Project 5

Synopsis of GoDaddy's "Perfect Match" commercial

In this 2013 GoDaddy commercial titled "perfect match", viewers are given a scenario in which the GoDaddy company has two sides. These two sides are the "sexy side" represented by what many would deem a beautiful woman and a "smart side" represented by a "nerdy" type of character. Then, if such labels weren't enough to satisfy outdated views, the commercial then has the two kiss in a very extended, prolonged, and extremely awkward scene because they are a "perfect match" for small businesses. Just hearing that would make any person bat an eye, but watching the actual commercial makes you feel a certain sense of shame and disgust with visual uncomfort from the actors and zoomed shots highlighting sexuality

Devaluation of women

The first of many misogynistic messages conveyed in the commercial would be that of how women are devalued to the point where they are seen more as objects than actually people. In the commercial, she is said to be the sexy side rather than her smart male counterpart. To add insult to injury, they have her dressed and positioned to highlight her sexuality to make her seem to only be worth as much as her body and sexuality. In Jean Kilbourne's article titled "Two Ways a Woman can Get Hurt", she states "Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women..."(Kilbourne 489) This quote really speaks true to this commercial see's women. Not only is the commercial saying that women are only worth their beauty and that they are not smart like their male counterparts, but they are also saying that the actress is the mold of beauty and anything else could not be beautiful.

Sexual/pornographic imagery

The most obvious and telling of the whole commercial would be its use of pornographic imagery. The commercial sees the two actors kissing in such a sensual way that would make people wonder if what they're watching is actually an ad for a website creation company. Not only do they display such risqué action, but they make sure that it's the focal point of the commercial with them zooming in on the two actor's lips as they kiss. As said by Jean Kilbourne in her "Two Ways a Woman can Get Hurt" article, she states "...and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with an erotic charge-which dooms us to disappointment since products never can fulfill our sexual desires or meet our emotional needs"(Kilbourne 489). I think what Kilbourne says pretty much hits the nail on the head, what this commercial is trying to accomplish is to get the watcher interested in their product with the sole fashion of sexual appeal. In addition, this is obviously aimed at a male demographic with the nerdy male being able to kiss the beautiful woman. This fills male's minds with an illusory sexual fantasy that is gives males not only unrealistic expectations of women, but also of the product that was shown to them.

What About love?

The most interesting part of the sexualization of this commercial would be when they stop kissing (ironically enough). When the two actors stop kissing and pull their faces away, they are visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed. When looking at their facial expressions, you can definitely tell that they were put in an awkward situation void of intimacy and affection. This very much shows how very little advertising companies and even society as a whole value interpersonal relationships. No longer are things like kisses a sign of love, but rather a sign of sex and sexualized products. In Jean Kilbourne's documentary film titled "Killing Us Softly 4", she gives light on love and sex in society with her saying "There's no emphasis on relationships or on Intimacy" she then proceeds to say, "It's the trivialization of sex and nowhere is sex more trivialized than in advertising" What she says very much ties into what is happening in the commercial. There is no sign of closeness or form of relationship between the two, instead, sex and sexual actions are downplayed in such a way that normalizes such actions in our society.

Summary

After observing and analyzing the "Perfect Match" GoDaddy commercial, it is clear to see that everything that Kilbourne was trying to tell and even warn us about in commercials, the advertisement industry, and even our society as a whole is entirely correct. From this commercial alone the devaluation and stereotyping of women, the display of pornographic imagery and themes, and a changing of the value of relationships and sex are prevalent. I find it sickening that the advertisement industry has the power and ability to put out such works and people are completely fine with it. Such displays in something like a children's book would obviously be unacceptable, so why is it acceptable that such advertisements are able to reach mass media that is consumed daily by children, impressionable teens, and many adults. Not to mention the effects that these advertisements have on people's mental, physical, and social health. So, I completely agree with Kilbourne when she says that the first step in solving that issue is to become aware and then act to change the environment that we live in. Now that I have knowledge on this issue, I urge others to learn about it themselves and see what they can do to benefit society and the grotesque advertisement within it.

Works cited

Kilbourne, Jean. "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt." Rereading America, edited by Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle, Macmillen, 2016, pp. 488-514.
"Killing Us Softly 4 Advertising's Image of Women." YouTube, uploaded by splinterbyrd, 3 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxYcaFzVX08
"GoDaddy - Perfect Match" YouTube, uploaded by Łukasz Doborzyński, Jan 6, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctP7cOrkX1U

Pictures Screenshots

"GoDaddy - Perfect Match". YouTube. Jan 6, 2014. web. Jan 6, 2014

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