Gender Stereotypes In Advertising

"Sex Tricks He 's Never Seen Before," or the infamous, "Sex - 10 Make Him Throb Moves..." Sound familiar? I wouldn 't be surprised. Cosmopolitan 's provocative headlines are ones that catch everybody 's eye while in line at the supermarket. This notorious magazine has been gracing newsstands since 1886. Surprisingly, the magazine itself hasn 't changed a bit, aside from the old-fashion hair-styles. The covers still feature the stereotypical model, with blonde hair, blue-eyes, and much slimmer than the average woman. Cosmo offers editorials on how to attain confidence and self-acceptance, and displays advertisements for perfect skin, perfect clothing, and perfect bodies. The magazine delivers these things; however, the ads feature mainly white women in their twenties and thirties promoting the need to attain flawless beauty. Along
Of the 268 pages in one issue of Cosmo, only about 133 feature articles or other written text. Most of the advertisements in the magazine feature white models. When women of color are shown, they are usually light-skinned. Most of the women in the ads are flawlessly beautiful, with little or no wrinkles, perfect teeth and hair, and waistlines that are well below that of the average woman. If their clothes are visible, the women are usually dressed in a sexually appealing manner. These advertisements in addition to the other content in the magazine send the message that the 'norm ' is to be sexy, flawless and thin. In order to become the 'norm ', the reader is led to believe that she needs to purchase the next new product being advertised. Most of the advertisements in Cosmo are for beauty products. The ads range from St. Ives Apricot Cleanser to the more expensive Sephora Micro-Nutrient Face & Body Natural Protein Tan. No matter what the price of the product is, the message that it sends readers is that their natural beauty is not