Profit motives: Women work harder for less, but are still shut out of many industries (Black Women vs White Women)

Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code/Title
Instructor
Date
Profit Motives
Gender and racial disparities continue to exist in America’s mainstream advertisement. Surveys of many popular ads indicate that men tend to be featured more prominently in commercials than women. Supporting roles typically are given to women in these ads. These ads perpetuate commonly held gender stereotypes. Besides, men tend to be paid higher than women in a TV ad. So, since ads already discriminate against women, it becomes even harder for black women. The prevalence of racism against black people makes it a challenge for black women to access advertisement opportunities. Some brands continue to depict black women in a negative light, which affects brand image. An analysis of advertisement media shows that being a woman and black reduces the chances of black women getting well-paying promotion jobs. To analyze the extent of the disparity of black women in advert media, the paper first breaks down the discrimination of both white and black women in ads as many popular ads discriminate against women and the majority of advertisements tend to feature more male figures than females. This is because men are seen as symbols of power and authority.
Men are typically shown to be smart and intelligent, and they tend to act in positions of authority while women stay in supporting roles. This perpetuates the stereotype of women being incapable of leadership or technical roles. It promotes the idea of women being inferior. This inequality affects the income levels of women. Women tend to get lower pay for their services as their position is considered less important than men. Many companies view the depiction of men as figures of authority as ways to appeal to their audience. This gender bias promotes the dominance of the male gender and discriminates against women (Mckenzie, Bugden, and Webster 11). The trend is reinforced with the most authoritative voiceovers being men. Women are only shown to be product users. They are shown demonstrating the use of products instead of occupying significant roles. This gender imbalance in advertising harms the reward system of women. An example is the 2012 Best buy “Innovators” ad. The electronic store only featured men as innovators and women as supporting employees. It implied that only men are capable of being innovators in tech companies (Poggi np). Such ads highlight the gap between women and men in marketing campaigns.
Another aspect of disparity is the portrayal of women as sex objects. It’s common to see many magazines and Tv advertisements showing half-naked women. Statistics indicate that more than half of magazine ads depict women as sex objects. The ads feature half-dressed while men are fully clothed (Mckenzie, Bugden, and Webster 15). These sexualized displays emphasize more on a woman's appearance over her capabilities. As a result, women are judged more on their appearance and merit. Their intelligence, abilities, and efforts are taken for granted. Portraying women as mere sex objects also harm their self-identity and self-esteem. The effect is they are viewed more like properties or objects than human beings. For example, Carl Jr. 2015 ad showed model Charlotte McKinney half-naked while promoting the brand’s burger. The ad featured the model eating burgers while walking through a farmer’s market with almost bare skin (Poggi np). Further, creative roles are dominated by men. These roles are usually the best-paid in a marketing agency. This is further evidence of men occupying higher-paying position...