Advertising in today’s culture is geared towards manipulating the media to deliver a specific message. In order to shape a community’s perceptions on a specific concept, marketers use precise colors, words, and lighting. To evaluate the impact of all of these factors, this essay addresses the conception of HIV under the lens of American culture and perceptions. In the ad the primary focus is obviously directed on HIV prevention, but it also utilizes minute, independent details that are actually interconnected to help tell a story.
The story being told in this ad is told through the lens that separation of the sick from the healthy is necessary. To this end, the details that are important to portray this message are those that surround the disease itself. This begins with the most obvious detail, the words across the ad stating “each time you sleep with someone, you sleep with their past.” This introduces the bias that
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encounters with diseased individuals results in transmission of the disease. Moreover, it indicates the idea of increasing expressed caution around diseased individuals. The background of the ad tells a story itself that enunciates the importance of the separation of the sick from the healthy.
There is a distinct contrast between the white walls and the darkly tiled flooring. The white background represents purity and innocence, while the black tiles represent the negativity and corruptive nature of the HIV disease. However, it is notable that due to the shadowing, the white walls become less pure, or tainted, in places. The concept of innocence being tainted can be further linked to sex and sexuality.
Throughout the ad there is references to the homosexual culture. The immediate element attributed to the gay community is the two males engaging in sexual endeavors. Additionally, there are two showerheads in the background that share a similar shape to that of the male anatomy. The fact that the ad is focused predominantly on homosexual males highlights lingering discrimination of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, the two males engaging in sexual activity lends itself to the lens of promiscuity in American
Culture. Many details in the ad represent the contrasts between promiscuity and fidelity. The most obvious of these is the multiple arms that operate in conjunction with the ad’s words: “you sleep with his past.” These details imply that in American culture it is dangerous to engage in sex with multiple partners. Additionally, the ad targets the idea that there is pressure involved in the decision to have sex. This concept is viewed in further analysis of the multiple arms. The arms define the boundary between pleasure and consent. The male in front has his arms being held behind his back with multiple arms caging him in, exploring sexual places on his body. Additionally, his neck is being kissed while his eyes are shut. The vulnerability of this position leaves him unarmed. Even though sex is a private affair, it is next to impossible to hide the fact that one has HIV. The setting of the ad supports this concept. The two men appear in a communal shower, which is a very public place. Moreover, the disease is very evident once it is obtained and is difficult to hide because it travels from partner to partner. The multiple arms support the latter, as they highlight the multiple partners that an individual had obtained. In other words, sexual partners follow an individual for the rest of their life. While the ad uses its components to tell a story to best appeal to its viewers, it also deals with the issue of dehumanizing those that have HIV by transforming it into a non-human figure that steals the free choice and health away from others. To this end, several research questions can be brought up: how is this representing HIV and gay culture? What message does this send to those that have HIV? Is the ad problematic? What is this ad capable of working towards?
Advertisements are one of many things that Americans cannot get away from. Every American sees an average of 3,000 advertisements a day; whether it’s on the television, radio, while surfing the internet, or while driving around town. Advertisements try to get consumers to buy their products by getting their attention. Most advertisements don’t have anything to do with the product itself. Every company has a different way of getting the public’s attention, but every advertisement has the same goal - to sell the product. Every advertisement tries to appeal to the audience by using ethos, pathos, and logos, while also focusing on who their audience is and the purpose of the ad. An example of this is a Charmin commercial where there is a bear who gets excited when he gets to use the toilet paper because it is so soft.
The documentary Killing Us Softly 4 discusses and examines the role of women in advertisements and the effects of the ads throughout history. The film begins by inspecting a variety of old ads. The speaker, Jean Kilbourne, then discusses and dissects each ad describing the messages of the advertisements and the subliminal meanings they evoke. The commercials from the past and now differ in some respects but they still suggest the same messages. These messages include but are not limited to the following: women are sexual objects, physical appearance is everything, and women are naturally inferior then men. Kilbourne discusses that because individuals are surrounded by media and advertisements everywhere they go, that these messages become real attitudes and mindsets in men and women. Women believe they must achieve a level of beauty similar to models they see in magazines and television commercials. On the other hand, men expect real women to have the same characteristics and look as beautiful as the women pictured in ads. However, even though women may diet and exercise, the reality...
The advertisement targets a general audience of people , who could easily associate the child, young adult, and senior citizen in the picture with their own child, grandparent, or themselves. In the ad, a young child, a young women and an elderly man are lifting up their shirt sleeves to show the band aid covering the spot where they just got their flu vaccine. This has a positive feel of being healthy and proactive by taking care of yourself your parents and your child. The text implies that children are not the only that get the flu, and that young adults and especially senior citizens should get the flu vaccine, not just children. Because of this association technique, people are persuaded to get their influenza vaccine.They certainly would not want to contract the flu virus since in rare cases it can be fatal to small children, and elderly people.Therefore this ad effectively encourages
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its deriving acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are devastating conditions that currently affect approximately 35.3 million individuals globally (WHO, 2012). In the Canadian context, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS ascended to 71,300 cases in 2011, with 8.9% of the affected individuals being aboriginal peoples (PHAC, 2011). This number not only indicates an overrepresentation of the aboriginal population among the totality of HIV/AIDS cases in the country, but it also illustrates an elevated incidence of 17.3% from the numbers reported in 2008 (PHAC, 2011). The aforementioned statistics were here exposed with the intent of recognizing the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS, as alarming public health issues superimposed on the already vulnerable segment of the Canadian population that is the aboriginal community. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to gradually examine the multiple determinants and factors contributing to such problem as well as some of the possible actions that can ameliorate it.
