This is a Covergirl 2010 Makeup Collection Ad featuring Drew Barrymore. The collection includes the new lashblashlength (mascara), the new smokyshadowblast (eyeliner) and the new shineblast (lip gloss). The explicit message in this ad is that if you buy the collection, you will be beautiful. The implied message is if you don't buy the collection, you have "[given] up on glam" therefore you are not beautiful. This ad is teaching young girls to buy their products if they want to look "pretty" and not give up on "beauty".
In today's generation, it seems as if men expect women to wear make-up when going out on a date or even going to work. Although the dominant discourse here is that women wear-up up to impress other men but I suppose it isn't only men who expect women to wear make-up. I also believe that society in general [women and men] put too much pressure on how women should look[ either look pale, tanned or "light-skinned" as some prefer, tall or short but skinny, no acne, no breakouts, no blackheads, perfect nose, big colorful eyes, perfect eyebrows, health hair, clear and glowing skin, nails, no bruises especially scars and the list can go on forever from physical traits to mental traits]. When women look at other women, they automatically expect other women to look presentable [wear expensive make-up and clothes]. We give "make-up" way too much attention, many girls feel the need to wear make-up to go to the groceries and even to go swimming! really?! swimming. The picture next to it is a model wearing make-up at the beach with perfect hair. I strongly believe that make-up lowers women's self-esteem and many ads promote these products without realizing the consequences between what they are saying like for example in the video above she starts comparing glam and beautiful, if you want to look pretty, you HAVE to wear these make-up products.
In order to construct this ad, there was a group of people who had to organize it all to put this all together. The planning that was put into this commercial was extremely detailed; first there must be a commercial director involved leading the cast and trying to bring creative thoughts and ideas. In order to even get to the commercial part, he had to hold auditions to cast actors as well as hire a crew. Secondly, there is a script involved even if the commercial does not have a dialogue - acts as a reference for those working on the project and ensures that everyone is reaching for the same creative goal. In the ad the shooting script detailed out the shots, camera moves, dialogue, captions and any voice-over features that might be featured in the commercial. Wardroab is very crucial here to match the actors skin tone, the dresses colour, and the make-ups colour to all match. After selecting a location, the director and tv crew begins to shoot the commercial and it might even take days after days.
In the beginning she is wearing a fancy yellow blouse with a mini black skirt and black heels with black bracelet and her hair is up. They cleared her face to show that their product is good quality when in reality, I can trash it and not even worry about it. The words are bolded and its all bright colours to catch your attention. When as her voice gets louder she starts to question people about giving up on glam. Then she changes to a red dress like her other one wasn't enough. As she questions "DO YOU GIVE UP ON GLAM", she throws her coat on the ground and acts all extra and sharply says "no" like you should of just said no and still wore your coat. Then as if nothing happened, she begins to advertise their products and show her fake eyelashes with mascara on top and her perfectly done eyebrows and perfect colour eyes. Then as if changing twice in 15 second as not enough, she wore ANOTHER purplish dress to suite their "purple smokey eye product" then changes back to the red dress to advertise the red lip stick. I'm beginning to think she has wardrobe problems because when I'm wearing different products, I don't have to change 4 times to 3 different clothes so it matches what I'm wearing.
The belief that this director had met with the dominant discourse of who should wear make-up. Have you noticed that in this commercial, there was no men advertising make-up. Why? well because its not the dominant discourse, "men shouldn't wear make-up" but this is not the case because even in movies, men wear SOME sort of make-up - using fake blood on their face or fake bruise marks around their eyes.
The way I interpret this advertisement is, its shoving the idea "beauty" and "make-up" down my throat. You cannot use beauty and compare it to a product. These products do not define what beauty is, a better question is, how does the director and Barrymore define beauty? how does society define beauty? I strongly believe that women do not have to wear make-up to look or feel beautiful, even if you are wearing expensive make-up or expensive clothes, you will not feel beautiful until you realize that you ARE beautiful regardless of any other products.
