Enlightened Sexism and Duncan Quinn Sample Student CULT 245 NXX Dr. Jennifer Marotta Quinn, Duncan. July/August. 2008. City Magazine, New York. City Magazine Online. Pag. 9. Web. 21 Feb. 2019 <http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/city/city57/> 2 In this paper, I will unpack the larger societal implications of an advertisement by an upscale men’s suit company, Duncan Quinn. The advertisement appeared in the 2008 July/August issue of City Magazine. I will demonstrate how this advertisement contributes to the objectification of women through enlightened sexism a phrase coined by Susan J. Douglas. Enlightened sexism describes a glamourized media portrayal of historical stereotypes of ideal masculinity being able to dominate others and control women in order to be humorous, however; what it actually does is promote those outdated gender stereotypes as a reality in current society further limiting both men and women. Douglas describes her phrase enlightened sexism as “[A] response, deliberate or not, to the perceived threat of a new gender regime. It insists that women have made plenty of progress because of feminism – indeed, full equality has been allegedly achieved – so now it’s okay, even amusing, to resurrect sexist stereotypes of girls and women.” In other words, the philosophy behind these types of marketing campaigns is that sexist images are no longer harmful or limiting, but are a good way to sell products effectively by tapping into insecurities. Enlightened sexism in advertisements tend to depict women as inferior, over sexualized, weak, passive and subservient to men. Enlightened sexist advertisements, through humour, often imply that women are in fact not capable of deep thought or interested in anything beyond bringing pleasure to men. Further, the women portrayed are always supposed to be ideal specimens of their sex. Conversely, for men to be considered an ideal specimen they must be depicted as in control, knowledgeable, virile, aggressive and/or dominant. These men are to be envied by the layman who does not possess the same abilities or status. The advertisements are supposed to be “acceptable” because sexism is often seen as being no longer an issue in western society; theoretically demonstrated by the success and independence of the modern woman. What this argument ignores is the fact that people are constantly attempting to define and redefine themselves according to 3 media ideals and are still vulnerable to the glamourized images even when they depict misogyny and trivialize women through objectification. The gaze silences as it objectifies, and in this advertisement where the woman’s face is obscured, she is reduced to a decorative hood ornament. (Week 1) Even in her vulnerable state, she still embodies elements of idealized femininity with her smooth hairless skin, lack of cellulite, flat stomach, full face of make-up and fashionable haircut. Her body although not entirely lifeless, is certainly “docile” and dominated over by the man. (Bartky, 130). He by contrast looks relaxed, secure, and in charge, making direct eye contact with the viewer as if there is nothing at all offputting about this scene. (Kilbourne, Killing Us Softly) The advertisements, such as the Quinn ad, may be intended to be humorous, but are in reality only damaging and demoralizing. Some advertisers focus on a principle which dictates that every ad must be more shocking than the last in order to grab the attention of the consumer. The theory behind shocking the consumer is that people are so overwhelmed by advertisements that the consumer is able to ignore the advertisement. (Kilbourne, Killing Us Softly) Therefore, once in a while a company feels that it has to push the envelope in terms of its “shock value.” This is especially true in mediums such as magazines where consumers can easily pass by the less interesting material. City Magazine, the magazine in which the Duncan Quinn ad appeared, is aimed at young, wealthy professionals. Turning the pages, one is able to find articles on travel, food, drink, appliances and fashion, most of which the average American consumer would not be able to afford. Quinn must have considered the “shock value” factor very carefully because his full-page advertisement is placed next to the bland and innocuous publishing credits on page eight, which serves to greatly emphasize his advertisement. 4 In the year 2008, Americans hit hard with an economic recession. Many years of stagnation and decline had finally led to mass layoffs and bankruptcy, and even the wealthy now found themselves on less sure footing. It was a time of insecurity and confusion for much of the population who had previously believed America was invincible, and its economy secure. Unemployment rates skyrocketed as much of the manufacturing industry went bankrupt or shut down to save corporations money. As stated by Douglas “Three out of every four jobs lost – often in fields like construction and manufacturing – were sustained by men, meaning that many families were, for the first time, relying on a woman’s paycheck (Douglas 292)[.]” For many men this was terribly confusing because for decades men were taught to define themselves based on their profession and ability to provide for a family. The emphasis of what it meant to be masculine was placed on earning potential and if women