Advertisements are all over the place. Whether they are on TV, radio, or in a magazine, there is no way that you can escape them. They all have their target audience who they have specifically designed the ad for. And of course they are selling their product. This is a multi billion dollar industry and the advertiser’s study all the ways that they can attract the person’s attention. One way that is used the most and is in some ways very controversial is use of sex to sell products. For me to analyze this advertisement I used the rhetorical triangle, as well as ethos, pathos, and logos.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS weakens the immune system hampering the body’s defense mechanisms. AIDS is known to be a deadly disease, especially if it is not treated in a timely manner. AIDS and HIV is an epidemic that is increasing among the African American population with roots tracing back to Africa, AIDS and HIV needs greater exposure and more awareness within the African American community and in the homosexual community.
In conclusion the ad shows its appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos by having a woman on it and having her state her opinion. By having the character state her opinion it will make people who see this ad think about the issue at hand. In addition to that the ad uses a simple but effective way to capture the audience’s attention. It captures attention by using a well-known character, a short but effecting statement, and a simple color scheme to draw attention. Doing so helps grab the reader and then further deliver the message of pro-choice and that it’s a woman’s choice to do with her body as she pleases.
The tenth picture from the first visual set is titled “Date night”. This picture shows a couple of old men in a jail cell. They are all wearing dirty clothes. This is trying to show that if you drink and get cut, you will go to jail and be in jail with these kind of people. I think this picture is persuasive because it shows that someone will go to jail if they get cut drinking and driving. I think this ad will be more effective for younger adult than older adults because it can be a lot scarier for the young adults.
HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999, researchers had discovered that HIV is derived from chimpanzees native to west equatorial Africa. This epidemic is spreading throughout countries and infecting 14 thousand victims every day. Learning about HIV includes knowing how to contract the virus, understanding most of the people it affects, how to prevent the spread of it, and knowing what treatments are available.
The epidemic of HIV/AIDS has been a repeat offender in the deaths of many people worldwide, African Americans, specifically, have been disproportionately impacted by this virus since it was first discovered in the early 1980s. Despite African Americans only being accountable for a small portion of the total U.S. population, they are the ethnic group most greatly affected by this virus. The HIV and AIDS epidemic does not simply target African American males, but over the years has grown to greatly affect black women, gay and bisexual men and the youth as well. There are many speculations as to why the ethnic group of African Americans has such a high rate of HIV and AIDS, however, this paper will explore specific reasoning behind this issue. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS amongst African Americans is an ongoing health issue due to lack of education and awareness, a smaller population, demographics and stigmas towards gay and bisexual groups.
For over thirty years HIV and AIDS have presented historic challenges to the human nature, especially to our planet’s public health, scientific and medical communities. It is estimated that just in the United States between 900.000 and 950.000 persons are living with HIV and about one forth of those infected have not yet been diagnosed and are unaware of their infection. The number of people with AIDS is increasing as effective new drug therapies keep HIV-infected persons healthy longer and dramatically reduce the death rates. However in spite of extremely beneficial advances in the field of HIV-AIDS treatment in recent years the epidemic is far from being over. The Center for Disease Control in the United States has estimated that about 40.000 people become infected every year and most of these are young persons under the age of 25. The epidemic of HIV is severely impacting the communities of color, particularly young men and women. Roughly about sixty percent of new infections continue to be among men having a sexual intercourse with another man. The National HIV Prevention Committee suggests that there has been resurgence in unsafe behaviors among some communities of gay men. With all the research and evidence available from various government and non-profit organizations dealing with HIV and AIDS prevention far too many Americans believe that the epidemic is over in the United States. Among minorities, women, and the poor the worst may yet to be come. African Americans represent 12 percent of the American population, which is about 35.000.000 people, but about 50 percent of the new HIV cases (www.statehealthfacts.org). In the United States some 80 percent of all women infected are women of color. In addition African-American women are becoming infected at younger age compared to their white peers primarily through heterosexual contact. Hispanics present about 14 percent of the US population, about 40.322.930 people, and 20 percent of HIV-AIDS cases. The HIV infection rate among Native Americans is approximately one and a half time that of whites and they die from AIDS much faster than the whites due to late diagnosis.
Curry and Clarke’s article believe in a strategy called “visual literacy” which develops women and men’s roles in advertisements (1983: 365). Advertisements are considered a part of mass media and communications, which influence an audience and impact society as a whole. Audiences quickly begin to rely on messages sent through advertisements and can create ideologies of women and men. These messages not only are extremely persuasive, but they additionally are effective in product consumption in the media (Curry and Clarke 1983:
The second ad is advertising a tie by the company Van Heusen. In the picture there is a man lying in bed being served by his wife. The wife in this ad is on her knees looking up at her husband at the side of the bed. Her being on her knees makes her look weak and vulnerable. Her being in her robe also could symbolize that she is vulnerable because someone in their robe is typically at home. The husband on the other hand, is in a relaxed position with his hands behind his head.
In the essay “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body,” author and philosopher Susan Bordo discusses the history and current state of male representation in advertisements. While using her feminist background, Bordo compares and contrasts the aspects of how men and women are portrayed in the public eye. She claims that there has been a paradigm shift the media with the theory that not just women are being objectified in the public eye, but also men too. Since the mid-1970s, with the introduction of Calvin Klein commercials, men have started to become more dehumanized and regarded as sex symbols. In a similar fashion to how Bordo describes gender, race plays a similar role in the media. People of all different ethnicities and cultures are being categorized into an oversimplified and usually unfair image by the media over basic characteristics.
The early 1940s to the 1960s truly exemplified the social constructs of a married couple, and with that, the stereotypes that followed. In this 1960 Mr. Leggs ad (see page 3), blatant stereotypes can be shown. The advertisement shows portrayals of chauvinism, strict gender roles, and gives a message to the mass on what is “normal” at the time.