Sunday, September 12, 2010

1st RTF 305 Post: Hegemony in Media


Media has always had a key role in teaching people to do things that support the power of companies like Axe. Hegemony is used in their advertisements to make viewers (in this case, heterosexual men) believe that in order to be desirable and attractive, they must buy Axe’s product.
The concept of hegemony is basically a political, social, cultural, or economic influence by a higher group. Large corporations make consumers buy what they want, eat what they want, look how they want, and even act how they want without actually forcing them to do so. Basically, the men with the most wealth or strength are able to convince lower classes that their views are the correct ones, in this case through media.
For example, in the Axe Shower Gel ad, the product apparently makes women more attracted to men due to the scent. It is so strong that it permeates through the pipe that drains the shower, drawing women from every floor. All of their commercials boast that any unattractive and undesirable man can use their products to instantly become sexually appealing.


AXE Shower Gel

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