I don’t buy sex.
In most countries it is illegal to sell sex; in some the law is reversed and it illegal to buy sex.
Everyone has seen the adverts, you know the ones, pretty women photographed next to the product or even using it. I have no objection to the choice of good looking participants for adverts; what I object to is the use of this when, as is increasingly common, the pretty woman is totally irrelevant. I’m sorry if I’m incorrect but there’s no connection I’ve discovered between the undressed female form and web hosting, or fishing nets.
I also object, quite strongly, to the ’sexing’ of music and music videos. Rap, notorious for this, is well known to objectify women and glorify gangsterism. I believe that the ‘armies’ based around various rebel forces in Africa often use ‘gangster rap’ to give their child soldiers the confidence to follow the orders they’re given. Studies have shown that heavy bass beats in music increases testosterone levels, this would be excellent for someone about to make young children shoot up villages. It would also create a heightened level of all the bad sides of masculinity within the children, is it any wonder that they rape and massacrer? I dislike the trend to take this form of film making over into the rest of the music industry, not that I liked the music industry in the first place, I dislike the use of women as objects; in fact, I consider it to be an attempt to manipulate me.
The reason I think that the criticism or abuse of others is so attractive to some is as follows; to be above others (rightly or wrongly) one must create a difference between yourself and them, this can be done by their failing or by your success. If you push them down then you help them fail by your perception, you are now - in your own mind - bigger than they. I hope this makes sense, I’ll probably explain more about it another time, this is getting on for two in the morning and my mind has ceased working according to the normal constraints of ordered thinking. This goes for the objectification of women by men, mostly men who have little self worth; by pushing others beneath them they have greater self worth. It’s sick.
So why did I say that I considered it to be an attempt to manipulate me? Well, if I believe what I’ve already stated then it’s an attempt to make me feel good about myself and buy their music because it does so; they’ve failed as it only serves to make me even more sick of modern ‘culture’ than I was before. If I do not become entwined in their net by this devious trick they have a backup plan up their sleeve, simply lure my interest with sex.
But over all, I find it disturbing that to make me buy a fishing net, a new film, or maybe a cup of coffee I must be lured in by the attraction of sex. Whatever happened to the appeal of wanting to buy a product?
Kindest regards, Robert.
Tags: Advertising, Media, Music, Rant, Rap
October 26th, 2007 at 1:11 am
I found that I agreed with this and have felt a similar distrust of corporations because of the tacts they employ to secure their sale. The real problem is that the general masses accept this form of advertising and embrace it wholeheartedly. It’s our own society pandering to exactly what the advertisers want, sex does sell and it’s our own fault.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:28 am
I suppose this brings in another question, do we have the right to decide what is ‘fair’ advertising for others? If they want it do we have the moral or intellectual high ground to say what they can and can’t be exposed to. Over the age of consent it’s your responsibility what you participate it; below that it’s a mixture of state and parental. What is a correct level of freedom for the under age population?
As part of the thinking population we have a unique responsibility, to look after the interests of the unthinking masses. Or do we? How far can we go into other’s lives examining and censoring what they do and see?
Life is full of such paradoxes.
Kind regards, Robert.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:29 am
wow just wow but i agree with you there I hate them pop ups on weebsite asking me to join this dating services to get dates and sex
October 26th, 2007 at 1:38 am
Good observations…
If the product isn’t ‘in and of itself’ attractive, like a fishing net, advertisers need some ‘hook’ to get people to look at their product. Today, the ‘hook’ has everything to do with sex.
About the ‘heavy bass beats in music’ that increase testosterone levels, drums seem to have always been used to ‘gear up for battle.’
October 26th, 2007 at 4:12 am
Good article. Interesting observations. I agree completely.
October 26th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY.
OH WAIT >.<
You just said what each and every other blog just said. :-/
I quite agree that it’s a problem, but I think we should be discussing the solutions. Want to change something, do it, don’t blog it.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Sex sells. It’s a known fact. But for god’s sakes, I’ll agree with you on this point - if you have ever seen the video clip to “Satisfaction” by Benny Benassi, you would see why I’m so quick to agree… Jiggling boobs make only one kind of product solid - and that solid product is useless at being a consumer of anything but condoms imo.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Very True Words, I couldnt of said it better my self.
October 27th, 2007 at 1:28 am
“Whatever happened to the appeal of wanting to buy a product?”
In today’s ‘modern’ society the majority want for very little and have the majority of our basic needs readily met. A lot of products that are out there we just don’t need. There is little incentive to buy.
