by B Borcyk

Created on: June 23, 2007

One piece of the statement is correct. Advertisements do, in fact, use sex to sell their products. Sex is the single easiest way to get across any message, especially to the younger generations. If it didn't work so well, advertisers and businesses would not use it.

As much as sexual advertising causes controversy, Dr. Louann Brizendine wrote, "Thoughts about sex enter a woman's brain once every couple of days but enter a man's brain about once every minute" (Language Log website). If this is true, an advertisement which enhances these thoughts from both men and women is a good advertisement. It works.

The incorrect part of the statement that advertisements degrade women is evident in the fact that women are often the purchasers of these products and services. Women also help write these ads, produce them, direct them, and introduce them to consumers. Most important of all, women star in them.

Sexual advertising works, because people associate parts of their lives with it. Sex is one of the few subjects that can be translated among nearly any culture or lifestyle preference. Since it is so important to the majority of society, it is easier to sell the product or service featured in the advertising. Figuring out exactly what that product or service is, now that's the hard part.

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