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• 1 2026-04-12T01:19:12+00:00 Case Study: Over Sexualization in Modern Fashion Advertising 6 plain 2026-04-13T03:34:24+00:00

  This argument can be further illustrated through applying Mulvey's male gaze theory to the controversial advertisements of Calvin Klein in the 1980s , and American Eagle in 2025. Calvin Klein generated controversy over an advertisement featuring 15 year old Brooke Shields, which “launched a decades long debate on sexualization in advertising” (Joanze). The young teen was the sole model featured in the advertisement, shown putting on a pair of jeans while displaying her body in an unusually contorted posture (Calvin Klein Commercial 0:44). It is not unreasonable to suggest that the female subject, Brooke, was positioned provocatively. Her body language included laying on the floor with her legs in the air, struggling to zip up her jeans, sounding out of breath, and rolling into odd flexible positions (Calvin Klein Commercial 0:08-0:23). This suggestive framing emphasizes Brooke as an object to be viewed under male spectatorship, and these elements can be interpreted as visually accessible. Her actions and tone of voice satisfy the way in which “male gaze projects its phantasy on to the female figure which is styled accordingly” (Mulvey).
  
  
  From the audience perspective Brooke fits the role of an “erotic object for the spectator” (Mulvey). This positioning is simply another brick which built the foundation of women represented as submissive objects. Despite the controversy, Brooke’s Calvin Klein advertisement inspired a modern recreation by American Eagle. The recent Sydney Sweeney campaign demonstrates how the construction of women as visually accessible persists in modern advertising. Sweeny is positioned laying down, buttoning up her jeans (“American Eagle Good Jeans” 0:30). The next scene points an emphasis to her butt, as she walks up from a bent over position and caresses her back pockets (“American Eagle Good Jeans” 0:46).
  
  Something of sexual significance is the repeated positioning of the female subject laying down while clothing herself. This position is impractical to the average experience of getting dressed. Additionally, it introduces an element of intimacy while the reclining position invites visual attention to the body. Once again the object becomes the body wearing the clothing rather than the clothing itself. The importance in discussing these case studies lies in the roles they play in reinforcing gender imbalances. Concepts such as visual accessibility, and the satisfaction of male fantasy play a significant role in reinforcing the idea of women as submissive objects which are susceptible to male authority. This raises the question of whom these representations benefit, and why they have escaped scrutiny. Ultimately, these portrayals benefit those who aim to uphold a patriarchal society. As defined by Gramazio et al,.“sexual objectification is a form of body reductionism that occurs whenever a person is fragmented into a collection of sexual body parts or functions, is considered as a silent decoration, and is evaluated solely on the basis of his or her appearance.” (2). In these campaigns Shields, and Sweeny are effectively presented as silent decorations with an intentional gaze set on their bodies rather than their agency. The case studies presented are just two examples of how “advertising depicts young women with voluptuous bodies, wearing makeup and posed sensually” (Sacoto et al. 2), as facilitators of the submissive woman stereotype.
  
  By drawing on a familiar medium, this argument can become more compelling. In a study focused on the sexualization of women in the medium of music videos, researchers found that “exposure to sexualizing and violent music videos can affect people’s perceptions of stereotypes more permanently” (Gutiérrez et al. 17). This finding can be applied to visual advertisements in fashion which also include exposure to female sexualization. Since “female respondents reported seeing less leadership in women after watching sexualizing videos” (Gutiérrez et al. 17), it is reasonable to suggest that advertisements would have the same “power of music videos to change people’s perceptions of femininity and masculinity” (Gutiérrez et al. 17). By integrating the analyses of the case study advertising campaigns with the research findings of sexualized videos, the results prove that sexual portrayals in visual media produce stronger gender stereotypes. In regards to the case studies, the concern is that “In these scenarios, they appear as objects serving male pleasure; the content is presented as normal and acceptable” (Sacoto et al. 2). If society continues to respond with complicity towards this objectification, then members will become desensitized. Furthermore, these examples raise an important question: why has the objectification of women on the basis of male pleasure become an unquestioned norm?
  
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