Sex sells, right?

[SexuallyPerplexedPancake]

It took me about 16ish years of life to realize that the weird, confusing imagery in commercials was indeed sexual imagery, and it took me about 2 years after that to figure out that I was supposed to be attracted to a boy taking off his shirt in slow-mo or a scantily clad girl slobbering over a spoon (These things are ridiculous to me). Now that I've realized what those commercials were trying to do, I can't unsee it! Also, I can't help but snicker a little every time I see some sexually charged commercial, it's the funniest freaken thing ever, I swear!

So fellow aces, my question is this: When did you first realize that commercials were tying to sell you stuff with sex? Also, how do you feel about all the sexually charged bull pucky on the airways nowadays? Final question: How do you feel knowing you have a super power against that stuff that your fellow humans don't possess?

[Lady Norgard]

1, I kind of worked it out over time.

2, like most of it is pointless and very few adds do it with good taste. I think it cheapens the brand and looks unprofessional.

3, awesome. The fact that I can look at the world with no attraction is lovely, although I have become very good at making sex jokes XD I'm just glad I'm not one of those people I see throwing their lives down the toilet because some 'hot' boy wants to bang them for a wile and then drop them. I've seen this too much. Some will say that I'm missing out, but with my personality aro/aceness is perfect.

All in all, so long as its not completely objectifying I'm ok with it, but there is a fine line between what I think is ok ad what I think is too much.

[KendraPM]

I think I always knew. Then again, I've always been fairly dirty minded. Mainly, I just feel mildly uncomfortable whenever I see it. My thoughts usually run along the lines of "aren't they embarrassed to be doing that? isn't that awkward to do? that's got to be so weird to film" etc. But I don't actually mind it being there beyond it making me mildly uncomfortable. Not sure how I feel about it having the superpower to ignore it. I don't know what it's like to be affected by it, so I have nothing to compare it too.

[Coffiend Jackalope]

1) Unless someone points something out as sexual, I don't notice most of the time.

2) The entire world is way too focused on sex and it should chill

3) Being aro/ace is my superpower. In the words of Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, " I am not some starry-eyed waif here to succumb to your... your pelvic sorcery!"

[SorryNotSorry]

If anything, using sex to push a product or a service makes me not want to buy it. Lady Norgard is right, it cheapens the brand and looks unprofessional.

Over-the-top parodies of sex, however, are another matter entirely... but they offend the overwhelming majority of the population. Parodies, you see, cheapen sex. ^_^

[SexuallyPerplexedPancake]

If anything, using sex to push a product or a service makes me not want to buy it. Lady Norgard is right, it cheapens the brand and looks unprofessional.

Over-the-top parodies of sex, however, are another matter entirely... but they offend the overwhelming majority of the population. Parodies, you see, cheapen sex. ^_^

Very insightful, I will admit. Cake for you friend!

[Lord Jade Cross]

1) I kind of don't see them as selling sex as much as the idea of it if that makes sense. At least I've never gone to buy car care products for example and got the almost naked girl in the ads. I think it be an interesting experiment if I bought something and the scenario went like

Cashier: Here you go sir, have a nice day.

Me: Hey wait a second, there's something missing here

Cashier: Something missing? I put all the items in the bag see?

Me: No no, I mean where is she?

Cashier: She?

Me: Yeah that hot chick that stands in the add with a swim suit and a thong that look like they need about just 2cm of moving to come off. I want that hot chick in my bag.

Cashier: *calls security*

2) At days I laugh at how we have resorted to use sex to sell a bottle of water (among other things that have absolutely nothing to do with sex. In fact it seems that the only sex that isn't being sold is actual sex. But shhhh dont let them hear you say that)

3) I have a super power? Can I like fly and have super strength?

[Anthracite_Impreza]

1. I've been confused about it my entire life; my dad kept telling me (derisively, he's probably ace too) sex sells but I never took it seriously... until I joined AVEN.

2. It's a pathetic and cheap way to sell anything, unless the ad is advertising something to do with sex (which ironically enough always seem to be much more clean and mature!).

3. I struggle with the idea sexual advertising works on anyone tbh...

[andreas1033]

I do not know.

I just know ads are boring to me, and they should be to asexuals.

I stopped watching normal tv around 25 in 2000 or so, as i hated ads, and virtually since then i have not watched tv ads.

How ads work, is that they put sexual stimulus in there, to create a sexual reaction in most people. This sexual reaction, you then think is excitement about the product. Its a way to con people into thinking they like the product. Apple use alot of it, and it creates false excitement in most people, and most people have no real understanding of how it works.

It does not have to be your concious mind, it stimulates your subconscious, and then your excited about that product, as they conned you to get excited about it, by sexual stimulation, with subliminals. So people should not watch adverts.

I am not sure, but i think i have never liked adverts. So i am not sure, if i remember when i knew. So many ads, are very subtle, and most will not even see the stimulation.

