Hernandez 1

Andrea Hernandez

Professor Granillo

English 103

02 February 2019

Multimodal Project -- Outline

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Summary: The theory of Gender Studies, developed by Judith Butler, concerns itself with

our culture’s understanding of sexuality. Butler aims to identify the material of Gender

conditions between society and how they affect the population and the consciousness of the

individual.

B. THESIS STATEMENT: The Colgate advertisement, “Colgate Total, Be Totally Ready for

Life,” is guilty of promoting the repressive idea of displaying only heterosexual couples; through

the Gender Studies analysis of concepts such as Gender and Semiotics, the commercial uses

ethos, pathos, and logos to reinforce a repressive representation of what a “normal” couple is,

which is damaging to society due to the fact that it perpetuates discrimination toward the LGBT+

community based on their where they stand sexually.

III. SUBTOPIC #1

A. BODY PARAGRAPH #3

Topic Sentence: Repressive ideas are represented at the forefront of this advertisement;

they can be defined as a belief system that that ensures acceptance within a society and that

refuses to acknowledge material and historical condition and their influence on how we view the

world in order to maintain subservience to the existing power system (Tyson 54).

Evidence: “Are you totally ready for sparks to fly?.” (Colgate 0:09)
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Analysis: This statement alludes to the repressive idea that displays how

heterosexual couples are only taken for consideration in this video, which Butler was

shown to be pursuing. The societal oppression towards gays represents a repressive idea

because it denotes: those who live with a different sexuality are deserving of their

discrimination because in America if anyone who deviated from traditional gender

expectations deserved to be called names such as“fag” or simply be discriminated.

Warrant: Due to the fact that the Colgate brand maintains credibility and

reliability as a long-standing, American company, its positive publicizing of this idea will

reach a massive trusting audience and reinforce prior conceptions of misleading ideas

instead of dismantling the way of thinking that condones a false narrative whose values

are based upon who gets accepted in society and who does not.

IV. SUBTOPIC #2

A. BODY PARAGRAPH #4

Topic Sentence: One concept of Gender studies that applies to this commercial is “Gender and

Semiotics”, which is cultures assign their abstract concepts and meanings, or signifieds, to the

anatomical bodies “male” and “female” (Butler 2491)

Evidence: The woman in the commercial bumps is seen to catch a “spark” with

another man on the train and because of her clean teeth she is seen to like him. (Colgate

0:24).

Analysis: “At an early age, we learn that it’s at best different to be LGBT. And

many of us are taught that this difference is bad — shameful, deviant, disgusting. We

might try to hide it. We might wish it away. We learn that even if our family accepts us,
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there are some relatives who might not; we get asked to hide who we are so as not to

make them uncomfortable” (Saxe).

Warrant: The clear discrimination that many experience is the product of a

oppressed mentality that has assigned many a lower value based on their sexual status

and targets them because of it. In this instance, the commercial displays a heterosexual

couple hitting it off. This scene makes an emotional appeal to pathos by depicting

heterosexual statements in order to evoke emotions towards the lovely couple. By

portraying a sympathetic narrative in which the main goal lies upon following a

repressive idea, the advertisement gives the illusion of the credibility and promotes the

incorrect idea that heterosexual couples are the only couples out there.

B. BODY PARAGRAPH #5

Topic Sentence: This scene also applies which audience it is targeting , otherwise known

as the heterosexual class.

1. Evidence: (Colgate 0:26)

2. Analysis: This acts as a clear representation of the repressed and disadvantaged idea

that heterosexuals are superior than gays. The Colgate company has never been seen to

create a video displaying a gay couple. Through the years that this toothpaste company

has been selling their products the company has lacked in supporting the gay community.

3. Warrant: By displaying an obvious depiction of the typical American couple, the

advertisement elevates the heterosexual couples more while suppressing the other

genders and sexualities, reinforcing the division between genders that is based upon and

emphasizing the normality of this controversy.

VII. CONCLUSION
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Re-stated thesis: All in all, this Colgate advertisement, “Colgate Total, Be Totally Ready

for Life,” is at fault of advocating credibility that they do not show their support towards that

gender; this repressive idea not only perpetuates the idea that those who are from the LGBT

community are deserving of it, but also acts as a justification for discrimination against them.

Through the analysis of Butler’s concepts such as Genders and Semiotics, the commercial

utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to reinforce a repressive idea, which is detrimental to society

because it continually promotes a division between genders and justifies discrimination towards

them based on where they sexually stand.

B. Brief summary of main ideas: “Colgate Total, Be Totally Ready for Life,” advocates

many oppressive practices that are damaging to social equality, such as repressive ideas that have

become common reasoning and maintains division in society.

C. Reflection/Call for action: These socially destructive constructs have discrimination

towards those of different gender standings. In order to remedy this, there must be action taken

toward demolishing gender division and condemnation based on sexuality factors to promote an

equal environment that values acceptance and equal treatment.