Over the past decade it has been argued that how women are portrayed in advertisements

is a contrast to how they are in real life. It is an ongoing controversy. Women have changed over
the years: taking on bigger roles in society. Therefore women should be depicted as the stronger
and independent women they are. However, advertisers are more interested in money than the
women. They probably do not think that they offend many women with these inaccuracies.
Women in ads and women in real life will be contrasted below.
The creators of some ads make it seem as if only white women exist. White women have
always been seen as queens by many. They are the most beautiful, have class etc. they appear
in beauty ads, health ads, ads for household items etc. If there are black women, mostly the lightcoloured ones are chosen. However, the ratio is probably five to seven white women to one black
woman.
In many ads, women appear to be one size and blemish free. They are slim, well sculpted
with smooth looking skin and wear makeup. This can be interpreted as to be beautiful and to be
accepted you have to always look this way. This is not limited to beauty and health care
advertisements but it also happens for household items, outdoor items etc. Female viewers,
especially those with a low self esteem would harbor the idea that to be beautiful and to be
accepted you should always look like this. Unfortunately, it is a good scheme to help to boost
the sales of their products. In a study done overseas, women were asked if ' Do you to any extent
try and match your appearance to the models on television adverts?' Some said no while others
said yes when it comes to hair and clothing.
Women of different races and skin colour do exist. White women are not queens and are
not the only ones with beauty and brains. They share similarities with other races whether good
or bad. Women should be given an equally opportunity and not be stereotyped. For instance, a

woman from any race can be a part of a household advertisement. When it comes to beauty
products this may be different. It is about the item not the woman. Once the product is useful and
affordable it will be bought. Every race has something to offer and should not be judged by their
skin colour.

In reality, women are of different sizes and have some type of blemish. This does not
necessarily make them less appealing. Furthermore, many are much more beautiful than those
who have to conceal everything. However, these women that use concealers are more likely to
develop skin diseases from the constant use in order to beautify themselves. With that said,
women are more confident than before and have opened their eyes to the manipulations of
advertisers.
In conclusion, women in real life are different from how advertisers try to portray them.
Advertisers need to stop playing with the minds of women in order to force them to buy
products. They should portray women as confident, working women, strong etc which they have
become over the years. They should also not limit races to certain advertisements.