Thursday, April 7, 2011

Yesterdays Ads, Todays Setbacks?


I'm sure a lot of people have seen ads from the 1950s depicting the typical 1950s All-American housewife. If you really sit and think about it, ads are subliminally seen on a daily basis. Back when television was just hitting households, the only way to really promote products or services was through radio, which is a non-visual device, or through magazine and newspaper ads.


The point I am trying to make is how women were depicted in these ads and how it has had a definite effect on the way women are viewed. Sure, we have come a long way since the "bra-burning feminist," (which never actually happened by the way) but media still puts women in this objectifying roles.


For example- the ad above says "Don't worry darling, you didn't burn the beer." That statement clearly coming from the male in this actual ad for Schlitz beer, demonstrates the "male gaze" in advertisements. We can make an entire storyline for this one ad! Let's say that maybe this housewife is having a tough day at home, all she has to worry about is cooking for her husband but she burns what she makes! Good thing her other half is there to let her know that it's all good because she didn't burn the beer! Really? It's so hard for me to even begin to realize how women were and still are in some ways, looked at through the male perspective, especially in the media.


No comments:

Post a Comment