The ideal viewer of this image is a person who is studying gender roles in modern culture and society. This advertisement is not typical because it represents a woman as the power-holder who looks down on men and controls them. This image is trying to reach both men and women who are ready to question the position of women in the world.
Males and females may view this image differently because the opposite sexes are put in completely different roles. Men are reduced to the labor force being muscular and naked while the woman is dominant and holds the leash to control men. Men are obedient and they seem to understand their position as modern slaves, which explains their role in this image. The woman is self-confident, but she wears clothes unlike men. This puts them in two different realms because the woman is civilized, while men represent pure masculinity and form. Men might view this image in a way which diminishes their role as intelligent beings. Women might see the advertisement as empowering because they hold the leash. This work is controversial because modern world is trying to reach the point of gender equality and women are not supposed to be the dominant sex. However, men are represented as strong, tame and diligent although they are reduced to labor force. The woman is walking them, which symbolizes the fact that she has the power to decide what the men do in their free time.
The woman is wearing high heels and tights as well as animal print shirt which makes her dominant. She also has leather gloves which symbolize her strength and power over men. The woman is strong in every sense, while men are only physically strong and trained to obey the woman. She is in complete control and this advertisement is a rare example of men being viewed as oppressed instead of women. Men are usually the stronger sex in many ways because of their historical role. Women are still fighting for their role in the society which is supposed to be equal to the role of men. Women want to have all the rights that men have and that is why feminism is at its peak today. There are many areas in which men are still dominant, but women are working their way to become as influential as men. The story in this image is related to the control of power. The ideal viewer is a person who is educated about the status of men and women in the society and can understand this image as intellectually stimulating and challenging. The potential viewer may be offended because men are animal-like in this image while the woman is a lady in control. She is also a modern woman being dressed in a stylish yet sports clothes. The woman’s body posture is upright which indicates that she is in excellent shape. Men are on their knees because they are dog-like animals in this image. The potential viewer should not understand this image literally and women are supposed to grasp their true power and stop being submissive. Men are strong but they are in control and cannot make their own decisions. This advertisement is much different than the situation on reality because women are rarely aware of the power they have. Men rule the world and they are dominant in almost all societies statistically speaking.
Women need to understand that they are as strong as men and that there are less and less job positions which are restricted to women. Men may be physically stronger on average, but modern society is about intellect and not about physical power. Therefore, women need to learn to stand up for themselves and men have to let them express themselves and make the most of their presence in the society and to become the contributing members of the world.
Works Cited
Voodoo winter hoisery. Advertisement. photobucket. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016. <https://www.google.rs/search?q=voodoo+winter+hosiery+ad&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&imgil=TW2myr5mPwJrwM%253A%253B1mFdM_2-xCazyM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fgoat-scape.blogspot.com%25252F2008%25252F09%>.
