I was thinking about advertisements this morning after watching the news in real time last night (and thus being exposed to the ads). Do we realize how sexist the adverts still are?
Every family based advert featured the mother in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, or washing, and waiting on the other family members hand and foot. The father and kids lounged about watching TV or playing games together. Do we honestly today believe, as a society, that these are good family values? The mother being the household slave while the rest of the family lazes about doing nothing? I know in my family it's about every family member contributing equally (unless prevented due to age or sickness) to the household.
In other adverts, all heroic or 1st person characters were male. Females were present only as sex objects or love interests, or not at all. It also struck me how restrictive in appearance the female characters were. While the male characters came in all different shapes, sizes, and facial types, the female characters could have been a row of those "dress me" dolls you see on the internet - an endless parade of barbie bodies and flawless features with rotating hair and eye colour. Apparently, according to the advertisers, 99% of the female population (of other appearance) simply don't exist. Or if we do exist, maybe we're like lepers hidden well out of the media spotlight so we don't dilute the doll-like female construct they take such pains to maintain.
In addition to appearance restriction, I can't understand why all "hero" characters have to be male. It's the same in the vast majority of movies (especially Hollywood blockbusters). Do they think women don't have dreams? Are women only good for sex and partnership? Why the hell can't women be brave, adventurous, quirky, and individualistic too?
Every family based advert featured the mother in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, or washing, and waiting on the other family members hand and foot. The father and kids lounged about watching TV or playing games together. Do we honestly today believe, as a society, that these are good family values? The mother being the household slave while the rest of the family lazes about doing nothing? I know in my family it's about every family member contributing equally (unless prevented due to age or sickness) to the household.
In other adverts, all heroic or 1st person characters were male. Females were present only as sex objects or love interests, or not at all. It also struck me how restrictive in appearance the female characters were. While the male characters came in all different shapes, sizes, and facial types, the female characters could have been a row of those "dress me" dolls you see on the internet - an endless parade of barbie bodies and flawless features with rotating hair and eye colour. Apparently, according to the advertisers, 99% of the female population (of other appearance) simply don't exist. Or if we do exist, maybe we're like lepers hidden well out of the media spotlight so we don't dilute the doll-like female construct they take such pains to maintain.
In addition to appearance restriction, I can't understand why all "hero" characters have to be male. It's the same in the vast majority of movies (especially Hollywood blockbusters). Do they think women don't have dreams? Are women only good for sex and partnership? Why the hell can't women be brave, adventurous, quirky, and individualistic too?
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