Merskin (2004) conducted a study that analyzed use of preadolescent and adolescent girls in advertising and its implications on this groups’ psychological and physical well-being. The author examines four advertisements using Dr. Galician’s seven-step disillusioning model to understand the effect of implied underage sexuality in advertisements. Merskin uses detection to identify the sexualized ads. Description is the second step, where she determines the message the image conveys. She then uses deconstruction to interpret what the four advertisements studied hoped to convey—sexuality as a component of adolescence. Based on these findings, she provides a diagnosis on what these ads say about our society, which is that there is a curiosity about children as sexual beings. She goes on to suggest a design for better advertising ideas. The debriefing process explains the affect these ads may have on society including, “(a) soft porn portrayals encourage the sexual exploitation of girls, (b) sexual portrayals contribute to the fetishization of girls and women in the media, and (c) passive and eroticized images foster an overall climate that does not value girls’ voices or contributions to society,” (Merskin, 2004, p. 126). The last step is dissemination, which is knowledge followed by action, to help prevent this type of advertising.
One of the sexualized ads featuring underage girls mentioned in this study is the 1981 Calvin Klein ad featuring a 15-year old, Brooke Shields. The ad was very controversial when it was first printed and aired. I was able to find the televised advertisement for those who may have missed it in the 80’s (or were barely born, like myself). More Calvin Klein ads can be found in the VodPod section.
(CPMS1212, 2007)
Merskin’s (2004) examination concluded that these representations have the potential to contribute to child sexual abuse and can negatively impact pregnancy rates, sex slavery, sexually transmitted disease rates, eating disorders, and suicide.
Ideally, teens would not view or be subject to these types of advertisements, but this is unrealistic. The only other option, outside of banning these types of ads, is for parents to arm their children with an understanding that they are inappropriate and demoralize young women. If this generation understands the harm it inflicts, they may help end and prevent the use of these types of advertisements in the future.
