Gender Stereotyping in TV Ads
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-02-02/gender-stereotyping-tv-ads
Today's television ads are full of inept dads, dumb jocks and clueless husbands and the women who rescue, seduce and nag them. Some see these ads as harmless, while others decry the gender stereotypes they reinforce. But these ads may also reflect new realities in marketing: as men make more household purchases advertisers are adjusting to the shift. We sort the savvy from the ridiculous ahead of TV advertising's biggest night of the year.
Guests
Malcolm Venable
strategic planner, The Martin Agency
Linda Holmes
writer and editor, NPR's Monkey See blog
Jack Neff
editor at large, Advertising Age
Related Links
Related Video:
OldSpice's body wash ad. Their tag: "We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it:"
Hanes' Sock Ad:
Doritos:
Miller:
Go Daddy:
Vicks Featuring Drew Brees:
Motrin "Wearing a Baby:"
Staples "Back to School:"
Cheerios:
Dr. Pepper 10:
Comments
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My husband and I both like a new Jetta commercial which ends with a man asking "Is it Safe?" as he pops up with a baby in a front body carrier.
Accidentally posted without finishing. The Jetta commercial does start out with the "Is it fast?" male stereotypes. But this twist is why it works for me.
http://youtu.be/DtYPhBK61d0
I will never buy a certain frozen pizza because their TV ads are so stupid. I assume they are aimed at women, or specifically wives, but they men portrayed are soooo stupid, it is just painful to watch, not funny at all.
I know it's probably too late but I wanted to mention something my friends (from 45 to 60 years old) frequently find ourselves saying: that we feel sorry for our husbands/male partners because they have very few models of the sort of behavior that is expected of them.
We cannot always articulate what we expect of them. Not part of our training.
As young women, we were given a choice which simplisticly could be described as (1) being like our mothers who for the most part were homemakers or (2) being who and whatever we wanted to be. However the men of the same era, with whom we grew up, did not get get some new choice for which they could be "trained up". Many assumed their only obvious path, that of the breadwinner and all of the baggage that comes with that.
It saddens me to see the "inept dads, dumb jocks and clueless husbands". However, I don't see the women as being bossy or nagging so much. I need to pay more attention.
Perhaps we need some more consciousness raising groups!
Nancy Yannayon
Mechanicsville, MD