We live in an age that glorifies immodesty and immorality. On almost every commercial advertisement, whether it is on a billboard, television, newspaper or in a magazine, and regardless if the advertised product is food, clothing, perfume, or automobiles, the allurement is not the product itself, but also the women who are dressed immodestly. Immodesty has become so commonly accepted that it doesn’t bother the majority public. Many people feel no shame if they see someone on television or in public who is dressed immodestly.
The exploitation of women in advertising industry is from the beginning, although the level to which women have been exploited has changed drastically. Advertising is a highly visible and seemingly controversial agent of socialisation. Indeed, it appears everywhere in our lives, on television, on the internet, on buses, in our mailbox, in magazines, and now in the toilets of restaurants and nightclubs, too.
Jean Kilbourne, one of the best known advocates whohave raised awareness about the exploitation of women in advertising, claims, “We are exposed to over 2000 ads a day, constituting perhaps the most powerful educational force in society.” But the problem is that it often exploits women as sex objects and adornment strips women off their individual identities. Women are viewed as “things”, objects of male sexual desire or part of the merchandise rather than people. Body exposure and frequency of these ads have increased at an alarming rate over time.
One reason for the increase in the level of immodesty in advertisement is because the corporate world feels that “Sex Sells”. The science behind using attractive women in ads is actually more in-depth than it might seem. It is simply to get a male’s attention and to generate greater publicity. Through these ads, young girls are being taught that starving yourself, dying your hair and showing your skin is the only way to get ahead.
In the recent years we have noticed a paradigm shift in the field of advertisement. Shari Graydon, former president of Canada’s Media Action Media, argues that women’s bodies are sexualised in ads in order to grab the viewer’s attention. Women become sexual objects when their bodies and their sexuality are linked to products that are bought and sold.
Media activist Jean Kilbourne agrees. She notes that women’s bodies are often dismembered into legs or thighs, reinforcing the message that women are objects rather than whole human beings.When we analyse the current ads, it looks like modesty has just flown away and it has paved way of immodesty and indecency.
When we see the current billboard ads, they are filled with immodesty and indecency. Let’s see for example, Liza Ray in the Rado (Watch) ad, Priyanka Chopra in the Nikon (Digital Camera) ad, DeepikaPadukone in Sony (Digital Camera) ad, MalikaSerawat in 8 PM (Alcohol) ad, Katrina Kaif in Bolly Feet (Air Conditioners) ad, KareenaKapoor in Sony (Laptop) ad, Aamir Khan with a model in Titan (Watch) ad,models in Manappuram Jewellery andNeelkanth Jewellers ad, etc. The companies advertise it boldly and the public watches it happily. After seeing all this, it leaves me with one question: Are these stars taking money to promote the product or are they taking money to strip of their dresses?
The case is same for the print ads, too. Let’s take for example of KareenaKapoor in Sangini Diamond Jewellery, Celina Jaitley in Diya Diamond Jewellery, Priyanka Chopra inAsmi Diamond Jewellery, Katrina Kaif in Nakshatra Jewellery ad, a model in Roca Bathroom Fittings ad, a model in Cera Bathroom Fittings ad,a model in Spring’s Towels ad, a model in Kerala Tourism ad, etc. All of themare dressed immodestly and an individual with moral values would not prefer these types of ads. This raises a question in my mind that,has our greed for money reached such an extent that we are ready to pose in any manner?
When we see the current scenario, we can almost find every advertisement features women and more astonishing is that we also find women featuring in advertisements and promoting products with which they have no relation whatsoever. Say for example,the use of women in a swimming suit by JK Cement, in Castrol Oil, in Amul Macho, in Vi-John Shaving Cream, in SF Sonic Batteries, inSavsol Oil (for Lorries), in Brylcreem Hail Gel, etc. This just leaves me with one question, how do we relate women with shaving cream, battery, cement and engine oil for lorry?
In any activity which we perform, both means and ends are very important. PETA is an organisation which mainly focusesanimal’s suffering, factory farms, clothing trade and in the entertainment industry. They also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds and as well as cruelty to domesticated animals. It also does public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, special events and protest campaigns. While the organisation is into such noble acts, it uses immoral and indecent means to promote its campaign and communicate its message to the general public. It mostly uses nude or semi-nude women in its publicity events. Definitely they might be able to communicate the message to the masses but it is also necessary to analyse the damage it is causing to the society by adopting such means for is awareness and promotion.
Thanks to the western advertisements that have given concept and ideology to use sex and immodesty in their ads to sell the products. Products like Calvin Klein Jeans, Miller Lite Beer, Coors Light Beer, Axe Perfume, BMW, Robbins Diamonds, Heineken Beer, Bud Light Beer, Alpin Plastic Society, Federice Ice Cream, Subway,Dolce &Gabbana, Agra Camera, Ikea Furniture, Blaupunkt Speakers, etc., have promoted sex and immorality in their advertisements. And appreciation for the Indian companies for exactly imitating as to what the west does. What a tragedy and moral bankruptcy indeed!
The pressure being put on women through advertisements, television, film and new media to be sexually attractive and sexually active is profound.This type of advertisements put pressure on the women to possess a sexual appeal in order to be recognised in the society. These types of advertisements also instigate the sexual desires in men which later leads to acts like women molestation, sexual abuse, rape, etc. The National Eating Disorders Association reports that one out of four TV commercials sends some kind of “attractive message”.
After seeing all this, I get only one question in my mind. Are we trying to sell a product or are we trying to sell women?Today’s advertisements have reduced women to a mere commodity, judged by the attributes of their bodies rather than who they are, as a person. The current advertisement triggers me to make a formula. Current Advertisement = Women + Immodesty. Women are diamonds; our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives should be treated as Queens rather than market commodities. They should be given the respect which they demand. Bashfulness is a special characteristic of women. If they lose it, they lose all charm. The modern condition of women has become such that they have lost all their shame, decency and delicacy. The current advertisement is a tool of killing women’smodesty. Definitely we would not prefer our mothers, wives and daughters in those advertisements and in those poses, but on the other hand we are ready to use other women just to create awareness and to increase the sales of our product! What an irony!
In order to stop this immorality and indecency the problem should be solved from the grassroots level. This can only be stopped when one strongly believes in God and fears His punishment on the Day of Judgment. I sometimes wonder, what are the womenfolk doing? What are the organisations that stand against women exploitation doing? What are the organisations that are against immodesty of women doing? Let them come to the fore and make concerted efforts to put an end to this immorality and indecency.