Sex is everywhere you turn. Victoria's Secret is known for its ads that plaster billboards and building walls, depicting scantily clad women that suggest an overt sexual air. The bags you get at Abercrombie feature half-dressed models, often two of whom may be kissing or touching. These sexual images are all too present in the daily lives of young children, much younger than was acceptable. Aside from this moral questionability, ads like these often contain images of unrealistic body types, exploiting insecurity to trick consumers into using their product, the result of which can be dangerous to mental and physical health. Ultimately, when I see ads like the one on the right, and rack my brain trying to figure out how a shoe company could make an ad that applies sexuality to the least sexual part of the body, I'm forced to wonder if companies have gone too far? These ethical questions might lead you to ask, “How can we allow this?” But the debate boils down to one important thing: they work. Sex sells. American companies spend millions of dollars studying the effectiveness of various types of advertising. The result of these studies is the discovery that sexuality in advertising can be, and has been, high on the list of effective forms of rhetoric. The success of rhetorical sexuality must outweigh the risks these companies take to go against those who find the use of sexuality a disturbing practice; it's worth it for these companies and they constantly make sure of it. America loves sex. When walking the halls of my high school or the local mall, I remember seeing many girls carrying purses from their favorite stores; one of these famous stores is... middle of paper... or they will be sexy, they should. If a cologne company can convince its male audience that if they wear this cologne, women will flock to their side and practically beg the guy to sleep with them, they should do it. It is the task of the company within society to ensure competition, to provide the product that will be best received by consumers. Companies have created a healthy change as they have developed the means to better appeal to their audiences. Consumers have created an unhealthy shift in that we have allowed sex to become the focus of everything we buy or desire. Works Cited Bordo, Susan. "Beauty (Re)discovers the male body." Ways of Reading 8th ed131-176.http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2008/07/vintage-ad-f-18.htmlhttp://tophspeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/ levis.jpghttp://www.debonairmag.com/upload/Image/Puma.jpg