Reading Response 11/18

When reading the article “Advertising Stereotypes and Gender Representation in Social Networking Sites” by Tortajada et al., it was easy to make connections with what kind of images I see on a daily basis. Because Fotolog is not a comment social networking site for anyone I know, I can relate this site to Instagram. On Instagram we are able to follow and like photos from supermodels, Instagram models, influencers, musicians, actors/actresses, etc. Obviously, these famous individuals are constantly being sexualized and photographed. Because consumers like me are constantly exposed to these images, we feel the need to imitate certain poses, styles, and behaviors of the models in our own photos. If I were to guess, the imitations made by everyday people exist so that they may feel attractive or important. Two photos I found that did a great job of relating to Tortajada’s article are:

The first image is a photo of Victoria’s Secret Models before or after walking the runway. The positioning of these females shows the arguments made by Tortajada et al. For example, the finger in between the lips and the kneeling positions. These poses have been hardwired in teenagers brains to be considered ‘sexy’ or ‘desired.’ On the other hand, the image of the male model exemplifies Tortajada et el.’s claim that in order for men to appear desired they must exhibit power and strength. I think that this image does a great job and highlighting those traits.