Obviously, in this ad it is used to sell a product and its make-up products that specifically young girls would wear because they want to feel "beautiful" because Drew Barrymore feels "beautiful" wearing these toxic chemicals on her face that can more breakouts in the long-run.
Some logic fallacies to think about is Equivocation and Faulty Analogy like HOW are you comparing beauty and make-up. There might be improper appeal to authority involved as well.
Some questions to think about:
- Do you think this ad is attacking self-esteem?
- If it was another model advertising this ad, would you interpret the ad differently?
- Why might people feel the need to wear make-up everywhere they go? even the pool.
- If you've noticed, 98% (assumption) of the time, its women advertising make-up, why might men feel compelled to say a few good things about make up?
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ReplyDeleteI definitely think that there is equivocation shown in this ad. This ad suggests that if you wear the eye make-up, then you'll be beautiful, which is completely false. Also, it seems as if the term beautiful is used as a loaded term, because really? What is beauty? Everyone has their own perception to that word means. To answer your question, rather than attacking self-esteem I believe that there is a dominant discourse that all women should be wearing make-up because that's what society finds presentable.
ReplyDeleteEllen was a model for cover girl as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCuVH-wjAg and for me it did have the same affect compared to the ad you have above, since they are both trying to enforce the message to be beautiful and buy cover girl.
Also, I think that almost every women is feels self-conscious about how she looks and how others portray her, no matter if she goes to the grocery shop or anywhere else because they are afraid of what people may think of them. To fit in could also be another reason. As you listed, women expect women to be wearing make and look good when they are in public as well, so women may feel pressured to meet the expectations of others.
I strongly agree with what you've said, there could be loaded term involved, no body can put a one accurate definition of beauty, really it can be anything. The reason why I believe it was attacking self-esteem is like if you look around even when you're going to work or school, you see majority of the girls and women wear make up? like why? well like you said they want to look presentable. yeah okay you want to look presentable but a shower, nice hair cut and nice clothing can also make you look presentable you don't HAVE to wear make-up, this is were self-esteem comes in, I feel that make-up lowers peoples self-esteem because people feel "naked" without it, in other words they feel "ugly". Like you said they are self-conscious and they are afraid of getting a bad reputation or w.e they want to call it, the dominant discourse here is that women should wear make-up and dress expensive.
DeleteYes, I do understand how lowering their self-esteem would want them to wear make-up. Some people choose to ignore what they see on Television and do not really take it personally, but many women may are affected. I do agree that at work and school, I witness a lot of girls with an overload of make-up, that when they take it off for a day, they look sick. It can also be all about whether they themselves, think they look a lot better with make-up on, which ties in with self-esteem as well. Yes, the dominant discourse is for women to look presentable and wearing make-up, which I feel that we have no other choice than to enforce it. Do you think that one day women in our society will actually stop wearing make-up? I highly doubt that because of the way media has been portraying us in the media.
DeleteI highly doubt is as well, it has been something even back in history - as Adriann mentioned - it has played a major role from Egyptians dramatic eye make-up to native tribes warrior face paints. However, I do strongly believe that it does lower self-esteem. If you were to ask a teenage "why are you wearing make-up" her response would be "to look pretty" or in other words presentable. Adults, I'm not too sure what their excuse would be but what more can women do to feel "accepted" by society. You don't see men having to do their hair 24/7, wear make-up, wear really expensive clothes, smell good, look "beautiful" etc to feel accepted. They can come to school with a short and a t-shirt with messy hair and that would be a typical guy thing. We wouldn't really question them as much as we would question how a women looks. I can't quite recall but remember when Ms.Draper brought up a good point in class when a women politician or president (I don't quite remember) was the most talked about regarding how she was dressed
DeleteOur thoughts seem to be the same on this matter. It does lower down the self-esteem of some women. Women are more criticized than men in this aspect. To prove that point, as you said, a women running for president at the same time as Obama but was criticized so much based on what she was wearing. Obama would never be criticized on what type of tie he was wearing. Another example of women being criticized is Melissa McCarthy, where she was criticized for gaining weight, even though she is healthy herself. Women are always bound to be judged, regardless of how she looks.
