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http://henderson1029.blogspot.com

offensive or not

When looking at this advertisement one can assume that the consumer's eyes do not directly seek the Sky Vodka bottle, but more the position between the male and female in the ad. Why is that when dealing with alcohol advertisements, sex is the main appeal used by the media. Yes alcohol does release one's inhibitions allowing one's night to be possibly more adventurous than a sober one, but are there not different ways to go about selling alcohol? However, based on how many alcohol advertisements use this appeal, it is safe to say that sex really does sell. Along with sex comes the need for domination shown by the position of the male over the female. Also, the need to escape, which is shown by the backdrop that exudes the feeling of being in paradise or some tropical area is an appeal used in the ad. By using these appeals it seems that this advertisement would most likely attract the attention of men rather than women. Advertisements, much like this one however have a reoccurring theme, although it attempts to draw men to want to seek the position of the male figure in the ad, the degradation of women and leaving them to be nothing but a sexual object is also provided through this image. 

All throughout the history of media women usually have the role of using their beauty as a way to attract the attention of customers. Whether it be with a women half naked or fully clothed in a ad, there is always some manipulation done to make it demeaning for the woman. For instance in this ad alone her nothing his more noticeable than her breast. Her head, which can show intelligence is not the highlight of the ad, but instead a body part that all men desire for is easily recognized in this advertisement. Additionally the face of the woman can barely be seen, therefore suggesting that when it comes to alcohol, the physical features of one's face does not matter, but the need  to satisfy one's desire for sex is the main goal for those purchasing this product. 

Through this it raises concerns as to how far a company is willing to go in order to gain profit from their products. I understand that the media needs to push buttons and do out of the ordinary things to get people's attentions, but how far are they willing to go. Sex does sell, but at some point it is important for those behind these campaigns to understand that some individuals can become offended by these images. Although companies are aware of these factors money seems to be too important to anyone that they fail to really care. Therefore, as companies begin to make more advertisements for their products sex may be a major appeal, but money is the main goal to use that appeal. 

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nooraltoma.blogspot.com
bgiannone.blogspot.com

Grab a Bud Light

Alcohol advertisements often use images of girls or men to lure their customers into buying their products. As most people say, “Sex sells,” which it does indeed. Lets not lie though, sex is in fact often always on people’s mind, of course more on guys than girls, but it is the root of how sellers make their money. Take this ad for instance; although the product being sold is beer, an attractive young woman takes up majority of the ad. However, if Budweiser is what is being sold why isn’t that being showcased more? Well the answer is sex! The women being a large portion of the ad will most likely bring men and women to look at the advertisement and give it the attention that producers of Budweiser want.

            Along with sex being used as a device to persuade customers, Budweiser also uses the concept of needing to achieve something as a method of making a bottle of Budweiser that much more desirable. The headline on the ad says Live the Good Life with Bud Light, which can suggest that once a person has a Bud light in their hand they are achieving a certain goal. In this situation this goal could possibly be being able to relax, have a female companion, and enjoying a Bud light at the same time. It allows customers to feel as though they are better than someone else because they have a drink and girl at their sides while another individual does not. Its allowing consumers to feel as though once their purchase this product they can get a sense of getting something accomplished and being proud of it.

            Lastly this ad uses the appeal of allowing consumers to want to escape. It portrays this mood that by buying a Budweiser he or she can escape and live the good life. By doing this customers are more willing to buy this beer because every person needs to get away. It is obvious that with life come many stresses and responsibilities, such as being in school, having a job, or taking care of one’s life. Therefore, it would be nice to just get away from everything and not have to worry. This ad basically is telling consumers that by drinking a Bud Light they can get away from it all and just enjoy some time to themselves that can bring peace, happiness, or whatever it is the customer may desire. 