So remember how it works. They will put sexual subliminals in there ads, to create a moment of excitement, and then that cons you into thinking your excited by there product, and then they think you will buy it. But really you were not excited by there product, just the stimulation, and you associated that with the product. Like i said, its what apple does alot, and most people have no understanding of why they even buy there products.

[ace11]

1) i only figured it out after learning about asexuality. "ohhh so that's why car ads have all that distracting imagery instead actually talking about the specs of the car. it all makes sense now!"

2) it bothers me that they are using one thing to get us to buy something else. like why can't advertisements just contain information about their products? to me it seems like they are trying to distract the viewer from the product they are selling, which seems kinda weird and counter-intuitive. it makes me think, "is their product so bad that they are trying to distract me from it?" it's kind of interesting from an aesthetic point of view though. and it's weirdly familiar. television, billboards, etc. would be a strange new world without sexual imagery. even though the imagery itself doesn't really do anything for me, i still think that the world of advertising would "look weird" without it, would probably be kinda hard to get used to.

3) i'm not sure if i'd count it as a superpower or not. asexuality aside, i just don't really like buying stuff without doing plenty of research on it and how it works, how it compares to the competition, etc. that seems more like being a smart consumer than anything else.

[Telecaster68]

why can't advertisements just contain information about their products?

Because emotions are stronger drivers of human behaviours than intellect for most people, in most situations. And if your competitor is using emotion rather than logic in their adverts, you have to do the same to compete. And if they're not - you'll probably beat them by using emotion.

However, the less the product or service is a spontaneous buying decision, the more rationality figures in the decision. We buy a bar of chocolate on a whim; we consider reviews and specs and practicalities when we buy a car.

it seems like they are trying to distract the viewer from the product they are selling

They're trying to associate their product with something pleasant, because those associations stick, subconsciously, and affect decisions about buying.

It's not hard science in the same sense as physics or maths, but social scientists at places like Stanford and Yale have done masses of proper, peer reviewed research on this over the last fifty plus years.

[Guest]

A lot of sexual people find that kind of thing stupid and unnecessary too.. it's aimed at a certain market: those who are stupid enough to fall for it. And sure, that's a lot of people, but there are just as many who roll their eyes and groan at how stupid and false it is.

[ace11]

why can't advertisements just contain information about their products?

Because emotions are stronger drivers of human behaviours than intellect for most people, in most situations. And if your competitor is using emotion rather than logic in their adverts, you have to do the same to compete. And if they're not - you'll probably beat them by using emotion.

True, but given the fact that their ultimate motivation isn't to make me feel a warm fuzzy emotion, but to try and sell me something by manipulating my emotions, it just makes me skeptical of whatever emotion the ad might evoke and mistrustful of whoever is trying to use my emotions for profit. so it seems to defeat the intended purpose. but yeah, it's definitely the emotional aspect of advertising in general and not specifically the sexual imagery that does this.

I like the distinction you made between the more impulsive little purchases vs. the big thought-out ones. i hadn't really considered that.

[Telecaster68]

their ultimate motivation isn't to make me feel a warm fuzzy emotion, but to try and sell me something by manipulating my emotions, it just makes me skeptical of whatever emotion the ad might evoke and mistrustful of whoever is trying to use my emotions for profit.

You might be the exception, but most people don't make the decisions the way they think they do. It's not entirely irrational, but it's far from rational, too.

At one level - fMRI research shows that even decisions as simple as 'I'll move my arm' are actually more about our brains noticing our arm is moving and rationalising post facto that we must've decided to move it (at least as far as we can work out wtf our brains are doing, that seems to be the case). Most people moderate their opinions to fit in with a group and will swear blind they're not. Associate positive imagery with something and it gives us more of a positive feeling next time we see the 'something' without the positive imagery.

This is all proper, peer reviewed research (from Stanford and Yale, mostly). And even when you're aware of what goes on, it's difficult to spot specifics without really concentrating and thinking through every tiny decision, which most of us can't be bothered to do. I'm not saying it's deterministic, either, but it's a measurable influence on results.

[ace11]

their ultimate motivation isn't to make me feel a warm fuzzy emotion, but to try and sell me something by manipulating my emotions, it just makes me skeptical of whatever emotion the ad might evoke and mistrustful of whoever is trying to use my emotions for profit.

You might be the exception, but most people don't make the decisions the way they think they do. It's not entirely irrational, but it's far from rational, too.

At one level - fMRI research shows that even decisions as simple as 'I'll move my arm' are actually more about our brains noticing our arm is moving and rationalising post facto that we must've decided to move it (at least as far as we can work out wtf our brains are doing, that seems to be the case). Most people moderate their opinions to fit in with a group and will swear blind they're not. Associate positive imagery with something and it gives us more of a positive feeling next time we see the 'something' without the positive imagery.

