A lot of what we have been discussing in class is about how women have been portrayed as passive sexual objects of desire, but Rosalind Gill's chapter also discusses how women are now portrayed as sexual subjects. She debates about if this seemingly feminist and sexual power to women in advertising is actually beneficial. Many people see this as giving women the choice to be seen as sexual subjects and that they actually want it, but this still reinforces stereotypes and hypersexualized behaviors.
Gill talks about this type of advertising in relation to the "midriffs" and how it portrays a woman's sexual power. This is problematic because this advertising is primarily displaying young, heterosexual females so it is not inclusive and it tries to make it seem like it is all about the woman's choice. This is still a constructed viewpoint that doesn't actually give women the power. It is superficial and reinforces this concept that women get their femininity from their bodies and how thin they are. This idea has shifted from being desirable for men to being desirable for themselves, and while this can be seen as an improvement it isn't much of a change.
I found it interesting that Gill believes that this midriff advertising does not signify "open or egalitarian possibilities for gender relations" (281). She sees this advertising as re-sexualization of their bodies with the "excuse of a feisty, empowered postfeminist discourse that makes it very difficult to critique." This brings up the important idea that although it may seem like an improvement, it just gives advertisers an excuse to be able to still sexualize women without as much backlash. I found this chapter to be very enlightening and makes me think that it will take a long time to get rid of this sexualization of women in advertising. It is important to be aware that it is still and issue in order to actually have a positive change.
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