Analysis Of Soft-Soaping Empire: Commodity Racism And Imperial Advertising
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It has become important for the commercial world to target society and it’s people for their own benefit. In short, they manipulate everyone for their own economic advancement. The article by Anne McClintock, Soft-Soaping Empire: Commodity racism and imperial advertising, focuses on the relation between races and their understanding in society and the higher class. The image of cleanliness and a tidy appearance was linked to Caucasian people. It was rare that a person of color would be viewed as a clean, classy, and well-kept person. This also meant an individual that was darkened because of labour work, would be viewed as uncivilized and dirty. The article mentions that even in the beginning of the 19th century, soap was a rare item. It…show more content… But, when people of color used the same product, they’d be mocked in advertisements. This was done by promoting images of black person using soap to cleanse themselves of their natural skin tone. Soap, became a symbol of cleanliness, civilization, superiority and social identity. The soap industry had caused an excitement amongst the Victorians once it was portrayed as a primary beauty product. Moving towards the usage of advertisement, it is obvious that companies were openly aiming towards setting barriers between classes and races by indirect using subliminal messages. For example the Pear’s soap company advertised their soap as a shining product, glowing in rough dark hands, implying the clean results and also targeted the racial difference between white with black. Gradually, the advertising of soap became important to all people of…show more content… In contrast, the article Hunger as Ideology, by Susan Bord1o, specifically targets females and speaks about the necessity of weight control. Advertising through commercials showed beautiful female models to be attractive only if they were skinny. Commercials have shaped the imagination of viewers that it became almost impossible to accept a female in another shape. It is shown in one commercial that females from a young age had been taught that being slim was the only option. Public desires were only reflected to the slim image of a woman who was in control physically and socially. The article mentioned the relation between females and food. Since slim women are considered unreal it was important for the females to be cautious of their food consumption. Society at this point sees food for women as an option instead of a source of survival. In other cultures it was unacceptable for women to have a weak and slim appearance. The more full women looked, the more happy and stable she was. The commercials displayed in this article, mocked the relationship women have with food. It presented women to devour desserts, while remembering the affect it would have on their bodies. For example, one ad shows a female carefully holding a spoon against her mouth and holding a shallow glass filled with jello. The ad shows her addiction to dessert as it being her only concern. However this view is