Sixpacks, Midriffs, and Hot Lesbians

Rosalind Gill describes three figures that have been created through the sexualization of advertising. They each promote the idea of heteronormativity, although in different ways. These figures are the "sixpacks", the "midriffs", and the "hot lesbians".

In the last couple of decades, a certain representation of men in advertising has appeared, which Gill calls "the sixpacks". Gill describes it as "an eroticized aesthetic showing a toned, young body". The models in these ads are usually white, young, muscular, and slim, with facial features that give the impression of "softness and strength". They're simultaneously strong and gentle, embodying the contradiction in this culture of what a man is "supposed to be".

The "sixpacks" are racialized as well. According to Gill's work, while white bodies are over-represented, they're usually bodies deemed to be "Latin", with dark hair and olive skin. Black, African American, and African Caribbean bodies are also shown in an eroticized way, but usually for products linked to sports that prolong the idea of male sexuality and physical prowess going hand in hand. Black men in advertising are also usually celebrities, as opposed to the white models, who are usually unknowns.

People in charge of these advertisements have used subtle techniques to combat the threats created by these representations. These techniques include using photographic conventions from "high art", black and white photography, or "sculpted models that made reference to iconography", all distancing the advertisements from the threats that may be produced as a result of sexualizing the male body. Even the models' gazes are used to reduce the potential threat. The models are usually standing or involved in physical activity. They either look at the viewer in a manner meant to assert dominance or look up and away from the viewer, hinting that their attention is somewhere else. They are either alone in the ads, implying that independence marks "hegemonic masculinity", or they reassure viewers of their heterosexuality by being depicted with an attractive woman.

Next, Gill focuses on the sexualization of women, one being the "midriffs". Women were once shown to be passive and mute objects, but now they are active and desiring sexual subjects. They seem to choose to be represented in an objectified manner because it suits their "liberated interests". They're shown to be doing what they want to do, and this quest to please themselves wins the admiration of men. Products tend to suggest that they will empower women, and at the same time power is tied to "possession of a slim and alluring body, whose power is the ability to attract male attention and (sometimes) female envy". As with the "sixpacks", the "midriffs" tend to be young, white, heterosexual and attractive women. All other types of women are excluded from this advertising world. Again, racialization still comes into play. Black women's bodies are sexualized differently, usually as "objects, signalling sexual promise, soul, or authenticity", unlike the midriffs, who are pursuing their own desires and choosing to be sexual subjects.

The "hot lesbian" is portrayed more and more frequently in current advertising. The advertising world has begun to see lesbian and gay themes as a method of adding "edginess" to their products. The figure depicted in these ads is always very beautiful, slim yet curvaceous, with flawless makeup. Critics have said that this is "packaging lesbianism within heterosexual norms of female attractiveness". The "hot lesbian" excludes those who have the visibility that has established lesbianism as a political identity, the women who reject traditional feminine representations. These advertisements seem to be created for male viewing, some of them using depictions of male fantasies that are commonly seen in pornography. Other ads give the impression of "hetero-flexibility". Women experiment sexually with other women, and it is depicted as a fun and exciting experience, but what's most important is that it isn't a threat to their heterosexuality.

We've all seen at least one example of each of the representations that Gill describes in her essay. I, for one, almost instantly pictured some advertisements that I see all the time that fit perfectly into those categories. In particular, I think of Dolce & Gabbana or even a lot of the "high-end" perfumes. Most of their advertisements leave me wondering "What does this have to do with the product?". Now, I'm starting to understand, of course, that it's less about the product and more about the audience that the company wants to market their product to. Despite any criticisms I may have about these ads, because I do agree with all of Gill's conclusions, I cannot deny that the advertisements are eye-catching and capture my attention.

I previously posted an article about Kate Upton, the model being celebrated for her latest Sports Illustrated magazine cover, where she's wearing nothing but bikini bottoms and a large winter coat as she poses in the middle of a freezing landscape. I see so many similarities between that issue and Gill's analysis.

Why do these types of advertising appeal to so many despite the negative connotations that they all seem to have?

(Source: "An Intersectional Analysis of 'Sixpacks', 'Midriffs', and 'Hot Lesbians' in Advertising" by Rosalind Gill)