Television commercials are getting increasingly sexist.
While gender roles have reversed over the past several years, our corporate minds seem intent on reminding us that the man is supposed to attract all the hot women around and the women are supposed to cook breakfast and be the sole caregiver and care-taker for her husband and kids.
Forgive me for ranting but I think we need to stand up and kick the shit out of those advts.
Perhaps the most annoying series of ads are the ones for male deos. Argh!
I never used an Axe and probably will never use one ever. I mean, c'mon, are we supposed to believe that applying a coat of the deo is supposed to magically beam all the hot women to his living room?
And what if he already has a girl in the bed?
Are they all going to fight over him?
Or is he going to say, 'Relax ladies, there is enough of me to go around'?
As outrageous as the ads are, I think many of these ads are very effective on a subconscious level. For experts that say violence on telly affects the mental and social makeup of young impressionable and the not so young teens in a way that drug abuse does, I would like to know how ads that show how men are supposed to 'have' the girl are damaging our future citizens.
Can our children overlook the stereotypes and actually appreciate these ads for their creativity? I doubt.
Case in point: An ad for a famous jewelry brand shows how two wives and their husbands (probably friends, neighbors and coworkers) shopping for jewelry. The husbands are shown waiting for their wives to finish shopping for expensive diamonds. While the wives are taking their time choosing the diamond of their desire, the husbands are discussing ways to overcome their impending financial doom. The humor in the conversation is not something that can be funny by any stretch of your funny bone. Infact, it is outrageous the men are actually discussing how their wives are pushing them to ruin. This is not true. The educated women of today are not folks who go out and ruin their family wealth.
I think the women of today are strong, career women who have an identity for themselves. They have their own bank balances and know how to save and buy things that they want. They are not the women or wives that the ad tries to promote. Today's women are not dependent on their husband's wallets and definitely not ones who will want to spend more than what the husband earns.
But ofcourse, the women in the ad were dependent on the men to pay for their diamonds. And surely, atleast one of the women expressed anguish at having spend so much. Surely, she doesn't ask him for his opinion while buying. And surely, her name is not Shirley. The wives are just one of those odd examples of women who think for themselves and not to be taken as a shining example of the modern bharati naari, who is well educated, career oriented lady capable of balancing both work and family with panache. That said, not all men are typical partners who squeal on their wives/girlfriends when they pay for jewelry. I know men who are caring, understanding and magnanimous. Men who are practical and excellent husbands at the same time.
Perhaps this is how the world will always be. While we talk of women's liberation, freedom of expression and the equality, the battle of the sexes will always be one-sided.
Recommended Read:
Creative Visualization: Part 1
