Individual Post #2

This video described the axe effect, which is the subject of this commercial film. This film started with a great number of women. These women were chasing the man, especially at the end of this commercial film. Using this perfume, the Axe effect, would be the main reason why these women struggled to meet the man in this film. Certainly, this video seemed to say the Axe effect would play roles in attracting a lot of women. As the end of this commercial film showed, large numbers of women had been chasing him due to the Axe, the perfume. Sometimes, only the Axe seemed to be appropriate to lead women into temptation. If the man in this film does not use the Axe, women would not chase him. Do not worry about that. Other than the Axe, there are a wide range of perfumes, like Bulgari, Channel, and so on.

Individual Blog Post

Response to #4

I believe the man chosen for the commercial is an attempt to appeal to the audience. The man is average height, dark haired, and has no extreme features. He is not clean shaven, and does not appear to care a lot about his physical appearance at the time. This suggests to me that Axe is trying to appeal to the ‘average Joe’ male audience. Perhaps this is because they feel like an average person’s desire for extremely attractive women is a strong enough desire to get them to buy axe. There is an obvious difference between the man in the commercial and all the women (besides the gender differences). While the man seems to be pretty average, the women all seem to be very physically appealing. So appealing, in fact, that that all of them in one place looks completely ridiculous. It only gets more ridiculous when you think of what they are all doing. It appears that there is nothing that could get between these overly attractive women and the lone, average looking man. The only thing that makes this man stick out from the crowd? He is spraying himself with axe. In fact, he is spraying himself as if he knew this would happen beforehand. His chin is up, his chest is out, and he is confidently waving his arms around him. Axe is telling every average Joe out there to not worry about your stature. Don’t worry about shaving, man, just stand up and spray yourself with some axe! The girls will come running.

Individual Blog Post

Question 5-

The Axe advertisements that many of us have seen in the past are usually interesting and spawn smiles and laughs, but the question is, does it really do anything to sell the product? Yes, this is a great way to sell a product. Getting a product name stuck in someone’s head helps sell products in every industry. Without seeing interesting commercials I tend not to buy some products, because, subconsciously, I feel that I associate advertising campaigns with quality products. It also helps to see half naked women parading around on television to sell a product that is supposed to make men smell attractive.

Women as an advertising aid for men’s products can sometimes seem degrading in a way, but it really grabs the attention of the men watching. The initial thought that usually comes to mind is wishing you could be around those women yourself. Even though its common sense that just using a specific product won’t get women to crawl all over men, a good smelling product could never hurt. Personally I use Old Spice products because I think Axe smells overpowering, but I do get compliments from women based on how I smell. This shows that using products that smell good to spur a woman’s interest is realistic; Axe just takes this basic idea to an extreme. The extremity of this idea is highlighted by the commercials ending “Smell More Get More.” This phrase is interesting and has a nice ring, but isn’t the best way to go. Telling a man the more overpowering he smells the more women will want to be around him. I don’t know about everyone, but subtle smells are more attractive. Smells that are totally overpowering will drive people away, especially if those scents are used in excess.

Group 2 Blog Post

The Axe Effect

The video about axe that we found on YouTube showcases something very interesting and sexual to sell a product. This video has many different responses concerning the content, most of which is not appropriate to write or speak about because it is completely degrading to women and highlights how perverted some men are. Some comments that weren’t inappropriate were “this is my dream,” “I wish this would happen to me,” and one person said “this is stupid.”

This video really highlights the rhetoric of love in pop culture blatantly. The theme from this commercial says that if you use axe you will have more women after you than you know what to do with. Most commercials or advertisements use a few women to propose this idea, but this one in particular takes it to an extreme. This video represents thousands of half-naked women trekking through the forest, running, pushing, jumping, and swimming trying to get to one man. This is an interesting point of view because of how epic this journey seems for the women. It’s like a giant migration or hunt. The music also highlights this point and exemplifies it.

Another interesting point in the video is the man’s face. He seems excited when he sees the women, and understands that they are chasing him solely because of the way he smells. Understanding this, he sprays more on himself. The ending of the commercial has text and a voice over that confirms that’s what the man was doing. The text “spray more get more” tries to tell the audience that if you spray more AXE on yourself that you will get more women.

Freewrite Peer Responses, 24 Jan

Pornography, and everyday pornography construct masculine and feminine subjectivities based in gender inequality…even when, as in some contexts, a woman takes the masculine role or a man, the feminine.- Caputi 434, “Everyday Pornography”

Using EITHER the Dragonette video “Take it Like a Man” OR the words and lyrics to “That's How You Know” from Disney’s Enchanted, use Caputi’s definition as a lens to think about the way gender and love were constructed in the primary source. How well does her definition here fit with either of these sources? Why, or why not?

Be sure to note whose paper you're responding to in your comment. I look forward to reading them!

-Megan

Group 2 Video

The Axe Effect

Individual Post- Safianu

# 1
The first thing which comes to my mind when watching this commercial in the beginning is that it is a commercial for a dating site.Nothing about it tells you it's for a bourbon till the very end. It is all about love and romance and all you see is an attractive lady sitting on a couch talking about what she wants in a guy.
Most of the background is white or light-colored and the things which are dark in this commercial are her hair, fireplace, writings and pillows on the couch. In most cultures, the color white symbolizes love, innocence and purity and I think that is what Jim Beam is communicating to the viewer. Looking at her surroundings, one would realize she is living in luxury. She sits on an expensive looking couch, there's a painting, rug, glass doors and fireplace. She also looks like someone who is well-informed because of the library she has in the corner. The fireplace plays an important role in reinforcing the romantic theme of the commercial. In the American culture, apart from the customary purpose of warming the home, a fireplace also represents romance and luxury. Jim Beam gives the idea that she is a beautiful and well-informed lady who is also well off. Romance is the dominating theme and the luxury and books make her the ideal woman to have.
At the end of the commercial, the very important details are in black which stand out in the light background. The Girlfriend, Jim Beam and The Bourbon are all in black which stresses the importance of message the commercial is sending across. Every guy would definitely want this lady as a girlfriend....

Milstead - Paraphrase x3

People may emit flirtatious cues and not be fully aware of how powerful they are.

1.Our signs of flirtation aren't apparent to us.
2. Oftentimes our slightest gestures can be highly flirtatious.
3. We are unaware of how effective our simplest actions can be.

Thesis: Flirtation is a game we play, a dance for which everyone knows the moves.

Free write: Everybody flirts even if they don't realize they're doing it. It's a natural way of interaction with someone who we find attractive. It's the way we catch another's attention and our initial unsaid hello. Everyone knows how to flirt even if they say or think they don't. We are naturally programmed with our flirtatious behaviors. We all act a certain way or do certain things unique to us.

Jenna Bookman: "The Science of Why we Flirt" Paraphrase X3

Paraphrase X3
"And one of the most exhilarating things about the game is that the normal rules of social interaction are rubberized."
1. One of the most exciting parts about flirting is the general standards of the way you interact with others are made elastic.
2. An intriguing thing about flirtation is the typical interaction between 2 or more people's guidelines are less strict.
3. One reason the game is thrilling is that you can ignore some of the common regulations of talking with and acting around other people.
Thesis:
"Flirtation is a game we play, a dance for which everyone knows the moves."
Free Write:
All people know how to flirt. Most of it is unintentional and our bodies already know how to do it and the unspoken rules involved. It is a skill everyone posses and some people work on just like dance. Anyone can move their bodies, it is the people that practice that get good. Flirting is the same, everyone's bodies can react to people in a "flirty" way and people can intentionally act and "come on" to others verbally.