As you have touched upon, a common strategy in advertising is, as you put it, ’sex sells’. But you have entirely missed the point. By taking the phrase ’sex sells’, and proceeding to rant about it, you have put no thought whatsoever into the actual base of your argument. It is not ’sex sells’. It is putting an associated target market into our minds.
The last coke ad I saw was not simply ‘attractive girls on a beach’, it was ‘attractive girls, and guys, having fun and drinking coke’. You are putting too much emphasis on attractive girls=sex. You are making that association yourself, and should take a look at how you personally view women.
Coke was putting forward a target market that comprised of attractive young people having fun. To follow the rationale, people who drink coke ARE that target market, and therefore are within the target market that coke has prescribed. Young, attractive, and apparently carefree enough to spend a lot of time hanging out and having fun on the beach.
You are buying into an argument that you have not taken the effort to put any real thought into. If you people put any thought into what goes into advertisements, and the reasons for it, maybe we would not be so manipulated, or buy into products so readily.
You yourself have bought into an idea and not done any of your own thinking whatsoever. You have not taken the decision to refuse to buy into advertising campaigns into other areas, for the ’sex sells’ idea is one that has been sold to you. It is hardly original, and you didn’t offer any new or even varied points on the topic.
Cheers,
Rin
October 27th, 2007 at 2:02 am
I must admit I found your comment a little amusing Rin, although you seem to view yourself as an expert on the subject and complain that I take no new point on it you also claim that the point I do take is invalid and imply that I should be taking a different point. If I were to provide the precise adverts I was complaining about then you’d discover that the precise ones on my mind were only containing the female form in a partially clothed state.
The music I was thinking of also contained either only the naked female form or a portrayal of them as objects for ‘use’ within sex and as ‘arm wear’.
I hand it to you that you have made some good points to complain about, however I would invite you to reread what I’ve written in the context that you are not privy to my private thoughts nor to my reading and browsing habits. Complaining about my lack of a pledge not to buy into advertising campaigns which use ’sex’, please note the name of the post; again, you’re not privy to my private actions as I’m unsure that you can state with such certainty that I have not taken any decision either way on what I buy. In reality, I recently decided against a rather nice landing net because the advertisements constant use of the female form in a semi-naked state.
Sir, I believe you’ve entirely missed my attack on gang culture and it’s connection with this sales method. I presume that’s not on your list of correct points nor on your list of ‘new or varied’ points. Furthermore, I’ve specified this as a rant but never claimed any new take on the subject.
Having so verbally speared you, I’d like to thank you for your comment and it’s verbosity, it has certainly made me think.
In general response, please note that my complaint was specifically about items which only a person looking for those items would want in the first place. Surely making a good product is more important than decorating the advert with models?
Kind regards, Robert.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Rin, for god’s sakes, I’M the one who blatantly said “sex sells”…
Seriously - why does a hot chick in a bikini sell power tools? Why do you need a hot cabana boy in the yard while a woman sits in her room eating chocolate?
It works both ways - and the sex appeal of what’s packaged with the product IS ultimately what is selling stuff.
SmallR, I know Rin personally… she is a genius among other things, so go easy :p
October 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
SHE is the operative word here! Sir is not a title I am accustomed to. I’m sorry for not touching upon gang culture and the music undustry, I decided that i had written quite enough, and I’m sure Horst thinks I wrote more than enough. I don’t view myself an expert in the least, in fact I failed my media studies course in high school, but I learnt enough to base an argument on.
I am well aware that I took a highly interpretive approach in staging my argument, but then, I had only what you had written to go on. I also did not mean to say that you bought into the ’sex sells’ approach, but to imply that you were too quick to associate attractive women with sex.
I appreciate the structured response you provided, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our exchange.
Cheers,
Rin
October 27th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I think Rob didn’t help himself with the first paragraph; He should’ve approached it as, “sex sells (as in the opposite sex)”, which covers attractive women for internet hardware.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Well, I’m more likely to buy games if they have attractive women on the front. Preferably with a weapon! I will put forward right now that I love a good argument, and do so for the enjoyment it brings alone. Appreciate your humoring me SmallR.
Rin
October 27th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I suppose I’m complaining more about the use of ’sexy’ women in adverts where it’s not appropriate than the generic use of ’sex’ or women. I’m more complaining about the inappropriate use of the naked or almost naked female form in advertising, I’m not a feminist and neither am I against beauty but I do object to being bombarded with such material in the hope that I’ll be fickle enough to have it influence my choice. I hope it never has and never will.
Kind regards, R.