The Racist and Sexist Messages Behind 20th Century Ads

In a world filled with tons of images, what we see in advertisements is not an accident, but it is a product of an ideology. Disguised under the mask of beauty,  desire, and modernity, advertisements often reproduce and normalize deep-rooted systems of power.  It does more than selling products; it sells ideologies, stereotypes, and narratives that shape how we view ourselves and others. Through a focus on gender and race, this article explores how visual media helped to shape and limit the opinions about identities of women and people of color. While women were frequently portrayed as homemakers, sexual objects, or dependent on men for happiness and approval, non-white people often depicted as exotic, subservient, and menacing. The cultural critic Stuart Hall described this as "the spectacle of the other" in his work Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices(1997), which suggests that these portrayals are represented in media and culture in ways that turn them into objects of fascination and stereotypes. Therefore, these racial and gender stereotypes have become a form of entertainment and ideology, a show that consists of surface-level representations rather than the actual reality.

Published by Van Heusen in mid-20th century, the ad features five men, with four of the figures are dressed in suits and ties. However, the fourth image portrays a Black man in what can be seen as stereotypical "primitive" attire, wearing tribal necklaces and body paint. This kind of portrayal reinforces outdated, dehumanizing stereotypes of Black people, casting them as the "other" or as part of an uncivilized world. The text next to the Black figure states, "Rumor has it that even he would gladly swap his boar's teeth for a Van Heusen Oxford!" This showcases the stereotype of an "uncivilized" person being eager and ready to adopt Western or "civilized" products. The use of the Black man in the ad as a product of exoticism illustrates the notion that suggest black people were to be 'improved' or 'fixed' by Western culture. This ad is from the 1950s, a period in which racism and stereotyping were deeply embedded in many forms of media, which reveals the societal norms of its time.

Being one of the examples of sexism during 1970s, this advertisement by Weyenber company, which was featured in Playboy magazine, invokes a strongly sexist message. The phrase "Keep her where she belongs..." reinforce the idea that women's place is at men's feet. The visual, which depicts a woman in a submissive, passive and admiring position, suggests that the charm of the shoe can make a woman obedient and define one’s role and status in society.

The central figure in the ad is a young woman with wide eyes, soft features, and a teddy bear, which reinforces the themes of childlike innocence and purity. The presence of the teddy bear further invokes associations with childhood and vulnerability. The idea that “because innocence is sexier than you think” in itself is a troubling message. The concept of innocence is used in advertising to appeal to consumers’ desires and has become a marketing strategy. Such advertisements, in a broader societal context, can normalize the sexualization of young girls, making it more socially acceptable to view their innocence through a lens of sexual allure. Moreover, the phrase 'so innocent it may be the sexiest fragrance around' speaks to the unsettling way in which innocence is commodified in advertising, creating a deeply problematic connection between youth and sexual desirability.