Public health impact of the harmful portrayal of women in alcohol advertising

The portrayal of women has long been problematic in advertising and marketing in general. Nonetheless, the confluence of three factors - the relationship between female objectification in advertising and violence against women (VAW); the relationship between alcohol misuse and VAW; and, the status of males with antisocial traits as a prime alcohol target market - may render alcohol advertising with themes of female objectification and degradation particularly noxious. Accordingly, this presentation will contain original, interdisciplinary research of how women are portrayed in alcohol advertising, and possible impacts of those portrayals on public health. Specifically, the workshop will: 1) present a taxonomy of alcohol advertising themes which degrade and/or objectify women, with print and/or video examples; 2) place those themes in historical perspective - examining trends and cycles - including recent developments; 3) overview, briefly, research that addresses the role of alcohol misuse in violence against women, and the effect of female objectification in advertising in general on violence against women; 4) analyze evidence that males with antisocial traits are intentionally courted as an alcohol target market; and, 5) discuss ways that the public health community can mitigate the deleterious effects of this advertising, particularly in light of recent understandings of the First Amendment. Lastly, a handout with an extensive list of resources and references will be provided to attendees.