COURSE BLOG for GWSS 3307: Feminist Film/Media Studies (Fall 2007)

Context: I found this image on the internet, but there is hardly a place one can go without seeing an advertisement for Axe Body Spray. For those of you who don’t know what Axe is, it is a body spray (cologne) for men, that is suppose to drive women absolutely crazy, and have them chasing men all over the world.

Content: This image is very sexualized, even without actual individuals in the photograph. The use of clothing actually allows for the image to be more sexualized. By the use of the shirt arm in the open jeans, it allows for the viewer to assume if you wear this body spray a women will stick her hand down your jeans. The use of the clothing also implies what type of woman you will “get” if you wear the body spray. The type of woman it is implying is a very skinny woman, most definitely attractive, and will definitely be wearing a cute thong, but apparently no pants.

Form: The framing of the photograph is centralized, with the two main objects in the center of the photograph, the woman’s shirt and the man’s jeans. The lighting is very bright, and pleasant because if you wear the spray a woman will throw herself at you and you will most likely be pleased.

My analysis: I read this image as a horrible ploy to sell disgusting body spray to men. If anyone has ever smelt this spray, it is very disgusting. (Mainly due to the fact that the individuals who wear it, usually use a whole can in order to cover up their body odor) In no way is a body spray going to create this massive uproar in women, causing them to lose all self control and chase down a man they don’t even know. However, the use of the images does indeed help them sell their product. If they did not have adds featuring women chasing down men or a woman’s shirt with the arm in the crotch of a pair of man’s jeans, no one would buy it.