Am I Sexist, or is Advertising?

My early posts dealt with sexism and feminism in advertising, and while I find it a very interesting topic that always spurs some great conversation, somewhere along the way I got caught up in Facebook fanaticism and became more of a Facebook advice center. Obviously, there’s a need for Facebook tips and tricks, but I started wondering why I stopped analyzing sexist advertising. And then it hit me.

I like advertising that is sexist. The more over the top, the better. I enjoy when marketing people make us caricatures of ourselves and play up the retro 50s vibe.  I applaud when casting and costume directors push the envelope on showing a stereotypical “hot girl” or “good housewife.” And I honest-to-God Laugh Out Loud at some of the ridiculous scenarios and classic one-liners the creative team comes up with.

Am I a feminist’s worst nightmare? Or do I just have a sense of humor?

Here’s the thing: I only like the ads (typically commercials) that take it so far that they become parodies of the ads they seemingly seek to emulate. Ads that only hint at sexism and are actually condescending? I despise.

Then there are ads that aren’t sexist at all; they’re honest. The way I see it, there are three types of advertising that can potentially be labeled as sexist or degrading: satirically sexist ads that use stereotypes for comedic value; truthful advertising that portrays an actual disparity between men and women or real female issue; and finally, ads that seem to have been created in a vacuum devoid of female input that rub women the wrong way, without being specific enough to call “sexist.”

Sexist Satire for Comedy’s Sake

Why do people laugh at caricatures? Exaggeration almost always produces a comedic effect; seeing flaws and quirks larger than life is like looking into a funhouse mirror. You can’t help but laugh.

This is critical in entertainment, and even more crucial to advertising; you have so little time to get a point across and taking things to the extreme can help you cut to the chase. The Heineken Draught Keg commercial that kicked off this blog is one such over the top ad that makes me giggle AND want to buy some Heinies. How do you not love a sexy robot woman with a keg where her reproductive organs should be?

Another great ad that didn’t actually get made is a theoretical spot from the advertising-to-women centric 2000 Mel Gibson movie, What Women Want. Gibson gains the power to read women’s thoughts and pitches a commercial for Advil that goes like this:

“So, we’re in a bedroom, the lights are out. There’s a woman in bed, and she’s taking an Advil.

Her husband suggestively rubs her back, and we say, ‘Advil. So mild and gentle,
you can take it, even when you’re faking a headache.’

Woman turns to her husband and says, ‘Not tonight, honey, l need an Advil. ‘”

Helen Hunt’s character nixed the idea, saying that Advil wouldn’t buy it and every woman in America would hate it, but I love it. It makes OTC pain medication funny and is entirely real. I’ve seen this movie a dozen times and smile at this scene every time.

Practical Portrayal of Honest Differences

Men and women are different. That’s important to remember when coming up with a concept for an ad targeted at one or the other; you need to know your target audience and which half of the population they fall into.

Remember the whole Motrin Moms fiasco? For me, that was a genius ad that proved they had smart, insightful women working on the campaign, and probably some empathetic dads. Now, I do not have kids and am not planning for any in the next few years; I’ve done my share of babysitting and nannying, but not for an infant. And I still said to myself “they’re exactly right!”

The criticisms of this ad centered around the idea that Motrin suggests that  “babywearing” is a fashion trend and women do it to “look like a real mom” and therefore “put up with the pain.” Hello, the ad is saying that it is better for the baby to carry it that way, but it puts strain on you. So take a Motrin and do what’s good for you and your baby.

Honestly, I do not understand some people; I thought this was brilliant. We’ll see if my thoughts change when I have kids, but my gut reaction is I’ll be thanking my lucky stars someone understands my baby burden and is giving me the OK to complain and pop some pills.

Subtle Sexism that Leads to Absolute Outrage

Some people would put the Motrin ad in this category, but clearly not me. The Motrin ad knew it was talking directly to women and tried to speak to them; whether you think they missed the mark or not, you’ve got to give them credit there.

My issue with ads that are actually sexist is occurs when they don’t even seem to notice how offensive they are or could be. The banner ad I wrote about back in the day is a good example; if you look at each cartoon character image and the corresponding profession, you’ll see that each falls into the stereotypical male/female role pattern. And not in a funny, satirical way.

Another ad that really rubs me the wrong way is the Domino’s Secretary of Taste commercial. In it, a very annoying caricature of a political figure says “whether you’re some yoga babe who digs tasty veggies, or a lumberjack craving steak and 40% more cheese” you can enjoy Domino’s new pizza. Thanks, but I will not be enjoying anything that puts men and women in such small boxes.

Most people don’t seem to share my outrage at this ad, and I can’t quite put my finger on what drives me crazy about it, so I can’t say I blame them. I think it’s the fact that a) I’m a vegetarian and don’t like being called a “yoga babe” and b) if I wasn’t a vegetarian, I’d be embarrassed to order a meaty pizza from Domino’s thanks to this ad.

So, help a girl out. Am I crazy, an anti-feminist, or just blessed with a weird sense of humor?