Counting Spoils the Fun

Bjs is a popular restaurant known for the fact that they brew their own signature beers. However, there food should not be ignored because they have some tasty dishes to offer as well. When I ate out here last week I was really excited to have a glass of beer, specifically the cider beer blend which consist of Guinness and berry burst cider, and their infamous white shark pizza. The pizza has a thick layer of cheese and chunks of chicken and mushroom. It never fails to satisfy my taste buds, but this time I finally got to take a look at the amount of calories I was about to consume. The problem with Bjs menu is that instead of showing how many calories are in the dish right next to the name of the food like most restaurants, they offer their nutritional menu at the very end of the menu. This causes consumers, like myself, to get excited about what they are about to eat and then instantly feel guilty because they can now see how many calories and grams of fat are included.  This made my dining experience not so great because the excitement of wanting to indulge in my favorite meal at BJs was replaced by the feeling of not even placing my same order. Instead I ordered grilled balsamic chicken that was pretty good as well, but not what I originally craved for.

Lately most restaurants have been showcasing the amount of calories contained in their food. This has occurred because of the ever-increasing prevalence of obesity in our society today. This ongoing trend of obesity has somewhat made people live in a life of fear, fear of becoming obese. Due to this paranoia, counting calories has been a significant way that people can stray away from eating too much within a days period. Usually people should only consume 2000 calories a day, but sticking within this limit is not an easy task to do. However, one problem that occurs from doing so is that it causes people to not really enjoy food like they did before. Instead of noticing the wonderful flavors of the meal, some may focus on how badly they want a certain dish, but feel guilty while eating their food because they know it s not the healthiest thing to eat. Or it can often cause people to not even enjoy the food they want to because they might not even order it after seeing how much they are consuming. Yes it may be an effective manner in reducing the amount of calories and fat content one eats, but I believe that enjoying the small things in life, like food, should be important as well. However, with how judgmental our society is today, it is easier said than done to not care about one’s weight. Media especially puts these pressures on young adults to look a certain way and that is why there is such a craze to be skinny. It is sad to say, but it is the truth that most teenagers face so along with a fear of being obese it can also lead to bulimia and anorexia. Hopefully people can learn that it is not all about weight and that with the limited time in our lives we should all be worrying about more serious things, like spending time with our family and friends. 

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Dshort44.blogspot.com
lnazario.blogspot.com

Simple Cooking

This past summer i had the opportunity to visit the Philippines for about three weeks. Last time i had been there was 9 years ago so i was really excited to see how things have changed and the life out there. My brother three years prior to my visit decided to move to the Philippines to take up dentistry. Before leaving he did not really want to go but he knew he had to take care of his eduction. After only one month of living there he explained to me how he loved living there more than the States. He would often tell me how the food and service out there was nothing compared to the United States.  Therefore, on my list of to do, eating out was a high priority because I knew the cuisine was going to be very different out there. I mean yes i get to eat home cooked filipino food whenever I am at home, but to be in the land where all these foods, such as adobo, lumpia, and nilaga had originated was an experience i couldn't wait to get to. 

When i first landed one thing I instantly noticed was the street vendors all right next to each other that I never see in the States. Whenever children would get out of school I would see long lines at each vendor waiting to receive their food. Food so simple as fish balls or soda in a zip lock bag seemed so good. I wanted to try a couple vendors before I left so when I did the food was incredibly good! The taste of everything was something I have never had before. I ordered fish balls, which they place three on a stick and then grill it. Once their are done they have jars of sauces you can just dip them into and eat. I also ordered the chicken where they also just place pieces on a stick and them grill them. The flavors just shot right to my tongue and I wanted more and more. 

What was crazy to me was that some street vendor who uses a simple grill and has sauces in random jars created a meal that was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. Everything was simple, no presentation needed, just the food and its flavors. However, people often think that the more expensive or the nicer a place looks like then their food will be better. I have been to many high scale restaurants where their food was not even half as good as the food I ate out on the street. It just goes to show how materialistic our culture can be and how people tend to associate high prices with great food, when in fact its not true at all. Granted there are some great restaurants with delicious food at a high price, but lets not forget the origins of cooking and that great food can come from simple cooking!