#7

Blog 7

            Today in class we explored several ads and looked at the various ways gender stereotypes were applied.  One particular ad that stood out for me was the Rose Petal Cottage commercial.  The ad was almost the epitome of the little girl stereotype: lots of pink and pastels, tinkling upbeat music, and an emphatic message on how happy being a good little housewife makes a girl, from washing laundry to cooking to taking care of the baby.  The only thing missing seemed to be a little boy coming home from work and the little girl rushing over to serve him his meal and press his coat.  The gender stereotype was strongly communicated as it toted its housewife lifestyle as the idealistic future all young girls dream of.  And, just in my personal experience, I have never seen anyone smile so much at getting to do laundry.  It just felt ridiculous because the commercial seemed to be taking such exaggerated stereotypes seriously.

            This ad feels offensive and a misuse of the ad’s power.  When people see the ad, they are giving it their attention and potentially opening themselves to the ad’s message.  And, when the ad carries such a negative message (especially in its very specific lyrics), that housework and childcare is what females are for and it is what they want, it affects how women/girls view themselves and how others view them.

            In class we also discussed how the commercial could be changed to be less gender stereotyped.  Ways the class came up with were to get rid of the music and lyrics, get rid of all the pink, and include a more diverse group playing with the toys, such as boys and girls and even adults.  In addition, the toy set could include things outside of the house, such as in the yard or from work.

            This assignment reminded me of the GoldieBlox &Rube Goldberg “Princess Machine” (2013) video, which can be found below.  This commercial takes the usual gender stereotypical toy commercial and turns it on its head.  Instead of girls obsessed with housework, babies, clothes, or makeup, the commercial shows girls being inventive, creative, and independent.  While playing with dolls, pretending to do housework, and etc. are all fine to do, this change up shines a positive light on what else a girl can be, thus breaking the normal stereotypes.  It allows people to be exposed to and open their mind to individuality and empowerment.

GoldieBlox &Rube Goldberg “Princess Machine” video (November 26, 2013):

Blog 6

Blog #6

Gender stereotypes are prominent throughout advertising history and still exist today.  One particular issue surrounding gender stereotyping is the continual use of the weak, passive, subservient female.  Females in advertising are also often stereotyped as objects, pretty things to look at without much beneath the surface.  Even if some strength is presented, it usually is in regards to a sexual/sensual way.

One way this stereotypical female is expressed is through her contrast with the stereotypical male.  The stereotypical male is often shown as dominant, empowered, and in control.  Males are often positioned in strong poses that enunciate their presence.  Females are usually shown submitting themselves to the males or are sexually enticing them. They are there to serve.  An example comes from the Dolce & Gabbana ad seen in class, which depicted a women lying on the ground while a group of men stood over her.

Examples of how female characters in advertisements are stereotyped as sex objects comes from Amanda Scherker’s article in The Huffington Post, titled “14 Times Women Were Sexed Up for Absolutely No Logical Reason” (2014).  In the article, such images include a sexed up female green M&M, striking a curvy pose on the ground.  She does not look the audience in the eye but instead gives a flirty look to the side.  Here, the female is literally an inanimate object is come to life, and of course has to be given a sensual flare.  Scherker also says at the beginning of the article, “Often, when images of women's bodies are used to sell products -- from cars and candy to children's toys -- it's not only offensive, but it also makes absolutely no sense” (2014, paragraph 2).  Another example in the article is an image in Details Magazine, 2009, where a naked woman is shown in the ground on all fours, like an animal, with shoes and accessories hanging off of her like she’s a piece of furniture.  She is submissive and subservient and sensual.  Her face is not even shown as all that matters in the image is her body.  Yet another example in the article is a Miller Coors ad that depicts beer in the shape of a curvy woman once again in a sexual pose: chest and butt thrust prominently out, with a short skirt riding up her thighs.

Another example is the 2015 Carl’s Jr. Super Bowl commercial that featured a nearly naked woman being ogling by men while she talks smoothly about all natural…burger.  The commercial essentially compares the woman’s body to a burger.  She is simply there to be consumed by men.  This is a very recent example of female stereotyping and shows that such objectifying of women still continues to exist.

ABC News video:

These images are a too common advertising ploy playing off of the female stereotype, where women are too easily and acceptably made into objects.  No matter the intention, this portrayal of females through advertising affects how people of all genders view and act towards women.  It affects behavior and perception in a negative way and does not help people who are trying to escape such stereotypes and stand for themselves without such judgments.

