Photo Analysis Essay
The
image selected as an advertisement for Miller Lite seems to target a
predominately male audience through its images of youth and beauty with the
model and the way in which she is portrayed. Through familiarity for the target audience (men) the
advertisers use of image based cues allows the audience to draw conclusions
based on representations of her body, mannerisms, activity, and properties and
costuming.
First
I will focus on the model ÒSofiaÓ and what her appearance represents in our
culture. Starting from the top down the first thing one notices her long brown
hair. Long hair is a representation of femininity and beauty in our culture. When we see long flowing hair images of
Farah Faucet come to mind. A more
contemporary example starting from childhood are the Disney princesses. Ariel,
Belle, Jasmine, and Pocahontas all share the common trait of long flowing hair. Images of Greek goddesses almost always
portray them with long beautiful hair.
It is culturally accepted that long hair is in the traditional sense
beautiful. Brunettes in our
culture tend to convey one of two separate images in our culture. Either hard
working, assertive, and smart business women. This is constructed partially due
to blondes often being portrayed as dumb. The other construction is that
brunettes have a Ògirl next doorÓ sensibility about them. Brunettes are more
approachable for men because they are more likely tom boys and lower maintenance
than blondes. An example is Maryanne from GilliganÕs Island who is the down
home down to earth girl next door in relation to Ginger the sex goddess
redhead. In this advertisement it the approachability and girl next door beauty
that is conveyed most prevalently by the selection of a Brunette model. This
image of the approachable girl next door is enhanced through other
representations.
The
modelÕs body too is an image representative of sex. She is tan, long legged, with a tight mid section, and has
large breasts. Each of these
features represent essentially the same thing; beauty, fertility, and sex. Most women simply do not have a body
like the one in this image and yet it is expected that women ÒshouldÓ look like
this to be sexy. We see long legs
on runway models like Tyra Banks. Large breasts are simply everywhere in pop
culture. We are a culture of
ginormous bazongas. Dolly Parton,
Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Scarlet Johansen, Selma Hyek, Fabio and many
more prominent figures in the entertainment industry who are considered sexy or
beautiful flaunt their large breasts.
While the model has a body and appearance very uncommon the advertisers
have given indicators that she is cool and guy friendly making her seem like
someone you might see at a bar and talk to. Having a tan in our culture is generally supposed to mean
that the person spends time out in the sun. Given the setting of this photograph we might conclude that
she has been laying out in the sun on the sand beach. Her skin complexion is
very smooth and pristine. Her face
is feminine and proportional and Sofia is clearly a young women. Youth is widely accepted as beautiful
and they show Sofia in a way that enhances her age.
To
further enhance the girl next door quality of this model the picture uses
costume and clothing choices that show off the features previously mentioned
that are representations of what it means to be sexy. They also effectively convey the girl next door image this
advertisement attempts to achieve.
Again starting from the top the model wears a tight fitting long sleeve
shirt that is somewhat see through.
This top is selected in such a way that shows off her shape and gives
the illusion of nudity and does show skin at the mid drift but does so in such
a way that the model does not seem too easy or skanky. The fabric of the shirt allows her tan
skin to show through slightly.
There are no apparent bra lines (no bra?) too which further indicates to
the hetero sexual male target audience that we are supposed to imagine what is
underneath her shirt, and best of all SofiaÕs cool with that! Sofia wears what appears to be very
small denim shorts. Denim in
general is a representation of a youthful, rebellious, active, outdoor
lifestyle. This representation has
been shaped over years of use by popular culture icons. One may think of James Dean in his dark
Levis or the cover of Bruce SpringsteenÕs album Born In The USA. In terms of women and sex appeal in
denim shorts one is once again reminded of Maryanne on GilliganÕs Island and
the contemporary use by Jessica Simpson.
The denim shorts in this advertisement suggest all of the above but most
specifically that she is a casual girl who likes having fun but looks sexy doing
it. It is again approachability
for the hetero sexual male audience and taking this unordinary looking women
and making her ordinary.
The
representation of activity and positioning in the photograph takes on a
slightly different role in that while it does indicate to some extent she is
approachable this is more specifically to establish her as submissive and hints
at her sexual desire. Starting
from the top she tilts her head to the left and smiles looking slightly up at
the camera. The smile is an
inviting friendly gesture however the tilt and looking up at the camera has a
different meaning in our culture.
Looking up is a demure somewhat suggestive pose that puts her in a
submissive role. What it is representative of is looking up while giving oral sex
to a dominant figure which in this case the dominant figure is the person
viewing the advertisement. The
modelÕs hands playfully touching her hair conveys a tactile sense to the
audience. It is inviting to the
viewer in that it represents making out and passion while running your hands
through your partners hair suggesting that Sofia would like you to do this with
her. This tactility sense is
created by essentially every love scene in a movie. The film ÒThe NotebookÓ has a lot of hair pulling as a sign
of passion between the two lovers.
The fact that the model is sitting in the sand with bare feet instead of
laying out in one of the chairs behind her plays both to her being
approachable, easy going, not afraid to get dirty in the sand, but also to her
submissiveness and demure qualities.
This also is constructed to some extent by the image of receiving oral
sex in our culture in which the person receiving is the dominant figure. In
positioning her sitting with crossed legs there is a triangle created by her
legs. The triangle forms a vector
directing attention to the modelÕs crotch which makes the audience think of
intercourse. The positioning and
action in the picture is designed in such a way that it puts the model in a
submissive position and also indicates that she wants to be promiscuous based
on tactile indicators like running her hands through her hair.
The
other factors that convey meaning to this advertisement and Òtell the story,Ó
is the setting of the photograph and also the placement of products that have
meaning in our culture. In the
photograph there is sand and lawn chairs.
These are synonymous in our culture with the beach, water, bikinis, and
European guys in Speedos. MTVÕs
spring break coverage, GirlÕs Gone Wild, Baywatch, and multiple other venues
have helped construct our idea that wild fun things happen at the beach and all
people at the beach probably look something like the model in this ad. The product place of the Miller Lite
logo even says something to this atmosphere. Through Superbad, Animal House, Beerfest, Dazed and Confused
and any other high school or college comedy, it is generally accepted that
being young and having a good time involves alcohol. It is also constructed that beer is the preferred choice for
heterosexual men and so to have an attractive female wearing a Miller Lite
brand top it says about her that she can hang out and drink beer with the
boys. The fact that in the lower
right corner it has her signature with a little heart of the ÒIÓ in ÒSofiaÓ enhances
her approachability as being a real person who really sits in the sand and
drinks Miller Lite.
Through
the use of common ideologies of their target audience, most likely heterosexual
males the advertisers have constructed the idea that if you go to the beach
with Miller Lite you can meet a stunningly sexy, approachable, easy going, girl
who will willingly have sex with you.
This is achieved through the use of images and traits that
representations of bodies, activity, mannerisms, and a setting that when
combined construct an understanding of the product and what it represents.
Photo Retrieved 27, September
2009 from:
