Media's Portrayal of Men and Women's Communication Styles and Reality
             ...Ways to understand each other in an imperfect world
             We see the ways that the popular media uses gender tensions everywhere. The truth is that sex sells, we know that. The challenge that advertisers face is: How to use it best. Some advertisers do this better than others and the ones that truly have an understanding of gender tensions will, in the end, sell the most. In my last paper, I explored how the company Abercrombie and Fitch uses gender tensions to sell their clothes. They have become among the masters in advertising and the business in booming. They cater to young adults and young adults only for one powerful reason: It is at this age in which the sexual tensions between male and female are greatest. Abercrombie and Fitch has found their niche.
             At the same time as they prey on male female tensions, they also set the standard for what provides them, that is, they show these girls and guys who are observing each other. The photos deliberately express a kind of criticism in the eyes of these models, which, in turn, forces self-consciousness, which is closely related to insecurity. This self-consciousness keeps the standard of what 'cool' is, constantly in check. In this way they create an effective loop, which is nearly self-sustaining.
             The advertisements show primarily, young adults who appear not to be in committed relationships. While often they will show a couple which, in the perceived fantasy, seem to share some level of commitment, never will they show any intimate relationship, which has gone beyond that initial spark. The reasons for this are a bit sad. My contention is that the younger generations, to which the ads appeal, have grown up in a time in which divorce rates are high and marriages are often unsatisfying. Many of us have been raised within a home where mom and dad didn't live a Brady Bunch ...