Love Cosmetics

The other day I was searching for an advertisement that had similar themes to Manet's Olympia, as I had to compare and contrast the two for a paper. I eventually came across a print ad from the 70's for Love Cosmetics' "Baby Soft" line. The image itself is of a little girl holding a white teddy bear. However, the little girl is in a seductive position and wears bright lipstick. The ad reads "because innocence is sexier than you think." This ad emphasizes the concept that women are supposed to have a dual nature: a innocent and promiscuous one. However, this dual nature is impossible to attain as both traits are polar opposites.

This ad, besides being entirely inappropriate, sheds light on the fact that women are held to impossible standards. Women are supposed to be extremely thin, but are supposed to be naturally so. Many men state that they don't want a girlfriend who only eats salad, but also want them to be skinny. There are numerous paradoxes in what men want in women (and what women think men want in women). However, women are so influenced by the media that they think men want things even if they do not, which is another reason why this advertisement by Love Cosmetics is so serious.