The Axe Effect
Every single American is influenced by popular culture. Popular culture is a force that “reflects and influences people's way of life” (4). It's embedded into our society, culture, and lives. The media and advertisements play big roles in shaping our views and beliefs. They are the “ideas and images that inform our daily activities” (5). Simply, Americans learn what types of behaviors are acceptable and appropriate and desirable. Advertisements affect the way we dress, talk, eat, play, and interact. Advertisements affect the way we see the world.
Unilever is an international corporation that manufactures Axe deodorant and body sprays. With sales over $100 million, teenage boys use Axe regularly. To market their products, Unilever capitalizes on the insecurities of teenage boys. As boys want to feel confident and sexy around girls, Unilever launched a commercial revolving around the Axe Effect. The Axe Effect is a phenomenon when women become sexually attracted to a man wearing Axe deodorant. This can be seen in the “Axe Effect” commercial¹. The commercial appears to be funny and entertaining even though there are a lot of negative aspects to it. The “Axe Effect” promotes sexism, stereotypes, and destructive relationships. Ultimately, it manipulates and harms the way boys and girls see themselves and each other.
In “You're Soaking In It,” Jennifer L. Pozner discusses how women are always portrayed negatively in advertisements. In the “Axe Effect,” all the women are portrayed as dogs. To some, this may be a wild accusation. The girls in the ads are just attractive and want to have good times. This is a fair argument. But if you watch the “Axe Effect” several times, you realize one thing. These women do not exhibit a single human characteristic. Like animals that smell food, these women are running across mountains, sprinting through jungles, and swimming across the ocean to prey on a guy who is spraying two bottles of Axe². Like dogs, they are able to smell Axe from five, ten, twenty, and forty miles. They move and act through their animal instincts. The “Axe Effect” reinforces Pozner's claim that girls are told to “diminish themselves” and “be less than what they are” (110). As hundreds of women have lost their self-control over eight ounces of cheap and fake perfume3, this commercial teaches girls that it's okay to publicly lust and lose self-control over a guy. To win a guy, a girl only has to look beautiful and she must diminish her humanity and personality. Nothing else should matter to a girl. In society, only beautiful women can get anywhere in life.
Pozner state that we live in a “toxic cultural environment” as everyone is “surrounded by unhealthy images about sex and relationships” (112). In a toxic cultural environment, people are influenced to make harmful choices. The “Axe Effect” dehumanizes women into sex objects. To some, this may be a wild exaggeration. You can believe the “Axe Effect” does not promote these values or harm the health of kids. Again, these are fair arguments. Have you realized that all of the women are dressed in clothing that only covers their breasts and genitalia? Have you noticed that these women are running at full speed just to have sex with the male character? Through this commercial, a young woman would “get terrible messages about sex” (109). First, a young woman would believe that all beautiful women with D-cup breasts and poreless complexions are willing to have sex with guys they barely know. By glorifying meaningless sex and random sexual partners, a young woman might believe that her virginity isn't important. These young women are brainwashed to believe that it's okay to have sex with anyone. By imitating the women in the “Axe Effect,” a girl can easily have a sexually transmitted infection and become seriously ill. The commercial disregards the health of its female viewers by telling girls to compromise their moral judgment in order to achieve desirability. Unilever sacrifices the health of its viewers “for the sake of profit” (112).
Pozner states that men and women have the need to “love and be loved” and the “need for authentic connection” (109). Pozner states that “authentic connections” and love can only be achieved through close relationships. The Axe commercial completely disputes her claims. It tells teenage boys that they can be loved and connect with hundreds of women by spraying a $4 bottle of perfume. The phrase “SPRAY MORE / GET MORE4” makes it appear that relationships are easy to create and maintain. A boy would believe he does not have to flirt, converse, talk, or try to know a girl to win her affection just like the man in the “Axe Effect.” This destroys a boy's ability to initiate authentic friendships with girls. The commercial doesn't tell its audience that relationships are full of pains and obstacles. Entering relationship, teenage boys will have unrealistic expectations from their partners. This will lead to a lot of disappointment and frustration.
In “Life According to TV,” Harry Waters Also states that “females generally get typecast as either lovers or mother.” This is true, in the “Axe Effect.” All of the women are portrayed as sex objects. In addition, Waters states that when “a black child looks at prime time” he learns “to accept minority status as naturally inevitable and deserved” (161). In comparison, when a white or Asian or Mexican boy looks at the “Axe Effect,” he learns to accept that females are objects and they are inferior to them. Thus, this “reinforces stereotypical attitudes and increase sexism” (160). Like the women in the “Axe Effect,” boys believe that girls are not better than barbarians and animals. A woman only has one virtue, beauty, while a man's virtues lie on his strength, knowledge, and occupation. Through the “Axe Effect,” boys receive the feelings that they will always be better than women. A guy will believe that a girl relies more on her instincts and beauty more than her intelligence. This will cause men to have the perverted perception towards women. They will believe that girls are willing to submit to men. Thus, young men begin to see girls as objects and not as human beings.
The “Axe Effect” creates a vicious environment for everyone. In this environment, girls are not allowed to be themselves. As boys become attracted to girls' sexuality and appearance, girls are forced to create false identities and live unauthentic lives. They are forced to live by the values created by popular culture. Girls are not allowed to make their own choices and values. Additionally, boys have a perverted perception of women. Instead of human beings, boys see girls as objects and animals. To them, girls are inferior and they are willing to submit to their demands. In popular culture, commercials like the “Axe Effect” create a culture where everybody is unable to be free from negative stereotypes and increasing sexism.
1 The “Axe Effect” can be found at the following URL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?
² To be fair, he could be the last man on earth and the women.
3 It smells like crap too.
4 It also means that you'll get more sex.
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