Our discussion this week included the topic of how birth control (and other prescription drugs) is presented in the media. Birth control advertisements seem to illustrate every benefit besides its primary use (to prevent pregnancy) in the television commercials advertising the pill. No matter what brand or type of birth control is being advertised, the consumer sees a definite shift to focusing on how the women who take the pills look and behave (fun, sexy, young, carefree), rather than discussing the actual preventative purpose of the pill.
For example, in this Yaz commercial, the women are shown metaphorically releasing all sorts of symptoms (fatigue, bloatedness, moodiness, etc.) in literal balloons. But none of the balloons say “chance of getting pregnant.” The woman articulating the use of the pill clarifies that Yaz can make your periods lighter and less frequent and also make your skin clearer, and quickly mentions that “Yaz is 99% effective.” Effective against what? The word “pregnancy” is only heard/seen through text at the bottom of the screen; all other references to the primary purpose of the pill are swiftly and vaguely represented.
Like we discussed in class, birth control pill advertisements are shifting away from clarifying the actual use of the pill; instead, they highlight every benefit of the prescription except preventing pregnancy. Women are shown as happier, more carefree, and sexier (and have clearer skin!) all because of the pill. The fact that they are not pregnant seems to be less important than all of the other physical benefits they experience, although the former is typically the only reason women buy “the pill.”
I've included a couple of clever birth control ads for your enjoyment.
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