Advertising and Identity
“Venus Envy” and “The Eye of the
Beholder”
Some definitions of “Identity”
• “The distinguishing character or personality of
an individual” (merriam-webster online
dictionary)
– In other words, identity is the thing that sets an
individual apart and makes it distinguishable from
other individuals. However, identity can also be
bound up in our membership in a group…
• “Social identity is a person’s sense of who they
are based on their group membership(s)”
(McLeod).
Group Memberships
• What are some things that determine “groups” people can
be members of?
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–
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Gender
Religion
Race/ethnicity
Subculture
Profession
Can you think of any more?
• What are some things that people do in order to identify
themselves as members of a certain group? What happens
when a member of a certain group doesn’t act the way a
member of that group is “supposed to” act?
Gender and Identity: Some Basic
Assumptions
• There is a difference between gender and sex.
– Sex is biological. (It’s about parts.)
– Gender is socially constructed. This means that
society has created ideas about what is
“masculine” or what is “feminine” that have
nothing to do with biology.
• Advertisements and pop culture take part in
the construction of gender and use it to sell
products. Let’s think of some examples.
“What’s Wrong with Cinderella?”
• This essay is written by a mother who is
consciously trying to avoid having gender norms
she sees as harmful forced onto her daughter.
• Why is this mother, Peggy Orenstein, concerned
about her daughter’s interest in princesses (and
the trend overall)? What reasons does she give
for this concern?
• What is the debate about the princess trend?
How does Orenstein place herself in relationship
to other voices in the discussion?
“What’s Wrong with Cinderella?”
• Notice how Orenstein has a complicated stance here.
– She concedes that the princess trend might be a “sign of
progress,”
– She mentions that little girls haven’t “drunk the Kool-Aid” and
play basketball in their fancy dresses.
– She struggles with whether she is sending her daughter a
message that being a girl is bad by being anti-princess.
• Notice that she also interviews several people who are
knowledgeable about various areas that relate to her topic
and then responds to her sources with her own ideas.
• What conclusions does Orenstein eventually come to? How
does she stake out her stance in this complex debate?
Where do you stand?
“The Eye of the Beholder” p. 187
• This essay uses the form of a narrative, or a
story, to get its point across. Using narratives
in your essays can be an effective way of
engaging your audience. Narratives introduce
them to the story of one individual is dealing
with the issues you are writing about, making
the issues more immediate and more human.
• Why does this author decide that she is
“ugly”?
“Eye of the Beholder”
• Describe the author’s transformation at the
department store.
• What is her attitude about the women in the
photographs at the beauty counter? About the
woman who helps her with her makeover?
(These don’t stay consistent throughout the essay
because the author’s attitude changes as the
story progresses.)
• Why do you think that the author makes the
choice she does at the end?
Pop Culture and Identity
• How does this essay comment on the influence of
pop culture on identity? Would you say that pop
culture has had a positive/constructive influence,
or a negative/destructive influence?
• What do you think this essay is saying about how
all of these advertisements have influenced Suh
to think of herself as a woman?
• Is it just the advertisements, or are they working
together with other forces in Suh’s life?
Effects of Ads on Identity
• There has been a lot of talk about how ads
with unrealistic beauty standards affect
women, but not as much has been written
about how ads about how to “be a man”
affect men.
“Venus Envy” p. 168
• According to the author, how have men’s
expectations of themselves in regards to
appearance changed recently? Why? Point to
places in the article that support your answer.
• What do you think of this issue? Is this a case of
men and women being on a more “equal” playing
field now (because both “have to” be more
concerned about appearance)? Or is this a case of
a trend that has historically damaged women
also beginning to have negative effects on men?
Connections Between the Essays
• What connections do you see between
Orenstein’s concerns in “What’s Wrong With
Cinderella?” and the issues raised in the other
two essays?
• Having read about Suh’s experiences in “Eye of
the Beholder,” what connections can you
make between her day at the beauty counter
and what McLaughlin describes in “Venus
Envy”?