Gender in Ads an Advertisement

Gender in Ads

An advertisement for Calvin Klein "Double Black" Jeans depicts a shirtless man bent over some kind of table or bed. His torso is featured prominently and comprises the bulk of the photograph composition. A woman with wet hair buries her chin in the small of his back, attempting to pry his Calvin Klein jeans off. Her mouth is open as if she intends to bite the man's buttocks; she therefore appears filled with passion and desire. He, on the other hand, appears to perceive the woman as a nuisance. His brow is furrowed while he glances back disinterestedly at the woman. The man appears to be saying, "What are you doing?" His left arm is extended forward and his right is used for leverage, and it looks as if he would try to get away from the hungry female. The woman's head, neck, and right forearm are showing: otherwise her body is cut out of the composition.

Although the man appears to be disinterested in the woman behind him, their bodies are linked together as their heads are shown forming a straight line, hers nestled snugly in the curve of his lower back. The predominant image is of the man's body, though. He is the figure that possesses the primary sexual power in the picture; she lusts after him because of it. Viewers' eyes will be drawn around the composition, switching from his head to hers, following the natural lines of his erotic form. The diagonal line created by their connected figures allows the eye to roam freely and explore the spaces and shapes created by the two bodies. His left arm and hand and his right bent elbow also form a straight line that point the eye towards the women's head, and the line continues with her right hand. Moreover, he looks back at her, and the viewer's eyes want to catch what he is looking at.

Contrary to the assumption that the man would hunger for the female nibbling at his behind, the advertisement depicts a self-contained man. The tension between the male and female is likely pointing to a homosexual underpinning. Without displaying overt homoeroticism, the advertisement does subvert traditional norms of gender and sexuality. His lack of interest in the passionate female behind him is most likely due to his sexual preference. The male form is featured in the advertisement precisely to emphasize male sexuality. The male possesses the considerable bulk of sexual power in the photograph: so much power that the woman behind him grabs for it. The advertisement suggests that Calvin Klein "Double Black" Jeans make a man irresistibly sexy. Both men and women will desire him.

The position of male and female forms in the photograph subverts traditional heterosexuality, too. Typically a man is shown lusting after women: she is chased and initially resists and fends off his advances. In the Calvin Klein jeans ad, it is he who is chased and who resists and fends off the female. The imagery is opposite to that of typical gender roles, in which female sexuality is restrained. The man's body is toned, muscular, and hairless. Even if he were more interested in the female behind him, he controls his passion admirably.

The Calvin Klein advertisement allows the female to unleash a deep sexual hunger. Her open mouth, biting action, wet hair, and grabbing motion all show she possesses an animalistic hunger and passion. The wet hair increases the elemental, wild feel of the advertisement. The background is a nebulous dark area, allowing the viewers to imagine any kind of scenario and put themselves into the ad. Target audiences will relate to the imagery on multiple levels: perceiving Calvin Klein "Double Black" Jeans as intensifying a man's innate sexuality and creating desire for the product in both genders. Desire is depicted in several ways: by the actual composition, by the subject matter and its subtext. The diagonal lines and the linking together of the two bodies move the eye around the picture and engender passion and hunger. Whether or not homosexuality is read into the advertisement, the core theme is desire.

Focusing on the male body vs. The female does seem to imply male homosexuality. Coupled with the man's furrowed brow and curious glance back at the woman also indicate that he is mildly amused at her antics but would have preferred to see a man taking his jeans off. The advertisement can, however, be read in multiple ways. Some viewers might focus purely on the animalism and wildness of desire: the woman's wet hair, her open mouth, and his naked torso. The name of the jeans is "Double Black," which plays on the phrase "double back." The man is looking back to see who is behind him.