Opposites Attract? Subliminal Messages from the Ad World

The essay Some Don't Like Their Blues At All by Karyn M. Lewis emphasizes the influence of gender biased in the fashion industry. Fila "uses stereotypes of men & women to sell its product", states Lewis (Lewis 176). The advertisement leads you to believe that men are to be violently domineering, while women are to remain fragile & weak, yet sexually attractive. The images depict a drastic difference between the genders with their slogan for men that reads, "Some like their blues hard", and "Some like their blues soft" for women.

In addition, the ad uses a muscle bound black man standing in the foreground of a violently masculine scene of clashing football players. However, the woman, who is white, is presented as a symbol of sex, yet maintaining her childlike innocence as she sits giggling in front of a poster portraying a sensually posed woman.

While men have their idea of being powerful, wearing the name brand Fila only plays on this emotional obsession by reinforcing the "need to prove their virility" (Lewis 177). This fascination of masculine sexuality leaves no room for vulnerability or impotence. Men have a noble & militant image to maintain in order to seduce the opposite sex.

On the other hand, women are stranded in the stereotype of silence, delicacy & compliance. Trapped under the ideal that their sexuality determines their feminine identity, women continue to abide under the formality of weakness portrayed by the rag trade.

Furthermore, this essay leads you to believe that buying Fila clothing will fit you into the stereotypes provided by society. By sliding on a pair of these jeans, women will become the sexual temptress that attracts the man fueled by lust & empowered by the designer label. Likewise, the underlying message within the slogans links each sex with their sexual organs. "Some like their blues hard" refers to the man's sexual dexterity in relation to his love-making apparatus. Being familiar with the feminine configuration, "Some like their blues soft", hints towards a woman's supple indulgence correlating to her means of seduction.

The layout of the two-page advertisement creates a "V" between the man & the woman; yet another visual message that the sexes are completely opposite in every aspect. While they say "opposites attract" (Lewis 177), this bold distinction isolates and estranges men from women in a way that leaves no room for sentiments or understanding. How can they relate to each other when modern day culture consistently reiterates that they have nothing in common?
In light of the presentation given by the advertising market, the general public is left to accept as true that men are to possess an almost violent strength whereas women exude sexuality whilst retaining their innocence. These two opposing forces are bound by contradiction; contrary to each other as oil & water.

Ms. Lewis expresses her distaste for this ideal, and I agree that the message sent is that men can only exist as unyielding emotionless beings. At the same time, women are labeled as flippant and silly, incapable of sequestering power. The fashion world has incorrectly standardized society into a falsified reality that is impossible to achieve, nor is it desirable to fall into the shadow of such ridiculous supposition.

Works Cited
Karyn M. Lewis. "Some Don't Like Their Blues At All." The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers. 1987: Pages 176-178.