Last week our comp 1 class watched am interview of Harry Frankfurt, a professor from Princeton University. The interview was over what he thought about Bullshit. He states that no one understands the definition of Bullshit, why there is so much of it or what purpose it serves. Frankfurt also states people pride themselves on havingthe ability to recognize Bullshit, and being able to get away with Bullshit. Our example of Bullshit are those misleading Axe body spray commercials.
Axe ad campaign tells viewers that their spray and body wash, will make woman pay attention to even the average joe. The commercials demonstrates women simply flirting with random men. Later, it comes to the points the women are attaking the men. These commercial are mildly funny, but are a great example of Bullshit. It is Bullshit that you can smell a mile away. The company gives off this insane idea that if you spray axe all over your body, even a fat, lazy, and bald man could have women chasing after him. That message is Bullshit with all of the letters capitalized( BULLSHIT).
In reality, women are not going to jump all over a strange man just because he smells good. Well at least not a normal woman wouldn't think about it. A man would be lucky if a woman just complimented him on his odor. Some women even argue that Axe body spray and wash smells terrible and have a strong scent. That is the opposite reaction the campaign wanted. Maybe sooner or later they'll realize that they are full of Bullshit!.
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I'll show you how to do links this week. I've always wondered if these commercials don't display a bit of sexism. Does it, in some ways, objectify women to suggest that young men can manipulate them as easily as spraying on some cheap body spray? What do we make of the imagery in these ads in which women, like zombies, begin following and attacking young men? What do others think?
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