So, I’ve been digging into this whole “objectifying ads” thing, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride. It all started when I stumbled upon an ad that was, well, a bit too much. It got me thinking, “Is this normal now?”

I started with the basics, like, what does it even mean to objectify someone in an ad? Turns out, it’s when you basically turn a person into a thing, stripping them of their, you know, personhood. I saw that this stuff goes back a long way, like the 1950s, where apparently, everything was about slim figures and whatnot.
Then I found this lady, Martha Nussbaum, who had it all figured out. She listed seven ways ads do this objectifying thing: instrumentality, denial of autonomy, inertness, fungibility, violability, ownership, and denial of subjectivity. Fancy words, but they basically mean treating people like objects, not humans. It’s like, “Hey, you’re just here to sell this product, your feelings don’t matter.”
I also bumped into Madonna Badger, an ad exec who’s trying to change things up. She’s got this checklist to see if an ad is crossing the line. Like, does the woman have a choice in the ad, or is she just a prop? That kind of stuff. It’s pretty neat that some folks in the industry are trying to do better.
Here’s what I did next: I started looking at ads, lots of them. And I mean, I really looked. I tried to see if they were fitting into these “objectification boxes.” Some were obvious, like those using body parts to sell stuff, or those where women were just there to look pretty. Others were trickier. It got me thinking about how sneaky some of these messages are.
But it wasn’t just about pointing fingers. I started a little project, #WomenNotObjects, inspired by a video I saw online. The idea was simple: to spread the word, you know? To get people talking about how messed up it is to treat women like objects in ads. I shared it around, talked to friends, even got a few folks to join in. It felt good to be doing something, even if it was small.

So, here’s where I’m at now. I realized this whole thing is bigger than just a few bad ads. It’s about how we see and treat women in general. I started this little personal project. Every time I saw an ad that was off, I’d note it down. Then, I’d try to reimagine it in a way that didn’t treat the person like an object. It was tough, but it was also super interesting. It made me think about how we could do ads differently.
- First, I spent hours scrolling through social media and flipping through magazines, taking note of ads that caught my eye.
- Then, I started analyzing them using Nussbaum’s criteria and Badger’s checklist. It was like being a detective, but for ads.
- I even created a small group online where we’d discuss these ads and share our thoughts. It was a mix of folks – some in advertising, some just interested in the topic.
- We started a hashtag, #ReimagineAds, where we’d post our own versions of ads that were more respectful. It was a small movement, but it felt impactful.
My goal? I guess it’s to make people think twice before they create or consume these ads. It’s not about boycotting everything, but about being more aware, more critical. And hey, if I can get even a few people to see things differently, that’s a win in my book.
It’s been a real eye-opener, this whole journey. It’s made me more aware of the power of ads and how they can shape our views. I’m just a regular guy trying to make sense of it all, and maybe, just maybe, make a little difference along the way.