Jean Kilbourne's article "The More you Subtract, the More you Add" Cutting Girls Down to Size talks about the hegemonic and blatant coding of girls through advertising. Kilbourne's discussion goes right out by saying that advertising tells girls how they should look. "The culture, both reflected and reinforced by advertising, urges girls to adopt a false self, to bury their real selves, to become 'feminine,' which means to be nice and kind and sweet, to compete with other girls for the attention of boys, and to value romantic relationships with boys above all else" (pg. 259). This leads to "self-objectification" that can lead to other problems such as eating disorders. Kilbourne mentions how this connection between eating and advertising was showed in Fiji when television was introduced. At least 74 percent of teenage girls were weight conscious within three years. Coincidence? I think not. Kilbourne also says that it really isn't always the advertising companies fault, yet it is this "problem" that keeps selling their products. "Certainly the cumulative effect of these images and words urging girls to express themselves only through their bodies and through products is serious and harmful" (pg.264).
Case in point Dodgeball Globogym
This mock commercial meant to be satirical says a lot about gym advertisements in general. They all never really say stuff like Ben Stiller does but most of the time it is implied. It is unfortunate that this is the only way to get people to subscribe to a gym. It seems like these commercials speak to everyone.
clip taken from youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ce2-fZn84
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