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10th Grade English
Thursday
6 Feb. 2014
AGENDA:
 “Merchants of Cool” Responses
 Complete Back Side of Purple Handout
 DISCUSS “MERCHANTS OF COOL”
 Mini-Lesson on Gender and Advertising
H/W:
• Extra Credit Opportunity! BRING TO CLASS AN EXAMPLE OF
ANY ONE OF THE CONCEPTS OF GENDER TREATMENT WE DISCUSS
IN CLASS TODAY – CLEARLY LABEL IT.
“Merchants of Cool” Student Responses:
What do you think of the assertions made in this
documentary?
 “I totally agree with it. It’s so true how all kids talk
about is sex, drinking, and drugs. Teens love to party
and do dirty things because it makes them feel cool,
and that is exactly what this program is informing.”
 “I was mainly shocked about the behaviors of teens
that they talked about. I don’t think it’s okay for them
to assume that this is how all teens are. To me, it’s
kind of scary to think about. Most of what was talked
about didn’t apply to me, which made me upset that
just a few teens would result in representing the teen
world, however, I do believe that a lot of what they
were saying is true and is happening. I think the
actions were only caused by the media and not how
teens actually are.”
“Merchants of Cool” Student Responses:
What do you think of the assertions made in this
documentary?
 “I think that many of the assertions in this documentary
are accurate. I mostly agree with their statements about
how sex sells. I can see this happening everywhere in my
daily life. Sex is what’s “hot” and everyone wants to be like
the sexy and sexually active people they see from media.”
 “The assertion that teens are rebellious and hate authority
I can believe and agree with; teens want to be responsible
for themselves, and not have to listen to authority.
However, I disagree with the “all teens think about is sex,
drugs, alcohol, etc.” as a majority of teens could care less
about those things. It’s rude to say that all teens act like
that just because the only ones who do that stuff are on tv,
and representing the teen body as a whole.”
“Merchants of Cool” Student Responses:
What do you think of the assertions made in this
documentary?
 “I think this documentary was showing accurate
assertions about media. How out of hand it’s gotten and
how much it is affecting the younger generations. Because
of the media, all this generation cares about is sex and
money. I believe the media is at fault for that as shown in
the video. Teens really only care about trying to fit in and
be accepted, and the media is saying that if you act like a
“mook” or “midriff,” that is how you will be accepted, so
that is how teens are acting.”
 “I think the general idea of teens getting their culture from
media is true because now you see kids always wanting to
party, drink and smoke which isn’t right or wrong because
you can do what makes you happy, but if you are doing it
because of a source of media, then in my opinion it’s
wrong and you aren’t truly being yourself. You are a clone
of what the media says or does.”
Learning Targets
1. I can define “feminine touch.”
2. I can find one example of “feminine touch” in an
advertisement in a magazine.
3. I can define “heroine chic.”
4. I can find one example of “heroine chic” in an
advertisement in a magazine.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
Based upon the study by Robert Jenson, University of Texas, 1996
Regarding the treatment of WOMEN he found:
1.
“Feminine Touch” – the placement of women’s
hands on products and self. Hands situated near the
lips, breasts, and hips.
2.
Lack of clothing.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
3.
Women shown as off-balance, unnatural positions,
uncomfortable positions, or laying down.
4.
“Pouty” – psychologically withdrawn or “on drugs”
expression. Also known as “heroine chic.”
5. “Objects in a frame to be viewed” – seen as objects in a
frame viewed from a male perspective.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
6.
Woman as prop with a product. Woman
holding/supporting the product, as though she is the
prop.
7. Women’s body parts used as a featured item: lips,
breasts.
8. Women’s eyes closed or cut from the frame, or eyes
looking away from the lens. Hides subjectivity (less
personal). Increases objectivity (look like an object).
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
9.
Woman’s body is fused with product. Logo
imprinted on a woman’s body, or body
parts become the product.
10. Women clinging to one another.
Pause and Find
 Work with a partner looking through your magazine.
 Find a powerful example of one of Jensen’s findings
in regards to women.
 Label which finding the advertisement exemplifies.
 Be prepared to share your finding and example
advertisement with the class.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
With regard to treatment of MEN he found:
1. Normal faces – with wrinkles, with pores (i.e.
Marlboro Man)
2. Fully clothed
3. Stable positions with both feet on the ground.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
When advertisements featured men and women together,
he found:
1.
The woman is attending to the man (subservient)
2.
Woman in back of the man (subordinate)
3.
Pampering a man (subservient)
4.
Being held by a man (controlled)
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
5. Enclosed or trapped by a man (controlled).
6. Multiple women with one man.
7. Man’s hands controlling the movement of a woman’s
body.
Pause and Find
 Work with a partner looking through your magazine.
 Find a powerful example of one of Jensen’s findings
in regards to men or men and women featured
together.
 Label which finding the advertisement exemplifies.
 Be prepared to share your finding and example
advertisement with the class.
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
From the book by Anthony Cortese – The Provacateur – 1999
Themes
1. Body chopping – featured women’s body parts.

Women as brainless, not linked to a mind
“What’s important is only between the neck and the knees.”
2. Function Ranking –

Men= active, in charge, purposeful

Women = passive, less active
“Men are more important.”
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
Themes
3. Licensed withdrawal – females are space cadets, ditzy,
disoriented, psychologically withdrawn
“Females need a man to take care of them.”
4. Body clowning – females are shown jumping around, skipping,
in funny or awkward positions, making fools of themselves, silly
– males are shown as confident, strong, powerful, standing or
sitting squarely, looking dignified, even in their underwear
“Women can’t be taken seriously.”
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
Themes
5. Subordination – women are shown in deferential positions,
lying down, placed lower than men, head tilted, bending, or
leaning on men
– men are shown tall, upright, alert, stable
“Women are subordinate to men.”
6. Feminine Touch/Masculine grip
 women are delicately holding/caressing product
 men have a firm, controlling grip, manipulating object, strong
show of force
“Men have power and control over objects and people; women
don’t.”
Gender Treatment
in Advertising
At Your Table Groups:
1. Review Cortese’s themes.
2. Choose a few magazines.
3. In the magazines, look for examples of Cortese’s themes in
the advertisements.
3. Place a post-it on 4-5 advertisements.
4. Clearly label the “theme” that your picture exemplifies.
5. Be prepared to share with the class.