This ad of Sean John’s “Unforgivable Woman” perfume for women implies a very degrading way for women to gain value by seeking out “passion” from men, leading to not only perpetuating women as objects of desire in which they must attract the attention of men, but also value themselves based on male pleasure they can receive and arouse through their own female bodies. The name “Unforgivable Woman” further creates a narrative which can be connected to rape culture, where many sexual assaults are excused as women deserving of punishment for tempting or teasing males with their apparently irresistible and sinful appearance. Furthermore, the woman in the ad appears to be intoxicated and uncomfortable with the presence of the man and is in a vulnerable position. By selling this image of a vulnerable woman who must be punished for her “unforgivable” and irresistible quality, as well as delivering message in which women must not devote themselves to a “life without passion is unforgivable” to men, the ad is selling this idea of women’s value relying on male pleasure, where they are deserving of punishment for not letting themselves be subjected to male pleasure. The warm color of the background also somehow contributes to the viewing of this particular ad as intimate and personal, where it shows the end result of becoming desirable as a result of wearing this perfume, where men would not be able to keep themselves from their own lust and sexual behavior. As a result, the woman is to accept all advances and punishment for using this product to increase her apparent allure, even if it is an unintended effect and unwanted advance, making her more valuable. Therefore, my edited version of this ad will be addressing the specific issue of sexual assault and the product’s message centering around women’s definition of worth.

ad photo from: http://www.lebook.com/lacreative/creative/sean-john-unforgivable-advertising-2008