Images of Feminity and Fitness Via Viteri

Asics Advertisement – Health Magazine: April 2010

Thesis In the Asics ad, it delves into the assumption that women are “insecure, angry, and sad” and vying for someone’s attention due to the especially sexual portrayal of the woman in this ad. Many women are perfectly happy with their lives and do not feel that they need to escape. Showing women as sexualized objects that can never achieve body perfection often gives the wrong impression. Advertisements and commercials often portray women as objects vying for attention, although in many instances, this is not the case.

Sexualization, Contrast of Sides, & Actual Fitness -Water: soaked clothing & water stroking leg -Facial expression -Posture: angle of feet -Oily Contrast of Sides -Contrast from light to dark -Assumption of women’s feelings: sadness, rage, insecurity -Actually looks more toned pre-workout Fitness Aspect -Muscles -Posture to run: arms & feet -Side angle: view of her entire body & equal to the reader

So… Why Does This Matter? Advertisements as common as this appear in magazines and commercials frequently – often giving the wrong impression of women. Not only do they have to “sex themselves up”, but it seems like they also have to pretend to be someone they are not. This topic matters to me especially because I wish that women were never portrayed in this light and that they could just be themselves and not succumb to how others and the “male gaze” expect them to act.