Perception and Reality: An Examination of American Print Advertising

I contend current American print advertising relies on the objectification of the body, both male and female, in conjunction with the use of utopian ideals to sell products. The nature of the print ad and mass media is such that they gratuitously inform our cultures ideas on gender and normalcy. By depicting unrealistic images of normalcy and unattainable representations of beauty, advertising not only creates consumer anxiety to purchase products beyond economic means, but also to manipulate our bodies unnaturally, and it creates tension in relations between genders. As a Graphic Designer, I strive to not only reverse this process in my work but to inform and educate viewers on these issues using the same medium within which the issue lies, print.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Art

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Ryczkowski, Angela Rose

Contributors dc:contributor

• Peter Smith
• Julie McGuire
• Cindy Wallace

• ETD
• Objectification in print advertising
• Sexism in advertising
• Advertising

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/147

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1147