episode was called "I hate my plastic surgery'. This episode is about two girls who had plastic surgery done but do not like the results. One woman, Nikki, had a nose job.After the procedure she realizes that she does not like how it is done and wants to get it fixed by going through another procedure.She is basing her decision on the fact that she is an aspiring model. Her reasons seem purely superficial.
           As opposed to Nikki, the other woman on the show had other problems that were not superficial. Amanda had a breast implant and it quite literally was killing her. Her body had a deadly reaction to the silicon. She got severely sick from the procedure and was not able to perform basic functions anymore. She wanted to get them taken out .She decided to go through another procedure to get them taken out in hopes that she will be able to go back to her normal life.
         Reality shows such as these, actually show reality. As opposed to "Extreme Makeover", this show shows consequences to these decisions, not just benefits. It shows that making the decision to get an unecessary procedure done, may change your life.
       Having television shows such as these on the air is important to viewers. It shows them what could really happen. It shows them that plastic surgery does not only result in beauty, it can also be life threatening.