Both of these ads depict people of the same sex in an intimate position with the other. However, the connotation of the images is notably different. When looking at the two images a person would assume that the two men are gay because most straight men are not intimate with one another in terms of cuddling and touching. The opposite is true with the advertisement of the two females. Although the girls are embracing each other similarly to the men, it does not connote lesbian to viewers. This leads to the idea of lesbian invisibility in mainstream media. When two women kiss or embrace in a advertisement they are not assumed to be gay, but many of times they are viewed as heterosexual women expressing love for the other women. Lesbian representation is also depicted many times with the heterosexual male in mind. In doing so, it removes the idea of lesbian as an actual sexual preference and turns it more into a performance for the pleasure of the heterosexual male.
In conclusion, it is our belief that even though society has made large strides in terms of equality, we still have a long way to go. Because of the discretely stereotypical representations in modern day advertisements regarding race, gender, sexuality, and social class many times the media to blame for popular social clichés. However, a strong possibility is that the media is simply representing a realistic view on society and we ourselves are the ones to blame. Either way, instead of mindlessly gazing at advertisements from popular brands, audiences should take a more critical look at the media that surrounds them
Mira , Kingsland, GA
ReplyDeleteThis just reminds me of a couple of straight girls trying to get attention...or who are just "best friends". Cute picture, none-the-less.
Alison Marsh , London
A wasted opportunity here: the girl behind should have had her hands on the breasts of the girl in front.
Lindsey Young , Sacramento, CA
The embrace is clearly romantic. However, opposite gender couples would show more affection in clothing ads.
Audrey Gilles , Brattleboro, VT
For 1996, I think this is pretty impressive. Definitely "safe" advertising. One would not take the leap that this is an ad meant to represent lesbians. It looks like close friends in the A&F target marget. Furthermore, it looks like an obvious photo shoot... I guess I'm missing the point. Does it represent 20 something lesbians, no, but it does make girlfriends look like cotton candy.