Taking a Second Look ~ Reebok

Katelyn Temple
WST 3015
2/8/2010
Professor Nina Perez


In this Reebok advertisement, Reebok is suggesting that all women should “reetone” their bodies with a pair of EasyTone sneakers. The line to the slogan reads “EasyTone helps you get better legs and a better butt with every single step.” This is a catchy line with an easy to understand tone but the issue comes into play when looking at the picture for the ad.

The barely dressed woman in this ad is obviously on the go. However, I think it is safe to say her legs and butt are already toned. The woman seems to be young, white, and busy. There are clothes busting out of the closet, pictures taped to the wall and oddly enough, an old fashion phone (with a cord!) sitting on the floor; the line of which is wrapped around her right leg several times. I get the impression she is getting back from a run, about to shower; hence the barely dressed issue. Her shoes are untied and she is effortlessly standing in a position ideal for a butt model. Her upper body is not in view but she is wearing a shirt. Because women always walk around in sneakers, panties and a shirt.

This ad bewilders me a bit. I like the idea of shoes that improve my butt and legs but what confuses me is the already very skinny woman in the ad. She is skinner then I am so the point is somewhat lost. I do not believe that if I was truly looking to loose weight and get fit, an image of a very skinny woman would excite me in my challenge. This can be construed as a negative representation of women because not all women look like this. “Feminist scholars have analyzed the oppressive nature of ads and media representations that bombard women and girls with an ideal of beauty defined as thin, lean, tall young, white and heterosexual, with flawless skin and well-groomed hair” (WLMP, 208). This ad portrays a woman We can assume she is young because of her seemingly health body type. She is white, thin and I would assume she is active and busy because of the clothes, lack of time to hang her clock, and her whatever attitude about walking around half naked. This ad stereotypically fits the norm for a commercial that is going to discuss a woman’s buttocks.

Many companies such as Dove or Cotton will use regular, normal, typical women in their ads; maybe Reebok should do the same to better appeal to the American audience. “In response to discrimination and stigma… some feminists have welcomed the notion of “size acceptance”” (WLMP, 210). I am not sure if overweight women would find this ad offensive but I strongly believe Reebok should have planned this out a little better. This ad does not affect my ability to feel good about myself, but I cannot speak for a woman larger than I am. This ad is not realistic.

References:

http://www.reebok.com/microsites/easytone_reebok/

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print.