Katy Perry: The Sexualization Of Women

The ineffective advertisement formulated by the Popchip brand used the music pop icon Katy Perry as a figurehead to degrade the female body image to promote air popped chips. Using a talented widely known artist to exhibit the sexual fascination of breasts to entice a male audience may had been the focus of this advertisement; however, there is a massive problem. The main issue surrounds how a woman is perceived by the general public and what makes a woman truly feminine. The discrepancy that advertisements promote are the unfair and impossible ways an average person may be in the real world. The expectations of an average woman are based upon the idea of perfection, sexuality, and favorable visual concepts of modern design.
The first expectation

of an average woman is through the lens of perfection. Since the beginning of puberty, many women have the unrealistic idea of perfection thrust upon them from increasing amounts of social media. Social media stunt artists, like Kim Kardashian, use buttocks injections to enhance the appearance of the curve body. Following social media typhoons, such as the Kardashians, this form of plastic surgery is a go-to for some young women to reach this yearned for confidence to become accepted within society. Invasive surgery is very dangerous, if completed by the wrong individual; however, many women will still go under the knife to reach the idealistic standards of perfection. The advertisement showing Katy Perry says, “Nothing fake about ‘em’”, which leads an audience of women to believe that being big breasted naturally is great. What if one is flat chested and gives into plastic surgery? This advertisement clearly undercuts women for completing a breast augmentation or continuing to be small breasted naturally. Another example taken from the advertisement is of a visual aspect taken from the skin of Katy Perry. This ad does not have any evidence of wrinkles, freckles, moles, or acne, which is what the majority of the populous has obtained. Using Botox and other injections women are expected to fill in any wrinkles to appear younger, or worse laser skin removal of freckles or acne. Flawless skin is an additional way to lure in a consumer who is vying for clear skin, perhaps creating more insecurities within a common woman, which may lead to an increase the use of Botox in the general public. This advertisement aims to promote the removal of confidence and growth of insecurities of the average woman.
Secondly, the average woman is expected to instantly become sexualized for the male populous.

Make-up is a common ritual for many women seen in the media. Make-up actively emphasizes traits such as, eyelashes, eyes, lips, and nails. The media emphasizes on body parts to sexualize and flirt with the opposing sex. The complete sexualization of women within this advertisement is ineffective, because there are more traits that are a part of being a lady, and these other important traits should not depend on whether or not one has full lashes or lips. Personality is one of the most significant traits that is ignored throughout the Popchip advertisement and forces the audience to only look at the physical traits. For example Katy Perry holds two bags of Popchips over each breast to sexualize the chips and creates a sexual appeal for a male audience. Katy also states, “…they taste like they are bad for you.” Further backing the effort to sexualize breasts and equalize Popchips and breasts as the same. Simply stating that both breasts and Popchips taste fantastic and they should both be purchased or pursued, which is dangerous thinking. Dangerous thinking comes from ignorance. Ignorance from advertising companies using a single trait of sex to sell products, while selling the overall safety of woman. Within colleges, across the nation, most reported cases of sexual assault root from an objectification of women. A limiting idea that women serve to only procreate systematically

endangers the safety of women. The slow correction of this adverse ideology has come from the growth of feminism and equal rights of women in the working industry. Not only can a woman be a mother or wife, but she can also be a doctor or lawyer. The limitations placed on women have been diminishing with reformation movements; however producing more images of sexualization towards women forms unrealistic expectations.
Lastly, the favorable visual aspects of modern design has altered what an average woman is to the public.

The Popchips brand advertisement uses a blue background and a pink accent color, as a contrast to show a mix of reliability and feminine aspects. If a woman wears pink she visually appears to be more feminine and flirtatious versus black or white. Limited accent colors can create a sense of interest for an audience or to lure them into the advertisement, which is why advertisement companies’ use accented colors. The Popchip Brand previously has used blue as a key to show the reliability of their product to their customers and continue using blue to gain a more reliable consumer base. The significance of colors used in the advertisement impacts an audience immediately and does not allow time to think of the symbolism incorporated into the

ad.
In conclusion, Katy Perry endorsed the Popchip advertisement ineffectively. Viewing the lens of perfection, sexualization, and visual aspects of the advertisement surmounts to impossible expectations that many women are expected to follow. The social media and advertising companies have used sex to sell, which hurts the movement of equality of people and feminism. Understanding the problems formed by the media in advertisements allows men and women to experience a sense of empowerment behind equality.