DeleteI absolutely believe that this ad, and beauty product ads on a whole attack women's self esteem. It's appalling that society has become so fixated on what it takes to be beautiful that women, and even men, are compelled to alter their appearances, some going as far as plastic surgery to obtain "the perfect look". throughout history make-up has been used to roles and classes. From the eye markings of Egyptian royalty to warrior face paint of native tribes. As you have said before, this ad is basically saying that if you don't wear make-up you have given up on being beautiful. And even if some women believe that wearing make-up does not define beauty, society proves them wrong by constantly bombarding them with ads, videos, and tv shows depicting the beautiful women wearing designer clothes and a ton of make-up being hit on by countless men and receiving job offers while their "plain" friends sit on the sidelines ignored simply because they prefer not to clog their faces with chemicals and their inability to spend $700 on a pair of shoes. It's impossible to not think that seeing and hearing this stuff everyday won't have an effect on people's self esteem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, history does have a major affect on today. Like you've mentioned, back in the days even in Egypt the whole dramatic eye make-up was a huge thing as well as the face painting for native tribes. Plastic surgery is a huge thing in our generation know, lets ask why might one want to get plastic surgery? because they don't like how a certain part of their body looks, now wouldn't that mean they are insecure? why are they insecure? because society has advertised enough "perfect" models that we might feel we need to meet their expectations in order to be accepted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD07KIG1dQ4 this is a video of a women who got plastic surgery to look like Jennifer Lawrence.
DeleteI think that this ad preys on a women's self esteem, beacuse it gives off the impression that wearing make-up is the norm for being beautiful. Companies such as Covergirl have built their "empire" on making people feel inferior if they don't use the product.People feel the need to wear make-up everywhere because we live in a media age in which everything is put online and everyone is criticised.If people weren't subjected to all the criticism Covergirl and companies like it would go out of business. It's a shame that this issue has gone this far but hopefully it can subside but as long as self-esteem issues continue and comercials and ads like these are released it is hard on people not to believe it.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that makeup ads, or any beauty ad does lower self-esteem in a way to make you feel compelled to be as beautiful as in the ad. Ads must portray a sort of perfect beauty, of the 'unicorn woman' in order for people to purchase their products. The need to be beautiful is one that is ingrained in woman's mindset's, I mean you can't help looking into the mirror to check for flyaway hairs when walking by one. Makeup for me makes me feel prettier, although I know that it is wrong to look to products for confidence, I do notice differences in the way people approach me. There have been instances when I do go to school without any makeup and people tell me I look tired/ exhausted. I've even been asked by Mr. Meilikhan how many hours of sleep I had, since I looked "sleepy", although I had ten hours of restful sleep. Or, told by my boyfriend I look "cute" without putting products on and "beautiful" with. Makeup gives me self-confidence, but at the same time decreases my confidence because I strive to look like someone,underneath it all...I am not.
ReplyDeleteI definetly agree with you in the fact that a loaded trerm has been used in this add for beauty becase like you said there is no real definition for beauty. Am I or anyone else who is not inclined to wear makeup ugly? When we as woman let these cosmetic companies dictate what beauty is we have lost touch with the idea that beauty is indeed very subjective. I really do agree with the quote beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However in a society where the dominant discourse is that makeup makes you more beautiful it extremely hard to go against this idea. I also want to point out that many people wear make makeup as a form of self-expression. For example one may wear a bold lip when feeling happy or trying to make a statement. This has been used by many cultures like African tribes and the Egyptians. When viewing cosmetics in this light they can be seen as something other than commercial but as even artistic.
ReplyDelete