References

ABC NEWS [Video file]. (2015, January 22).  Charlotte McKinney in Carl’s Jr. Super

Bowl Ad Cooks Up Controversy.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWBB60ykAA

Scherker, Amanda. (2014, September 17). 14 Times Women Were Sexed Up for

Absolutely No Logical Reason.  The Huffington Post.  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/17/women-sexist-media_n_5792960.html

Blog Post #5

Blog #5

            A television show I am familiar with is The Big Bang Theory.  The show I’ve chosen reflects some racial and gender diversity.  The current main cast consists of four males and three females.  While the show does have some racially diverse characters, the main cast consists of all white characters except for one Indian character.  And, the primary focus of the show is on white male characters.  This lack of racial diversity can make other groups feel excluded and deemed less important, however subtle or not the message may be. The gender diversity on the other hand can be empowering.  As such, greater diversity is important in media because it can break down prior misconceptions and even maybe move people and society towards greater openness of mind and acceptance.  Positive portrayals of people of various backgrounds can positively affect society.  Television and film are very influential in particular as they are visual and audial expressions that capture a person’s mind.  They can also be shared across wide demographics and, in general, are pretty popular.

            There are various stereotypes present in the show I’ve chosen.  For example, the main female character is stereotypically portrayed as the dumb blonde from the country.  She is often shown as being intellectually and academically left out.  She is also shown as being obsessed with men and fashion.  In several shows she is seen being very flirty, overly emotional, and spends a lot of money on clothes.  Another stereotype example is the main cast’s Indian character Raj.  He is portrayed as many stereotypical foreigners/immigrants in television/film, as naïve and unaware of many American customs, as well as shy and goofy.  He also at times is shown struggling with American slang and words.  A further example is a character that only shows up once in the first season, an Asian kid who initially fits the stereotype of a super genius, academically smart, arrogant, and socially awkward.

            To prevent the portrayal of a female or ethnic minority character from being stereotypical, their backgrounds, history, and motivations could be further shown to give the characters more dimension. Their personalities could be further fleshed out and given greater depth, as in reality everyone is unique and has many layers and facets to themselves. 

Blog #4

Blog #4

It is never right to racially stereotype for advertising purposes.  All people have natural rights.  And, while there is the right of freedom of speech/expression, people more importantly have the right to be treated as humans.  No single person is superior or inferior to one another, just as no single person is perfect.  It is not right to try to profit from or manipulate people through false portrayals that depict wrongfully demeaning imagery.

Advertisers, as all human beings, have ethical responsibilities.  Advertisements can be powerful messages that can have resounding effects on many people.  Because it is such an influential media with a wide range of audiences, advertisement must be used responsibly and with proper care.  According to Jonathan Wallace and Adam Briggle in “Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations” in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (2005)

So as advertising becomes a more pronounced element of our cultural environment, the context of a global system of production causes our understanding of the goods being advertised to decline. This in turn means that we rely more heavily on regulatory agencies and advertising codes of ethics to ensure fairness and truth in advertising. (paragraph 2) 

As such, there is major reliance on the advertisers for information.  Because this information can be easily misconstrued or corrupted, advertisers have to be careful in constructing and communicating their goal.  Thus, the audience and viewers rely heavily on the advertisers’ ethics.

In addition, ethical responsibilities belong to all people.  Advertisers should not be excused to make discriminatory creations.  However, there is a difference between racism and satire and/or humor. There should be a critically thought out message when this is done, or at least an understanding.  Still, some might find this to be too much to expect, or that these standards are too idealistically based.  While possibly true, the elimination of unequal, negative messages in advertising is a positive step forward.

Racism in advertising is not a thing of the past.  So long as there are perceived differences or lack of understanding amongst people, there will be unequal, often irrational, assumptions made.  It is also clear from events in modern day that there are still unfortunate examples of racism in advertising, as well as other areas of life.  To focus in on advertising, one such example is the 2013 Mountain Dew commercial that was discussed in class.  While the intent of racism may not have been meant, it still offends viewers and can be seen as negatively regressing progress made in society, similar to the Aunt Jemima portrayals.  Another example of relatively recent advertising, according to Oliver Ryan on CNN Money in 2006 (article here: http://money.cnn.com/blogs/browser/2006/07/sony-psp-ads-spark-cries-of-racism.html), is when Sony released ads for its PSP device that featured billboards with the words “PlayStation Portable White is coming” and a picture of a white women grabbing a black woman by her face.  Also, if one were to Google “Racist Ads,” numerical lists would immediately pop up of racist ads ranging from today to 2013 to early 2000s and so on.  It is clear that racism has not been completely removed.

References

ABC NEWS [Video file]. (2013, May 2). Mountain Dew 'Racist' Commercial: Pepsi

Pulls Goat Ad Dubbed, "Most Racist Commercial Ever'.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdFRWf-CNC8

Ryan, O. (2006, July 5).  Sony PSP ads spark cries of racism.  CNN Money.  Retrieved

from http://money.cnn.com/blogs/browser/2006/07/sony-psp-ads-spark-cries-of-racism.html

Wallace, J., & Briggle, A. (2005). Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations. In C.

Mitcham (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Vol. 1, pp. 18-23). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=&displayGroups=&sortBy=&zid=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3434900028&source=Bookmark&u=san13255&jsid=de90f804436258eb5f99408330427207