Starting in 2008, Ashton Kutcher has served as a spokesperson for Nikon Coolpix. In this commercial, Kutcher uses a long zoom lens to take pictures of beautiful women on the beach.  Some of the women also take his picture. A man, carrying a very large set of binoculars, is with one of the women and becomes angry when he notices the woman flirting with Ashton. The song in the background of the commercial is “Close To You,” sung by Karen Carpenter of the band The Carpenters. At the very end, all of the women have posed for a picture with Ashton while he plays a ukulele.

discussion

Who is the most powerful person in this commercial?  What makes them powerful? Consider the positioning of different actors, what they look like, how they dress, how they interact with each other, etc?

What reactions do the women have to noticing that Ashton is taking their pictures? Would this reaction take place in real life if the situation were actually taking place? What if it were not Ashton Kutcher taking pictures, but someone who is not famous?