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MaryKatherineKelly
ProfessorAliciaBolton
English101
6October2014
MisleadingAdvertisements:TheDirtyLittleSecret
Intodayssociety,advertisementseverywherebombardourmindswithimagesofidealfeminine
beautywhetherwerealizeitornot.JeanKilbourne,anactivecritiqueofadvertisementsimagesofthe
womenoftodaysculture,hasrecentlysuggestedinherfilmKillingUsSoftly4thatadvertisements
affectmorethanjustwhetherornotaproductsellsinalmosteveryadvertisementtoday,nomatterthe
innocenceoftheproductbeingsold,implicationsaremadethatwomenmustbeflawlessinordertobe
trulybeautiful.Kilbournediscussestheriseofmisleadingemphasisonfemininebeautyandhowit
affectsthemen,women,andchildrenofoursocietytoday.Theimageinwhichsocietyportrayswomen
today,claimsKilbourne,isinfluencingeveryaspectthatourcultureusestodefinefemininebeauty.Ina
Viktor&RolfperfumeadvertisementinGlamourmagazine,thereisacaucasian,younglooking
brunettemodelputondisplayalongwiththeperfumeproduct.Inblacktext,thewordflowerbombis
placedacrossthetopoftheadvertisementincapitallettersatthebottom,overlappingthemodels
stomachandrightelbow,arethewordsthefirstperfumebyandthenameandaddressofthe
company,Viktor&Rolf.Thewomansheadandneckareencasedbyathinpinkandpurplefabric
thatispositionedtoresembleaflower(inanattempttofurtheradvertisetheperfumescentcalled
flowerbomb).Thebackgroundthatshestandsinfrontofisaverylightpinknearlywhite.The
picturedisplaysherrightsidefromthewaistupwardssheistopless,andsheholdsinherlefthanda
pinkandgoldbottleofperfumeherindexfingeronthesprayingend.Herhairispulledbackto

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accentherhigh,definedcheekbonesandstraightnose,whileherlipsarepartedandherfaceistilted
slightlydownwardsandangledtowardstherightsothatsheseemstobeglancingattheadvertisements
viewers.AlongblackcordsportingthewordsflowerbombandViktor&Rolfinwhitetextis
wrappedaroundhertorsotwicewiththeendsleadingoffofeithersideofthepage.Thewomansright
shoulderisslouchedforwardslightlywiththerestofherarmlyingatherside.Herskinisevenlytoned
andseeminglyflawless.ThisViktor&RolfperfumeadvertisementsupportsseveralofKilbournes
claimssuchasadvertisementsencouragementforwomentopursuebeautynomatterthecost,
indicationsthatwomenaresupposedtobesilencedandvulnerable,andimplicationsthatbeautyshould
comefromsexuality.
ThefirstpointofKilbournesspeechthatthisadvertisementsupportsisthatwomenshoulddo
whateverittakestobecomebeautiful,regardlessofwhatitcoststhem.Thisadvertisementsmain
purposeistosellViktor&Rolfsperfumeproductflowerbomb.Thebeautiful,thin,andseemingly
flawlessmodelholdingtheperfumebottlemakesmanywomenfeelinferiorwomengettheimpression
thattohavetruefemininebeauty,theymustbuytheexpensiveperfumethatthiswomanflaunts.This
advertisementsuggeststhatawomansbeautyshouldbehertoppriority.Accordingtotheimplications
derivedfromtheadvertisement,neithermoneynorpersonalityreallymatterifthewomanisnotbeautiful.
Therefore,theviewersofthisadvertisementcaninferthattheamountofmoneyspentdoesnotmatteras
longasthatmoneyisspentonproductsthatwillmakethewomanphysicallyappealing.Viktor&Rolfs
flowerbombadvertisementreinforcesKilbournesclaimthatmoneydoesnotmatterwhenawomans
beautyisatstake.
Notonlydoesthisadvertisementencouragewomentodisregardmoneyforpersonalbeauty,
butitalsosuggeststhatwomenshouldbesilencedaswellasvulnerable.KilbournenotedinKillingUs

