Assignment #2 DUE 11.19

[Type here] [Type here] Example 2.3

Reading an Advertisement

In their advertisement, Belvedere Vodka markets their vodka as being smooth and attempts to deliver the message in a humorous way. They target their ads to appeal to a male audience as consuming hard liquor is typically seen as masculine in society. The intention of this advertisement was to be humorous to male audiences in an unconventional way, but the impact of this image is something darker as it contributes to the notion that women are to be taken advantage of. The text, imagery, and innate weaponization of alcohol in the Belvedere Vodka advertisement reinforces the normalization of sexual violence against women.

The vodka company claims that “unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smoothly”. The message can be interpreted in different ways. It implies that their vodka can be used to intoxicate a woman unconscious, inhibiting her ability to give consent. It can also imply that men should drink their vodka to be unaware of their own actions and avoid accountability. Despite the varying ways one can interpret this message, the underlying theme of these messages is that these actions strip away a woman’s autonomy over her body and spirit. The text is written in large white bolded text that stands out in the advertisement while the words “unlike some people” are bolded in blue. The “people” the ad refers to are those that resist and attempt to protect themselves, and through their message they insist that they are looked down upon. Belvedere compares their smooth alcohol to those that don’t put up a fight against assaulters, indicating that submissive women are desired as they are easy targets. This gives men the message that they are entitled to have a woman’s body at their disposal whenever they want. This gives women the message that they shouldn’t resist when a man wants to touch them even though they never consent to it. The text is written as if it’s only speaking to the male audience. What I believe to be most alarming is that the woman’s voice is not included. There is no mention of her giving consent. There is no advising against sexual assault and rape. There is only a dark joke about forcing a woman into performing oral sex in the middle of the image, taking up half of the space in the ad.

A man is shown trying to force a woman to perform a sexual act on him in the advertisement in black and white. As the man smiles from cheek to cheek, the woman’s face is filled with fear. She is desperately trying to escape the grasp of the man trying to take advantage of her. The man isn’t a celebrity or a well known public figure. He is an average man that can be found anywhere in our society. The presence of “an average joe” in a harmful advertisement such as this one perpetuates the idea that anyone can gain the ability to be able to force sexual services from a woman if they buy a certain product. In the ad, the crime of sexual assault is disguised as a fun pastime men can partake in while having drinks with their friends. The cruel contrast between the man’s joy and the woman’s fear emphasizes the extent to which men take this issue as a joking matter. In society, men are seen as the dominant gender and must fight for things they want and never take no for an answer. The product takes advantage of this idea within toxic masculinity and creates a need in men that are insecure and have fragile egos. There is a problem created by society and this vodka company serves as the solution and markets it. The vodka company promises that if men buy their product, they will be able to assert their manliness and engage in non-consensual sexual activity whenever they feel like.

Alcohol has a long history of being used as a crutch for men to serve a lesser penalty for assaulting a woman. The weaponization of alcohol enables assailants to continue to invalidate the value of a woman’s consent. Alcohol is used as a tool to help men while it is used as a weapon against women. When a man is drunk he isn’t responsible for his actions, but when a woman is drunk it is her fault for letting her guard down. Advertisements like that of Belvedere Vodka reinforce rape culture. Some may say that it isn’t a big deal that advertisements like these exist, but they forget that harmful messages are embedded in ads all around us. From a young age, people are exposed to these misogynistic advertisements that promote the idea that women are objects, something inhuman, and undeserving of respect. As a result, women are disproportionately more likely to become victims of sexual assault compared to the male population. The ad catches the audience’s eye with the alarming imagery and utilizes society’s beliefs towards women to create a demand for its product.

Through their misogynistic advertisement, Belvedere Vodka is complicit in the normalization of sexual violence against women and markets it as accessible and desireable to men. Advertisements like that of Belvedere contribute to rape culture in our society and is just one of many other sexist ads in the media. It generates a message that women are objects and should be treated as such. Misogynistic ads imply that women don’t deserve respect, ownership of their bodies, and the right to say no. In the vodka ad, the man has a smile on his face while the woman has the look of horror on her face, convincing its audience that men should show no remorse when assaulting women. The objectification of women in the media is only one of the many rotten roots that grow into issues from sexism in the workplace to femicide. Belvedere’s advertisement sells vodka that is smooth going down the throat and burns in the stomach as we swallow the truth of the rampant degradation of women in the media.

Word Count: 1,001