were now equal to men - capable of performing, or outperforming men at the same duties and professions, what then did it mean to be a man? Enter enlightened sexism. The rise in enlightened sexist depictions by advertisers is the result of romanticizing the 1950’s; a time when gender roles were clearly defined. Enlightened sexist advertising purposely ignores the other factors of this time such as the racism and discrimination. Most importantly, it ignores the gender role of the female at that time worked to oppress women and take away gains made by them during the war when women had been the labour force and proven themselves capable. Enlightened sexist advertising utilizes the media depiction of Americans in the 1950’s as sure of themselves and confident, once again ignoring that it was fiction intended to make the white middle class feel safe, not reality. The problem with this resurgence of misogynistic advertising is that the viewing of stereotypes, especially stereotypes of women as silent objects or 5 even sexy victims and men as dominant or aggressive is harmful to the psyche because people constantly accept media images as an ideal reality. (Kilbourne, Killing Us Softly) In this ad, the woman is depicted stereotypically as a sexual object or “plaything” through her placement upon the car, another object and stereotypical plaything for men. The use of women as sexual objects is harmful and dehumanizing as well as it encourages men to consider women not as human beings, but as a commodity. (Kilbourne, Killing Us Softly 4) The stereotype of women as sexual objects sends the message to women that what is relevant is their appearance and ability to bring pleasure to other men. (Bartky, 141) In the article, “The Impact of Violence Against Women In Advertisements” the authors elaborate on this and state: “The depiction of women in stereotypical contexts continues to exist in advertisements…leading to the inaccurate conclusion that females may appropriately be viewed as sexual objects for the pleasure of male consumption.” In the Quinn ad, the woman’s docile and possible damaged form is wearing nothing but lingerie, and his tie as a lasso or leash, further placing her in the limited role of sexual object. Further demonstrating the ad as an example of enlightened sexism is the reference to a more misogynistic time through the usage of black and white photography, as well as the reference to an older man (comparable to the female model) in a plaid suit, a younger woman who is fair and a classic sports car. He is fully clothed and addressing his audience, while she is clad only in lingerie and his tie. The tie which is held by the man is the object that draws the gaze away from him and towards the woman, who is blindfolded with the tie around her neck, unable to see, she is also restrained, adding to the notion that she is at his mercy and completely submissive. The man is addressing his audience and gazing at us through the photograph, while she, blindfolded, cannot. This classic representation of the male as dominant and the female as submissive reinforces the harmful stereotype of women as being inferior. The man in Quinn’s advertisement further 6 demonstrates his superiority and mastery over women through his relaxed posture. Evidently, the man is at ease and comfortable which contrasts with the woman’s hand and fingers being positioned at an awkward angle; at best, she is bent uncomfortably, at worst her hand is broken. Most importantly, the part of her face that is visible expresses no emotion – it is devoid of pleasure or pain - like the car she is merely another object to serve him. The Quinn advertisement is indeed distasteful and while it may be an exaggerated example of enlightened sexism it serves to magnify a growing issue in advertising. If people more openly criticize the portrayal of men and women in advertisements, the advertisers may be forced to change. When shock value becomes the thing of most importance and advertisers adopt a “by any means necessary” stance, we too should be able to necessarily and by any means oust stereotypical depictions of men and women. Enlightened sexist advertising is not harmless, it is offensive. When people allow themselves to be presented with limiting and negative images of what it means to be male or female people allow the self to be robbed of a healthy portrayal of adulthood. When we allow sexist advertising through humour, we allow and justify sexist attitudes among the general population, rolling back the gains that were made towards equality through feminist action. Works Cited Capella, Micheal L, et al. “The Impact of Violence Against Women in Advertisements.” Journal of Advertising 39.4 (2010) : n. pag. Web. 21 Feb. 2019. Bartky, S. (1997). Foucault, femininity and the modernization of patriarchal power. Writing on the Body: Female Embodiment and Feminist Theory, 129-154. Douglas, Susan J. Enlightened Sexism. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2010. Print. Killing Us Softly 4: Advertisings Image of Women. Dir. Sut Jhally. Perf. Jean Kilbourne. Media Education Foundation, 2010. DVD Quinn, Duncan. Unknown. 2008. City Magazine, New York. City Magazine Online. Pag. 9. 21 Feb. 2019 <http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/city/city57/> Week 1, Powerpoint, Dr. Jennifer Marotta. Humber College (2019) Web.
