Most people this day in age have trouble opening ketchup bottles. However, in the 1940's the common consensus was that only women couldn't open ketchup bottles.
The "Mad Men" primarily advertised a brand of cigarettes known as 'Lucky Strike.' Most of the ads for 'Lucky Strike' one would see were created by the men of Madison Avenue. The leader of the most famous group of ad men in the country was David Ogilvy. Ogilvy was one of the most infamous ad men of the '50s and '60s. He was known for his daring and innovative ideas of how to market and sell products. HE was also known for his business ideals, drinking, and love of women. He was the ideal "Mad Man." Here is one of his most famous advertisements: The Hathaway Man.
The line "It's more than an ordinary white shirt, it's a lifestyle" is one that shows the way Ogilvy thought. He was a genius in advertisement.
The "Mad Men" weren't the only advertisement group to use sexism in advertising. Sexism and the idea of being derogatory towards women was commonly used in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. Women were seen as objects rather than people. They had to exemplify sexuality while being the perfect housewife who cleaned and cooked. They had to be perfect. They had to have no flaws. One of the most well known advertisements involving sexism was for Schlitz beer. It reads:
This advertisement is truly one of the most sexist ads I have ever read. The picture shows a woman who clearly burned something in a pan with the husband saying "Don't worry darling, you didn't burn the beer!" The general implication of the ad is that the common housewife is helpless and cannot help but to burn everything she cooks. The husband tries to console her by telling her she didn't burn the beer at least. Which, of course, can't be burned in the first place. The idea that the woman is inferior in this advertisement was pretty common back then. While this seems like a horrible ad to us now, it wasn't out of place when it was published.
While the role of women in our society has changed drastically, the thought that they are only good for cooking, cleaning, and looking good is still a popular one today. I constantly see advertisements to help women "look better for their man" or to help them cook or clean better. Women are professional athletes and CEOs of major corporations, yet much of society sees them as the inferior housewife. Their bodies are plastered on billboards across the country and are judged simply by how skinny they are or how big their "thigh gap" is.
What does it mean to say something is "so easy a woman can do it?" The implication, of course, is that women are inferior and helpless. My question, is why do I still hear that phrase today? Many of the most powerful people in the country are women. Women have fought for suffrage and won. They have taken great strides to earn the respect they were not given years ago. Why are they still being treated like they were 50 years ago? The idea that women are only good for cleaning, cooking, and sexuality needs to come to an end.
Works Cited
Jacobsen, Michael F. "Marketing Madness: A Survival Guide for a Consumer Society" Westview Press. 1995.
<http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/CS/Marketing%20Madness.pdf>
Edwards, Jim., Jacobs, Harrison. "26 Sexist Ads of the 'Mad Men' Era Companies Wish We'd Forgot" Business Insider. 8 May, 2014.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/26-sexist-ads-of-the-mad-men-era-2014-5>
http://www.tekilaklub.com/inspyre/you-mean-a-woman-can-open-it/
http://sites.stedwards.edu/socialmedia-joliver3/2013/02/24/hathaways-man-in-the-hathaway-shirt-campaign/
http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/15chungm/2013/09/05/stereotypes-in-the-media-schlitz-dont-worry-darling-you-didnt-burn-the-beer/
I agree that the fact that sexism is still around today is definitely somewhat of an outcome from the ideals and beliefs of the "Mad Men" and their sexist advertisements from their time.
ReplyDeleteI agree, sexism is still prevalent in modern society. Maybe also show the other side. Maybe something along the lines of, "It's not just women, but men too." I know that generally, women seem to be sexually portrayed or objectified more so than men, but there is also some sexism pertaining to men that you could touch on as well to strengthen and broaden your argument. It would make for a more balanced and well-rounded point.
DeleteAlso there were a lot of grammatical errors, so maybe go back through and edit again.
The ads were good visual aids for your argument. Maybe you could show an ad that we would recognize from this year and compare the two to show the similarities and the differences/how far women have progressed, as well as how things have stayed relatively the same in some areas.
Also, maybe try stating your thesis earlier on. I couldn't tell if the article was about Mad Men or if they were just an example to support a more general point.
I agree, sexism is still prevalent in modern society. Maybe also show the other side. Maybe something along the lines of, "It's not just women, but men too." I know that generally, women seem to be sexually portrayed or objectified more so than men, but there is also some sexism pertaining to men that you could touch on as well to strengthen and broaden your argument. It would make for a more balanced and well-rounded point.
DeleteAlso there were a lot of grammatical errors, so maybe go back through and edit again.
The ads were good visual aids for your argument. Maybe you could show an ad that we would recognize from this year and compare the two to show the similarities and the differences/how far women have progressed, as well as how things have stayed relatively the same in some areas.
Also, maybe try stating your thesis earlier on. I couldn't tell if the article was about Mad Men or if they were just an example to support a more general point.
Even though sexist ads still persist today, do you think that no effort is done to try and change this? An ad that I have in mind that counteracts this ads would be the "Like a Girl" superbowl ad where people are asked questions like "how does a girl run?" "how does a girl fight?" and this was done to try to show people the stereotype of a woman, when in fact, girls run the same way as men and fight the same way as men. So i think that people are starting to take notice of gender inequalities and are trying to show more awareness to these sexist ads, even though the progress is quite slow.
ReplyDeleteYes I believe that sexist ideals are still present today. I have heard jokes about women being in the kitchen or cleaning the house. These jokes are still presented in our time but I think the ability to understand these jokes comes in two forms. One people feel as though it is a disgrace to even hear that or two good joke.. because thats exactly what it is most of the time a joke. But how far can these jokes go before something changes drastically. Reading all of these blogs and my own on issues with society and culture it seems that everyone says "OH its a JOKE" but if everyones partaking and it is constantly addressed.. i dont know if i would be taking it as a joke rather a problem with society
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Madeleine; sexism is still around in today's society, yet we need to take a look at how men are portrayed in media as well. If you did part of a counterargument, about how it isn't just women who are sexualized in the men, the point being made would be so much stronger. I also agree with the visual aids, it would help me understand more about this topic if you looked at a more recent example of sexualization of women in the media today. I like this topic though.
ReplyDeleteI think that these jokes are still present in our day and age, but I also think that we take things too personally and overexagerate on everyhing. I liked the example you used and how you compare our time to that time. I would say that the ads today are the same messages, but a bit more hidden.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Madeline, in saying that sexism is still around today in many forms and that it's not just women anymore but it is still predominantly women. I hear these jokes everyday with the 'get back in the kitchen' or 'make me a sandwich'. When I hear these from my friends who are boys, I know that they are joking but in today's society there is still that stereotype of women being at home while the husband is the bread winner. So, are these things really jokes if they really still do apply to households today? Granted, women are more in the workforce than ever before but we're still seen as the one's to take care of the baby, put dinner on the table, and keeping the house clean. So these stereotypes are still very much alive and although these may be jokes about sandwiches and belonging in the kitchen, they're not really kidding are they?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. This is a topic of sexism that is still very much prevalent today, but has gotten better throughout the years. Today there seems to be a trend for the working mom and how she can do it all. I like this trend because it gives women more respect rather than just being looked at as a typical housewife. Additionally, I do take offense to these types of jokes and find them demeaning. I agree with Christina and I think that people need to look further within these nonsense jokes and realize what they are actually saying. Overall, great use of media and I really enjoyed this topic.
ReplyDeleteCommenting off Chirstina: I agree that the common family does see the man as the provider and the woman as the caregiver. I grew up in a household where both my parents worked fulltime and both brought in a significant amount of money, but my mom more than my dad. I used to think this was weird but as i grew up around it i actually found it totally normal. so I guess I'm just trying to say that the stereotypes do still exist but that they have changed significantly.
ReplyDeleteI do think sexualization is still a problem, ecspecially in advertising, but I dont think we can say that women are stereotyped like they used to be. More and more often you see single mothers supporting themselves easily, and making a future for their child as well. I think the idea that woman are just good for cooking, cleaning, and housework or taking care of the kids is pretty overrated. I also think that society has made strides to try and pass up these streotypes. There will always be the few companies that bring it back, but as a whole I think we are trying to work past it, but it will of course take time.
There are definitely still many instances today where women are being portrayed inferior to men. Movies are still portraying women as this helpless girl that needs to be saved by a man. I would definitely say that sexism of men and women needs to stop. I don't see where people would think that women are too weak or too innocent to do anything, I believe that everyone is fully capable of doing any task that they put their mind to. Not every woman may be really strong, but not every man is going to be strong. There really shouldn't be a division of men and women in the work force or at home.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the men and women stereo types popular in the 1900'2 are still a problem now. Sadly people have just got used to the stereotypes I think, and almost ignore them as if they are okay, and normal. The famous- women stay home, watch the kids, and cook and clean while the men are out working and making the money for the family is still popular but not as true any more. Women are out making just as money as men now, and it is common for some men to be "stay at home dads." As society is changing I hope these stereotypes will eventually change too because women have came a long way and it isn't fair to sell them short!
ReplyDelete