AD-DITIVE!

As a result of a lot of TV, internet and press advertising, I am convinced by lipstick and other cosmetic ads that I should try them.

- Danielle

I would like my hair to be less grey, blonder (or maybe auburn?). I do love the smell of Miss Dior perfume and several others. I would love to have a super uplift bra, if only they were offered bigger than 38C (although I do know of and use strap-extenders and/or locate the odd obscure plus-size supplier somewhere). I have promised myself I will keep eating my 5 a day and will only consume sugar-free cereals so I can become a fab glam beach babe, and be a summertime mermaid… as it happens. I would buy stunning frocks from those designer stores mostly featured in Vogue, colour mags and newspaper supplements, if they were offered in more than a dress size 14 and at sensible prices. Yes, these female-oriented ads do work and have a cumulative effect on me.

ONLY TROUBLE IS – I AM MALE!

In my view, never in human history have we been bombarded with so much marketing and promotional material. Yet nowhere in the online, screen and advertising media is there any in-depth comment on the effects of massive advertising on those for whom it is not directly intended. For example – often repeated female interest adverts seen by males. I do suspect that they must be a strong if often subdued influence on we blokes; perhaps why beneath out macho outdoor images, so many of us long to try all those feminine items. Depending what one might consider to be a crossdresser, maybe 1 in 10 of us indulge? Difficult to estimate, so could be much higher. It must work to a lesser extent the other way – female to male – too. But the female of the species in western culture has all the beautiful stuff!