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Softly4thatadvertisementsoftenexpressthatinordertobeasbeautifulaspossible,awomanshould
beseenratherthanheard.Inthisperfumeadvertisement,thewomansheadandneckarebeing
coveredbyathinpinkandpurplematerial.Thedarkerpartofthefabriciscoveringherface,making
herfacelessnoticeablefromthis,itcanbeinferredthatthewomansbodyismeanttobehermost
importantfeature,and,therefore,shouldspeakforher,inplaceofherownwords.TheViktor&Rolf
modelscoveredfacesupportsKilbournesclaimthatadvertisementsoftensilencewomen.
Aswellastheveilcoveringherface,thisadvertisementsupportsanotherclaiminKilbournes
speechthatsuggeststhatwomenshouldbeconsideredvulnerabletosomeextent.Alongblackcord
withthenameoftheperfumeproductanditscompanyiswrappedaroundthemodelitfloatsjustabove
herskinsothatitisnotquitetouchingher,yetitimpliesthatshecouldeasilybeconstrainedbyaquick
yankonthecordsendpieces.Tobeconstrainedsuggeststhattheoneconstraintisatthemercyofthe
constrainer.This,alongwiththefactthatthewomanisnaked,makesthewomanseemveryexposed
exposureitselfisaformofvulnerability.Sheisalsoturnedsidewaysandslightlybentorslouchedwith
hershouldersforwardandherheadtiltingdownward,makingitseemthatthewomanisattemptingto
hidebehindhershouldersfromthepeopleviewingtheadvertisement.Thenameoftheproduct,
flowerbomb,isitselfonefactorthatcontributestotheimplicationofvulnerability.Flowers,though
beautiful,areveryfragileittakesverylittletodamagethedelicatepetals.Thisadvertisementseemsto
implythatwomenshouldbelikeflowersinthesenseofbeingfragileanddelicate.Finally,thecolors
usedinthisadvertisementaremainlypinksandpurples.Theseareoftenconsideredtobechildrens
colorsalmostallchildrendependupontheirsuperiors,andassuchistrue,thisadvertisementsuggests
thatwomenshouldbedependentuponandvulnerabletoothersnamelymen.Thus,Viktor&Rolfs

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flowerbombadvertisementfurthersupportsKilbournesclaimthatadvertisementsoftenmakewomen
seemmoredesirablewhenvulnerable.
Lastly,thisadvertisementreinforcesKilbournesargumentaboutadvertisementsinsinuations
thatbeautycomesfromsexualityandencouragementthatwomenembracetheirsexualityeventothe
pointofbeingpornographic.Thewomanintheperfumeadvertisementistopless,butonlyshownfrom
thewaistupwardstherefore,viewersmayassumethattherestofherbodyisexposedaswell.Shehas
everyreasontofeelconfidentsheisabeautifulwoman,andwithsuchflawlessnessshemakesother
womenfeelthattoembracebeauty,onemustbecomfortablein,aswellasflaunttheirownbody.Her
youngandunblemishedfigureeasilymakesotherwomenfeelinsecureabouttheirownimperfectfigure.
Thisadvertisementnotonlysellstheproduct,butalsosupportsKilbournesclaimthatwomenareurged
byadvertisementstoembracetheirsexualityinordertohavetruefemininebeauty.
Ashasbeennoted,Viktor&Rolfsflowerbombperfumeadvertisementclearlysupports
severalofKilbournesclaimswiththeimplieddisregardtocost,thesilencedandvulnerablestateof
women,andtheencouragementofembracingonesyoung,sexualbeauty.Evenadvertisementsthatsell
innocentproductsfindawaytoincorporateideasofmoderndaybeautyandsexualityintotheir
advertisements.Iftodaysgenerationofyoungwomenissubjecttosuchimmoralideasasthis
advertisementsuggests,whatideaswillthenextgenerationofadvertisementsbring?

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WorksCited
KillingUsSoftly4.Dir.SutJhally.Perf.JeanKilbourne.MediaEducationFoundation,2010.
Film.
Viktor&Rolf.Advertisement.Glamour(October2014):37.Print.