These Dolce & Gabbana fashion advertisements caught my attention because they glamorize street harassment. They all portray a woman as the center of attention of a group of men. In the first advertisement, the woman is dressed in white which makes her stand out from the background as well as the group of men who are all dressed in black. This puts her as the focus of the male gaze. She looks back smiling playfully at the men who are following her as if she enjoys the attention. She has a subtle and low-energy walking pose which makes her look less powerful than the men who look like they quickened their pace to catch up to her. They all have big open-mouthed smiles suggesting that they may be joking loudly at her to get her attention. The man on the far left is reaching out, almost grabbing her arm. This image gives the false impression that the woman is empowered because all the well-dressed men are vying for her attention. In real life, an interaction like this would be uncomfortable and intimidating for a woman who is walking alone in public. Many women express that being followed is a scary experience. Women know in real life, men can get aggressive if you ignore them, so sometimes you have to smile nervously to satisfy them. What happens if the man on the left grabs her arm? There are five men in this picture, so they could easily overpower her and put her in an uncomfortable position, demanding her to stop and give them attention.
In the second and third advertisements, the model Bianca Balti is surrounded by men vying for her attention. The small bits of background suggest that they are in public as well. In both photos, the male models are uncomfortably close to the vulnerable Balti who looks like she is playfully pushing one of them away in the second photo. In the third photo, she looks overwhelmed by male attention and clutches her chest. Her expression does not look like she is opposed to the attention; she looks like she could be subtly enjoying it. These photos are glamorous and playful, but also depict situations that would be stifling in real life. On the streets, women are constantly under surveillance by the male gaze, which is shown in a normalizing way in these ads. These ads give the message that male attention is a good thing, and implies that women should enjoy the attention because they are worthy of it.
In the second and third advertisements, the model Bianca Balti is surrounded by men vying for her attention. The small bits of background suggest that they are in public as well. In both photos, the male models are uncomfortably close to the vulnerable Balti who looks like she is playfully pushing one of them away in the second photo. In the third photo, she looks overwhelmed by male attention and clutches her chest. Her expression does not look like she is opposed to the attention; she looks like she could be subtly enjoying it. These photos are glamorous and playful, but also depict situations that would be stifling in real life. On the streets, women are constantly under surveillance by the male gaze, which is shown in a normalizing way in these ads. These ads give the message that male attention is a good thing, and implies that women should enjoy the attention because they are worthy of it.