Is Reality Sexy?

This is a paper I wrote for my Media Institutions class. I am also in a sociology class called, Feminism, Gender, and the Body in which we talk about body image and the media's influence. Thus, it was enjoyable for me to write. Enjoy.


What is sexy? The Victoria’s Secret (VS) stores and commercials beg us to answer this question. However, when one takes a closer look at the products VS sells, the way it commodifies its models or “angels,” and content of its commercials, one can suppose they very well know the answer to this question.
VS’s advertising methods are just one way to disprove Robert McChesney’s media myths. In his book, The Problem of the Media, McChesney discusses 8 different ways, or myths, in which we, as Americans, assume the media to be a harmless by-product of our consumer culture. His first myth states that the media “merely reflect[s] reality—rather than shape[s] it” (7). Our belief in this myth presents a serious social problem when we assume that the 5’10”, D-cupped, 115-pound models of Victoria’s Secret are merely a reflection of reality. This gross exaggeration and commodification, not to mention, objectification, of women’s bodies clearly does not paint a picture of reality. Thus, VS’s commercial endeavors not only shape reality, but also attempt to squeeze it into a 34-24-34 frame.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average height for women of all ethnicities in the United States is 5 feet, 3.8 inches. The average weight is 163 pounds. The average waist circumference is 39 inches (NCHS). These statistics speak to the grave discrepancy between the women we see on TV, in magazines, in advertisements, and the real woman we see on a daily basis. Based on these facts alone, how can we assume that the media simply mirrors real life?
Go on YouTube.com, and type in “Victoria’s Secret commercial.” This search rakes in at least 40 pages of results. Admittedly, they are not all commercials which have been aired on TV, but the majority of the yielded results contain a Victoria’s Secret “Angel.” These “angels,” or the “spokeswomen” of the brand, who also walk the VS Fashion Show every winter, are some of the world’s highest paid models (Victoria’s). They are paid to use their bodies to sell VS’s newest lines of bras and panties. They are paid to tell us, the consumer, what is sexy, except that the angels never actually speak in the TV commercials.
The VS commercial posted on YouTube, entitled, “Victoria's Secret-Sexy Push Up Bra Commercial Video,” is just one example in which the angels’ arched backs, high heels, bursting cleavage, and flowing locks do all of the talking. It throws the question, “WHAT IS SEXY?” at the viewer, followed by split-second flashes of the angels’ close-to-naked bodies. In sexually explicit positions, we see shots of them beginning to undress themselves, seemingly reacting to Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” playing in the background. We see the long-standing connection between rock-and-roll and sex being played up in this ad. With this preordained combination in place, how can the viewer not get excited? How can the viewer not think this is what is sexy?
The average American model is 5’11” and 117 pounds (NEDA 3). These are the type of women we see in the media who are considered “beautiful,” “sexy,” and even, “perfect.” These women, who are 98% thinner than the average American woman, do not reflect reality. Instead, companies like Victoria’s Secret, which happens to be the largest American lingerie retailer, tell us what is sexually appealing. And, grossing five billion dollars in sales each year, one can assume that many Americans find Victoria’s Secret sexy as well (Victoria’s).
When one looks deeper into the successful ad campaigns put on by companies advertising scantily-clad women and other provocative scenarios, we can see sex as a direct means of achieving profit. The phrase “sex sells” is not a new or a rare commodity. However, as time progresses, and the models wear less clothing, and it becomes easier to display these racy commercials on broadcast television, so does our departure from reality. Looking at these commercials, we can clearly see that the media does not reflect reality, but perhaps it reflects the reality in which we wished we belonged. Because if there is one thing Victoria’s Secret is telling us, it’s: “Buy our reality, because yours is definitely not sexy enough.”


P.S.- I am pretty proud of it because I got an A :)