Stereotypes exist all over the world, and sometimes we don’t
even notice them. The most common stereotype of all is about what girls and boys
are like. Girls are expected to be concerned with behaving a certain way, and
confined to less freedom. Usually boys are viewed as being rougher, louder, and
messier and whatever they do people will say, “boys will be boys.” In this billboard printed by the body shop
the sign reads “Meet Alex, future sportstar, prime minister, inventor,
entrepreneur, and philanthropist.” The average person would just assume Alex is
the boy in the picture. But looking into the sign in the bottom right corner it
reads “shown here with her brother Chris,” most people would automatically
assume Alex is this young star posing with his muscles and he looks like he
fits the description on the billboard. The Body Shop is displaying their
message of breaking gender norms, and seeing outside this confined view of
stereotypes on girls. When people view this sign, it makes them think. They
reflect on how they automatically jumped to the decision of Alex being the boy.
The Body Shop is a popular business that has been around for many years. If a big company is
taking this decision to change your mind about gender norms, you start to
realize how relevant stereotyping is.
The visual was attended to all types of people, it was
intended to change perspectives. The creator of this billboard used
Juxtaposition placing the boy and the girl right near each other but the boy
closer to the text. The purpose of this
device was to compare the word description to the boy, but then to realize it
is the girl the billboard is talking about. The logo of the company is bolded
and clear to establish their ethos. The fact that a big and well-known company
is sending this message out shows their credibility. At first when I saw this
billboard image I was guilty of assuming Alex was the boy. But upon further
notice I realized I was wrong, and I was stereotyping without even
acknowledging it myself. In the billboard through the devices used the message
sent out is clear, effective, and mind changing.
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