This is all proper, peer reviewed research (from Stanford and Yale, mostly). And even when you're aware of what goes on, it's difficult to spot specifics without really concentrating and thinking through every tiny decision, which most of us can't be bothered to do. I'm not saying it's deterministic, either, but it's a measurable influence on results.

That's really interesting. I doubt i'm actually any kind of exception. i probably just think i am, damn egotistical emotional mind. :p

decisions are weird. i always wondered about how we go from thinking, hmm i should turn off that light, to actually reaching up and turning the switch. or any number of similar little actions. i've never been able to pinpoint the moment. it seems weirdly inaccessible. perhaps this is why.

[Leolith]

When I see an advertisement that uses sexual imaginary, my brain goes "You will definitely not buy that", regardless of what is advertised. Sometimes I would like to buy something, but then seeing the advertisement changes my wish into averseness... and I think "if they only didn't do that, I would buy it" xD

[Esper]

If anything uses sex to sell a product it makes me forget them because my mind goes - boring and just sort of glazes over the sex part (which is really,really bad for the advertisement if that's the part with the name of the product).

I know it is there intellectually, but I just sort of mentally opts out and forgets about it.

It seems the advertisement which tends to affect me most is the one which are sort of funny or try and fail to be funny. (We have a lot of those).

[- - -]

this probably explains why i dont understand half of the ads ive seen...

[UncommonNonsense]

I took a Media Awareness class in grade 9, as part of my high school's language arts program. We were taught about things like news bias, emotional triggers to ensure an audience feels whatever a director wants them to, and how advertising manipulates people into spending money.

I'd been kind of aware of some ways that ads encouraged purchases, especially the ones aimed at kids. I'd seen tons of ads that as much as promised coolness and instant popularity if you bought their clothes or toys or fast food, so that kind of ad was no surprise to me. But learning that ads tried to manipulate sexual desires did shock me, because I had never found that kind of ad remotely appealing at all! in fact, that kind of ad always made me turn away in distaste and put me off whatever they were trying to sell. I had always assumed that those ads were just trying to be edgy and failing, not actively trying to use sex to draw customers. I'd figured that the sex-focus of the ads was nothing more than their creators missing the mark and making mistakes in their attempts to make a buzz among consumers, to get people talking about their ads. I never once thought that the really sex-based ads were *intentionally* made to be like that! That class was a real eye-opener!

[Siimo van der fietspad]

Similar to UncommonNonsense, I did English Media in secondary school, and also starting reading the more Marxist analyses of mass culture (Adorno, Michael Moore, Naomi Klein, Zizek etc) so I knew the tricks of manipulation used in sexualising commercial products. But my parents had always kept us pretty warded off advertising on TV and indeed very much TV at all so I never really had much exposure to it in my formative years anyway. I have to work hard not to have my attention momentarily distracted my advertising (it's just got harder now the city has installed insidious video screens at most of the bus stops) but it never makes me want to buy the product. I don't think I have ever even seen any of the phones, cars, laptops, clothes, and music I own actually advertised anywhere. It's pretty clear that sex and consumer capitalism are very close and both get reified into an unassailable ideology.

I think I've managed to get even less taken in by advertising because I think about the technical side of all the tricks the makers use: lens filters, Photoshop, using white glue for milk/yogurt, CGI renders of cars, etc.

On a related tack, I happened to call round on my sister this afternoon as it was my niece's birthday and they had MTV on (which I don't think was appropriate to the age of the very young children anyway, but didn't say so). My impression of it was that the girls doing sexualised dancing and twerking and whatever was firstly very repetitive from video to video, and secondly that it had no relation to the actual music. I mean, it was like turning on the news and having all the people dressed as ancient Romans and speaking Latin about the political and sports stories, two completely unrelated points of reference. There would be quite a downbeat, slow song and yet there would still be the airbrushed women wiggling their hips and rear ends and winking and licking their lips. Somebody left it muted after we had finished a game, and the silence with just the images re-enforced this impression even more. I feel rather depressed that firstly the kids are going to grow up with all this blasted at them and secondly that people put up with or actually quite like derivative chart music because they associate it with sex. Maybe this is the reason way classical music gets some hostility; because it isn't sexualised and has largely resisted attempts to do so.

If you haven't seen it already, watch the film 'They Live'.

[Emery.]

I think it has a role of attracting attention. I'm not sure how others' minds work, but in my case it's that:

Stage one: brain idle. You can't pay attention to everything, you'd go crazy.

Stage two: emotionally charged stuff goes through with a big red loud alert, because evolution marked it as important and instantly grabs attention, makes you more awake. Sex is emotionally charged. Quite heavily. So it "screams". You pay attention to it and realise false alert, but the ad already managed to grab your attention and get through to your consciousness with trademarks and so on.

[Ace_Kat]

I could tell that for some commercials that it was to sell sex (even though I do not see much in my perspective). I have not been on airways a lot, so I could not really tell you. I feel amazing that I have that super power :D