Drowning in the fountain of youth: advertising the fear of aging
LE3 .A278 2008
2008
Abramson, Zelda
Acadia University
Master of Arts
Masters
Sociology
This thesis examines past trends in beauty industry advertising, as evidenced by the ad content of 'Chatelaine' magazine between 1958 and 1998, against the claims of change made by advertisers like Dove. I argue that the beauty ideals created and promoted by the advertising industry continue to be similar to the ideals experienced by women fifty years ago. I also examine youthfulness as an essential quality of femininity, particularly, the normative feminine example provided to women through their visual representations in popular culture. Because youthfulness is among the highest prized feminine virtues for women in Western society, this thesis discusses the visibility of aging women and how they have been presented in our visual landscape. A sample of anti-aging advertisements, printed in 'Chatelaine' from 1958 through 1998, and the contemporary example of 'Dove's Pro Age' advertisements provide examples of normative femininity. The information collected from five in-depth interviews, utilizing the sampleof advertisements collected in the content analysis, provides a context in which to analyze the effects of such advertisements on individual women. I argue that the messages sent by anti-aging advertisements reinforce the idea that aging equals decline. I also suggest that the examples of training provided by advertisements and the disciplines they promote could be disempowering to the woman who practices them, if she believes in the suggestion of defect and promotion of shame. Ultimately I conclude that the evidence provided by the interview participants suggests that women appreciate the authenticity of looking one's age and are therefore able to contextualize advertisements as motivated by financial gains, rather than rooted in real experiences of age.
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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2793
