Chapters 8 & 9 (Built-in Sexual Overtone)

Summary

Chapter 8 discusses the different strategies ad companies used in the mid 20th century to advertise their products to a specific sex.  These companies also discovered that men and women both want to be reassured of their masculinity and femininity, and by creating advertisements for reassurement, sales improved.  Many companies originally used rather sexist techniques or images to advertise their products, but many psychological studies taught them better ways to appeal to consumers. For example, one study showed that the commonly “masculine” drink of whiskey and gin was being consumed by women as well, and by subtly altering their labels, this product became more appealing to women.  Sales increased without transforming the product to being entirely feminine. Chapter 9 analyzes how people rely on food for psychological and emotional needs as well as physical ones, and that this stems from society’s oral fixation that develops as an infant. It discussed how our moods or mindset determines what we will consume. For example, the chapter states that obese people prefer foods that they know and love, rather than trying new foods.  Also social doctrines affect food, meaning that a producer will not advertise his high calorie milk if society values being thinner and healthier.  

Example

The topics covered in Chapter 9 reminded me of the ASMR phenomenon in 2019.  Everyone could not explain why they enjoyed watching and listening to these videos so much, but they just knew they could not stop watching it.  These videos consisted mainly of someone whispering something, clicking their fingernails on their teeth, or chewing certain foods that produced odd sounds that were found to be very satisfying to viewers or listeners.  There was even one YouTube channel of a girl who ate strange things like deodorant and glass for her ASMR videos, and somehow it was so disturbing that it received enough views to encourage her to continue producing uncomfortable ASMR videos. 

Connection

This example can be linked to Chapter 9 because this chapter discusses the numerous ways that people are orally fixated.  Many advertisements are edited to make someone’s mouth water or want to bite into the food, and this is because these companies are aware of how effective advertisements are when they are targeting society’s oral fixation.  This is also a strategy used with cigarette advertisements in the fifties, and the chapter indicates that cigarettes and cigars appeal to the thumb sucking and breastfeeding that everyone experiences as a child. ASMR videos also appeal to society’s oral fixation and appeal to mouths because many of the sounds are created by whispering or eating strange things.