Literal
Background: In a number of ads the levels of the objectification of women becomes literal. Many ads depict women as various objects. In some cases, even though there is not a body present, such as in some beer can ads, the implication is that a woman’s body is being objectified. The ads in this exhibit help emphasize the fact that women's bodies are objectified in multiple ways. Other exhibits focus on how women are dehumanized or objectified as sex objects; in this case, we see women's bodies becoming literal objects of a wide variety. The Ads: Consider the many ways in which women's bodies become products in the following ads. Discussion Questions: (1) Why do you believe that advertisers resort to objectifying women's bodies to this extent? (2) Can you find examples of male bodies being objectified in similar ways as these female bodies? (3) Do you believe that the public finds ads like these to be controversial; if not, why is this the case?