Critical Thought Piece: Analysis of Advertising and Society

This homework assignment is a critical thought piece analyzing the influence of consumer culture and advertising. The student examines three readings: an essay critiquing consumer culture, an analysis of Pepsi's advertisements, and a paper on the objectification of women in advertising. The student poses critical questions about the readings, such as how reshaping institutions affects human interaction, the ethics of exploiting social causes, and the justification of objectification. The assignment also references the 'No More Miss America' article, highlighting its critique of the Miss America pageants, their impact on women, and the assumptions behind them. The student's analysis demonstrates critical thinking by evaluating the readings and formulating insightful questions regarding the impact of advertising on society and consumer behavior.

Running Head: CRITICAL THOUGHT PROCESS
Critical Thought Process
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Notes

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Reading 1
Image Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture
The essay in concern is the criticism of the consumer based culture that had assigned
the value to almost everything prevalent around us. The reaction of the customers is in
accordance to the image of the object that they generally perceive it with. The implication of
the structure of the consumer society has been experienced on the world guided by
commodities. The opinion of the customers as such is highly motivated in away by the
institution of the consumer culture. There has been a shift in the form of the dominant
institution from that of the family, society to that of the consumers and commodity, which
have started guiding the shape of the culture and its different forms (Jhally).
Questions
1. How far the reshaping of the form of the institution has brought about changes in the
ways of human interaction?
2. How is the ‘discourse’ is varying?
3. Why it has been difficult to imagine the emerging of the condition through the
familiar world?
Reading
Pepsi’s New AD is a Total Success
Ian Bogost
The concern of the particular reading is the criticism of the capitalism that has been
projected in front of the consumer under the cover of the commodities that the advertisements
claimed to have published. The emergence of the competition in the consumer driven market

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has led to the emergence of the advertisements in order to thrive in the market. As such the
capitalism has been successful in establishing itself as an institution that is resilient in its
outlook. As such the act of participating in a social cause has allowed the brand to re-
emphasize its brand identity by exhibiting a solidarity with the cause concerned. This is
where the criticism of the exploitative consumerism lies.
Questions
1. How far is the exploitation of a social cause is ethical in nature?
2. How deep rooted is the ideals of capitalism that it influences even the ones opposing
it?
3. How the authenticity of the advertisements is guaranteed as a result?
Reading 3
Sexualize Me
Advertising and the ‘Midriffs’
Rosalind Gill
The paper is concerned with the usage of the intentional and conscious objectification
in order to reach the desired capitalist goals in the consumerists’ world of advertisements.
The criticism has been placed in the way the inequality between the people of different
gendered has been highlighted in order to grab the attention of the dominant section of the
male dominated patriarchal society. However, the essay involves in a discussion of the
midriff advertisements that has subverted the stereotypical; and dominant notion associated
with the male gaze which is an external one and turn the viewpoint to an internalized one that
is self-policing and narcissistic in its outlook (Gill).

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Question
1. How far is the objectification is justified?
2. How the urge retaliate from the feminist view point can impact the outlook of the
people?
3. To what extent the trend of objectification guiding the nature of advertisements are
differing?

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Works Cited
Gill, Rosalind. Supersexualize me!: Advertising and the" midriffs". na, 2009.
Jhally, Sut. "Image-based culture: Advertising and popular culture." Gender, race, and class
in media (1995): 77-87.