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Caiafa, Adam
Prof. Beadle
English 114A
27 March 2017
Progression II Essay

Do They See Me Now?

Women have been used as a sexual image, for many years, in the advertisement

industry. From major food companies to clothing brands to lingerie to commercials to

almost everything. However many people do not see the issue with exposing women in

society and technology. In essence, women are used as a way to gain viewers, buyers, or

simply just to persuade the public. Most, if not all women in advertisements are shown

with minimal, exotic, non-conservative clothing as a way to lure in the public - mainly

young men and boys.

For years women have taken the main role in many advertisements. Rarely do

you see a man that is half clothed trying to advertise a product. Since the 1920s, when

flappers were brought to America, women have been used as a sexual image for almost

everything. In fact, maybe even way before the 1920s. But, it has been beyond normal

for society to sexualize women in advertisements to the point where it is not seen as an

issue.

The advancement of technology has played a major role in how society views

women. Way back when, when technology was not even a thing it was difficult to

advertise certain products. There was no television to show commercials, or printed

magazines, or even billboards. Everything was promoted through word of mouth.

However, when technology began to develop, advertisement changed. It was no longer

word of mouth, rather it was displayed on a television, in a magazine, or on a billboard.

Now that technology continued to evolve, how were companies going to promote to the

public? Easy, they used women.

Now that women were the bait to attract buyers and consumers, there was only

one thing left. How were they going to use women to lure in the public? Well, what

male is not attracted to a revealing, slim, young, and beautiful woman. That was their

answer. They took women and hyper-sexualized their image giving them large breasts

and butts, adding excessive makeup, and little to literally no clothing at all.

Fast food in America is seen as a big thing and many people enjoy fast food.

With that being said, food companies have used women as a way to advertise their food

products. The first fast food place that comes to mind is Carls Jr, mainly because I

always see their commercials on television. Carls Jr. has even made it public that they

use sexy, young, revealing women in their advertisements to sell their products. Andrew

Pudzer said in an open statement on Carls Jr.s public website, we believe in putting

hot models in our commercials, because ugly ones dont sell burgers (Pudzer). Hot

models are simply used to sell burgers and nothing more. The ugly ones do not

make the cut how sick. For years, fast food chain Carls Jr. has hyper-sexualized the

act of eating a burger with their bizarre ad campaigns (Molloy). Carls Jr. commercials

have always shown women in slutty, revealing swimsuits eating a burger. In particular,

the Carls Jr. Bacon 3 Way burger ad. In this commercial advertisement, three bikini-

clad-models feed each other bacon, rub greasy strips of i on their breasts, sit with legs

splayed on the counter, lick fingers in slow motion, and almost kiss (Rainey). This

commercial is occurring while We havin us a threesome, lyrics by Dirt Nasty plays in

the background. At the end of the commercial all three models simultaneously say, Its
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called the Bacon 3 Way Burger. What did you expect? Sadly, this is not the only

commercial that uses women negatively as sexual objects as a way to lure in buyers or

consumers. Clearly, the women are sexualized and dressed slutty as a way to sell a

product. It is so sad that this method has worked effectively all through the

advertisement industries. Never have I seen a man hyper-sexualized as a way to sell a

product. Why? Because it is not okay for men and men are not suppose to do that kind

of stuff.

Women are demoralized as a way to make money by becoming models and

revealing their bodies. As they grow older they end up losing more and more of their

confidence. Carls Jr. has been using young models dressed in bikinis or underwear as a

way to advertise new food added on to their menu. Women, from the same early age,

are told they must look like this woman. They should aim to have those long legs, that

perfect skin, beautiful hair, and incredible body. (Sugget). Women are taught at a young

age what they are supposed to look like. Everybody is not accepted for who they are

because, let us face it reality has changed. Judith Lorber explains in her Night To His

Day: The Social Construction of Gender that gender is such a familiar part of daily life

that it usually takes a deliberate disruption of our expectations of how women and men

are supposed to act to pay attention to how it is produced. Lorber is basically saying

that gender is so normal in our everyday lives, that we take very little time, if any at all,

to encounter any issues surrounding the identification of gender in our society.

Young girls and women look at models and think that they are able to do the same

thing as a way to build their confidence by allowing them to gain freedom. Often times,

women are subject to believe that their image is supposed to be used as a sexual image or
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object. The modeling industry gives young girls, particularly those under the age of 16,

the pressure to acquire a perfect body type. (Timmons). Society sets norms on both

genders at a young age. This guides them so that they are able to have a direction in the

path that they take.

Women have been used as a sexual image for years in the advertisement industry

all over the world. In America, it has gone back almost one hundred years, however,

different societies have different standards for women (Hubbard). Our society has set a

standard for what you are supposed to look like as a woman and how you are supposed to

act like a man. Society has set this norm that it is okay for women to be used sexually in

the advertising industry and everywhere else. These women are influenced at a young

age by various commercials and industrial products that influence sexual imagery upon

them.

Most men and women do not even bother wondering what comes on television

anymore during commercials. Little do they know, half naked women advertising

burgers and french fries are serenaded into you and your childs developing mind. CEO,

Andrew Pudzer does not think anything is wrong with having half naked women

advertising his food. As a matter of fact, he says if you do not complain then there is an

issue with the way that theyre making their ads. Guest writer, Kate Taylor said on

website called, Entrepreneur.com that, the CEO of Carl's Jr. doesn't care if you find the

burger chain's racy ads offensive. Well, he cares in one respect if no one is offended,

he's going to convince the marketing department to craft an even sexier commercial next

time.
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In conclusion, industries will continue to use women as sexual images and objects

as long as they are benefitting. Societies need to step up and limit or eliminate sexual

imagery used in advertisements. If society continues to give the okay that women can

be used as sexual images and objects they will never be able to stand equal with men.

The image of women should be altered to something more beautiful, meaningful, and

something that society can appreciate more.

Work Cited

Bellstrom, Kristen. Trumps Prick for Secretary of Labor. Ugly Women Dont Sell

Burgers. Fortune. N.p. 8 Dec. 2016. Web. http://fortune.com/2016/12/09/puzder-

women-ads-carls-jr/. Accessed 22 March 2017.

Molloy, Parker. #More Than Meat: The Campaign to Stop Those Sexiest Burger Ads.

HelloGiggles. N.p., 05 Sept. 2014. Web. http://hellogiggles.com/sexist-carls-jr-

ads/. Accessed 20 March 2017.

Rainey, Clint. Carls Jr. Finally Goes Full Chauvinist with New Bacon 3-Way Burger

Ad. Grub Street. N.p., 28 July 2016. Web.

http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/07/carls-jr-sexist-bacon-3-way-ad.html.

Accessed 22 March 2017.

Suggett, Paul. Advertising Sets Impossible Standards for Women. The Balance. N.p.,

n.d. Web. https://www.thebalance.com/advertising-women-and-objectification-

38754. Accessed 20 March 2017.

Taylor, Kate. The CEO of Carls Jr. Doesn't Care If You're Offended by the Chains

Sexy Ads. Entrepreneur. N.p., 20 May 2015. Web.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246487. Accessed 22 March 2017.

Timmons, Rachel Lee. How the Modeling Industry Affects a Young Girls Perception.

Rachel.lee.timmons. N.p., 22 March 2010. Web.

http://www.carlsjr.com/company/releases/carls-jr-and-hardees-offer-no-bs-and-

thats-just-the-way-it-is. Accessed 22 March 2017. Accessed 22 March 2017.