ABSTRACT
Without question, advertising serves as a driving force behind the media in the United States. In 2001 alone, approximately $234 billion was spent on advertising, primarily for television (Li, 2003). These advertisements aim to capture viewers' attention, raise awareness of available products, build brand loyalty, and, ultimately, encourage product purchase. One of the most popular features advertisers use to achieve these goals is to include sexual content in their ads. Attractive and seductive models, depictions of sexual relationships and desire, and even allusions to viewers' untapped sexual prowess are recurrent themes in contemporary advertisements. In fact, research indicates that sex appeals in television commercials and magazine ads are common and rising (Reichert et al., 1999). Yet, while numerous researchers have rigorously documented the pervasiveness of sex and sensuality across the media (e.g., Cope & Kunkel, 2002; Greenberg, Brown, & Buerkel-Rothfuss, 1993; Heintz-Knowles, 1996; Kunkel, Cope,&Colvin, 1996; Reichert&Lambiase, 2003), few studies have concentrated on variations in sexual depictions in advertising as a function of the race of characters. This is surprising, considering the fact that the rapidly growing size and economic strength of racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States (Selig Center for Economic Growth, 2002) have prompted advertisers to attend more than ever before to minority consumers (BWN, 2002). Consequently, it is imperative to better understand the manner in which minorities are portrayed, particularly in relation to the widespread sexual fare in advertising. The present chapter is focused on this endeavor.
