When I first saw this ad for ZU Shoes, the first thing that came to my mind was, "you go girl!" but that was the consumer side of me. When I took a closer look, this advertisement is drawing strong implications of gendered bodies. The female is obviously the focal point in this advertisement as she is modeling the product, but it is all the surrounding factors that make this advertisement work. The female has short, cropped hair, and her body is thin and sleek. A woman of power. The big city behind her also adds to her power. Even the position of her body is bold, confident and clearly in charge. She holds her chin high with confidence as an endless line of shirtless buff men grovel at her feet. Having the men on the floor portrays them as inferior to the woman, and because there are so many it shows them as a mindless crowd. All the men are wearing jeans and no shirts which makes them a faceless crowd against the sharp and unique female. This ad portrays a big contrast between man and woman, showing what kind of life you will live while wearing ZU Shoes. A luxury of attractive men you can have at a whim. As many ads for women's clothing and accessories, they are shown as sexual and greatly desired. This ad, like the many before and after it are giving women this "docile body" that if we wish to get attention from men, we have to wear sexy clothes and shoes- rather than proving ourselves with intelligence.
I agree with this posting, that women must prove themselves through their clothing rather than being judged through intelligence or personality. Women are in a way more powerful than men are through the roles they play in everyday life and this image clearly shows this with the woman walking past a whole bunch of men on the floor and all being powerless against her. The shoes just adds more emphasis on women's footprint on Earth.
ReplyDelete