andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2004-10-31 11:22 am

Opressed by sexuality

I was reading this months Empire (films to look out for: "I love Huckabees" and "The Incredibles") when I happened upon a full-page advert for speakers, advertised by a sexy woman holding one in each hand.

I waved it at Lilian and said "Look at this! It's so blood unnecessary!", and we had a brief discussion to the effect that naked women were fine in naked-women-magazines, but not really elsewhere. Her reasoning was the traditional "It makes me feel that all women are valued for is looking sexy.", but I had my own reason, _I_ felt patronised by it.

I really object to the idea that my buying decisions for a set of speakers will be largely affected by the fact that there are a pair of breasts next to them. I want speakers that (a) sound good and (b) will look ok. As pretty much _all_ speakers look ok to me, I'm primarily concerned with finding ones that sound good enough. Saying to me "Look! Speakers and _Breasts!" just feels like the crassest form of manipulation, and I object on principle.

[identity profile] pisica.livejournal.com 2004-10-31 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
The one with the French guy at the beginning, and then it's all about shaking that ass? Yeah, I don't understand how that's supposed to pressure me into buying a car. A French car, at that.

[identity profile] pisica.livejournal.com 2004-10-31 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
There are some adverts I'll hear multiple times and realise that although I distinctly remember hearing the advert before, the actual product they're selling is completely forgotten. Doesn't seem to be useful!

I mean, the only reason I think that car commercial is Renault is because I find the French guy kind of cute. It's not *quite* breasts-and-speakers, admittedly.... :)