|
Free
Research Papers - Advertising in Fashion Industry
America today is a free-market
society. Money is freedom, control, security, and the ultimate
commodity. This society is based around gaining money, and
perhaps even more importantly, spending it. The media
spreads ideas, ideas that suggest that the most important things
in life are appearances. Makes us rely too much on the fashion,
and relevance of the person is lost. Why would the media do such
a thing? Money. These advertisements block the minds of youth
and confine them to be the person perfectly shaped loosing their
identities.
Corporate advertising is selling the American public images
through TV and magazines and billboards, images that create
extremely destructive mindsets in the viewers. One of the
best examples of how advertisers palpably abuse power on their
audience can be seen in the fashion industry. Fashion is a
deeply image oriented industry. Clothes people wear can
determine race, class, gender, socio-economic status, all of
these, or the way their bodies are shaped. Social stereotypes
are developed, based solely on clothing. A good example of how
fashion hypnotizes could be found in the advertisements in any
universal "teen" magazine. The teenage market is a highly
targeted market from clothing to cosmetics. In a recent survey
conducted on 100 random high school students, 50 male and 50
female, students on average spent $98 dollars on clothes per
month. These teen magazines specifically target at young
females.
Order your custom
research papers and term papers now!
Most magazines however, have not one overweight person from
front to back but are all over plastered by perpetually skinny
women with computer and airbrush-perfected skin. More of the
article space in magazines is dedicated to the new fashions for
whatever season it happens to be. In these "articles" a set of
usually three racially mixed, extremely, thin, and often buxom,
young girls pose in the "hottest" new clothing, identified by
brand name, and retail chain which carries them. "We are thin
(attractive)", the pictures proclaim, "This is what you should
be; if you are not like us, you are worthless."
It has been speculated in the medical profession that 1/3 of
America's population is more obese than is healthy for their
height. If this is so, then how many women the constant barrage
of “Being thin is the end-all be-all of is beating down
attractiveness"? Once the advertisers have clearly established
their idea of being in perfect shape and clothes they explain
the other benefits of these traits. Finally, after the magazines
have given a riveting reason to buy products and to adhere to
virtually unattainable images of beauty, they put in
re-enforcers: articles designed to keep teenaged girls on the
"straight and narrow". These articles are horror stories of
girls who have in some way broken a cardinal law of beauty or
attractiveness.
Order your custom
research papers and term papers now!
There is a rapid increase in materialisms in America. 80% of
dumb teenagers would rather buy two pairs of designer jeans
rather than 3 pairs of generic jeans at the same price. First a
person must realize for themselves, that there is more to them
than a pair of Calvin Klein jeans. That they are worth
something, that they are important, without Tommy Hillfiger and
Nike. That they can be just as attractive if they are overweight
and wearing shorts from K-mart, as they can being thin and
wearing clothes from American Eagle, Limited, and Express. The
advertising companies breed a sense of worthlessness in
consumers; a sense that there is something missing, something,
which will make your life better than it, is now. They can offer
you something that will assure you a better life, more
popularity, or that can take you closer to the image of beauty
that they set forth. At least until next month's line comes out,
then you are painfully behind the image of beauty again. And all
the while the cash registers ring, and ring, and ring.
Conclusion:
From my point of view fashion industry has mesmerize teenagers,
men and women, through media. They are slaves to what media is
conveying them, may it be good or bad for them.
Order your custom
research papers and term papers now! |
