Advertising... screwing the message

[TheEarl]

Yes... I can see that. The second part of your response interests me, and I framed it in my opening post, why do women agree to do this? I know all of the obvious reasons, monetary, and all its ramifications is the key, but I'm still curious. Do women divorce themselves from the message (treated as objects, property and brainless toilet scrubbers), or do they unconiously, or, heaven forbid, willingly, project the message.

Hold up. Do the men in the advertisements mind that they're being portrayed as bumbling incompetent fools in a large proportion of advertisements? Do they mind that quite often they're called upon to portray a man who's nothing without his high-performance car/razor/toothbrush/haemorroid cream?

Advertising plays off stereotypes on a regular basis. Women don't get all the short end of the stick.

The Earl

 

[neonlyte]

If you're an actress, you gotta make a living. Some willingly project the message - see Paris Hilton in those Burger King ads - but most just divorce themselves from the message.

Actresses have long complained about the lack of good roles for women in movies and television. They've long complained about women in bikinis being used to sell everything from beer to burgers. The lovely ladies dancing and prancing at the Auto Shows are well aware of their status.

The women watching all the commercials about shiny floors and spotless ovens know they have a lot more on their minds than those darned scuff marks on the kitchen floor, but it's not like they're going to go around boycotting - they've got better things to do.

<sigh> I guess your right. In UK boycott energy is largely saved for for furry things or anything with flippers, I jest, but I'm sure you get the point. In Portugal, where I spend at least half my time, women don't even know they are allowed to boycott. This works bothways, they ignore the obvious, that they are largely second class citizens, but project the image of being at the centre of the family. I sometimes think men here, for all their macho presentation, are actually on a long leash, one they do not see.

Give you an example, the young female architect who works with me receives calls from her boyfriend. It's 'control' she tells me, he's just checking in.

 

[Recidiva]

Hold up. Do the men in the advertisements mind that they're being portrayed as bumbling incompetent fools in a large proportion of advertisements? Do they mind that quite often they're called upon to portray a man who's nothing without his high-performance car/razor/toothbrush/haemorroid cream?

Advertising plays off stereotypes on a regular basis. Women don't get all the short end of the stick.

The Earl

This is true. There are tons of ad campaigns for cooking, in the vein of "So simple even a man can operate it" and they're offensive to me.

I think guys are portrayed a lot more often in a negative way than women, from commercials to sitcoms.

 

[neonlyte]

This is true. There are tons of ad campaigns for cooking, in the vein of "So simple even a man can operate it" and they're offensive to me.

I think guys are portrayed a lot more often in a negative way than women, from commercials to sitcoms.

Yet 99% of cooking programmes are about male chefs.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

This is true. There are tons of ad campaigns for cooking, in the vein of "So simple even a man can operate it" and they're offensive to me.

I think guys are portrayed a lot more often in a negative way than women, from commercials to sitcoms.

And yet to me, they work in my advantage, when I come across as competent, intelligent, sweet and not a jerk, because they are so few of that kind portrayed in mass media in general, I look like a rare treasure.

 

[zeb1094]

BAM!!​

 

[angelicminx]

I have one for you, from the opposite end, that I found a little offensive. It's for Walmart. The add where the cartoon characters for the new movie being advertised (I forgot which one) change the man's list to needing 28 Jerzee T-shirts. The kid says something about them being comfortable, but is Dad sure he wants 28 of them. Dad says it's on Mom's list. The cartoon animals mention that it only works on the males. I'm sorry, but I thought it was wrong.

 

[Recidiva]

And yet to me, they work in my advantage, when I come across as competent, intelligent, sweet and not a jerk, because they are so few of that kind portrayed in mass media in general, I look like a rare treasure.

Well, that's also because you ARE, competent, intelligent, sweet, and not a jerk.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

I have one for you, from the opposite end, that I found a little offensive. It's for Walmart. The add where the cartoon characters for the new movie being advertised (I forgot which one) change the man's list to needing 28 Jerzee T-shirts. The kid says something about them being comfortable, but is Dad sure he wants 28 of them. Dad says it's on Mom's list. The cartoon animals mention that it only works on the males. I'm sorry, but I thought it was wrong.

More stereotyping at work. Women clean, shop, and care for kids. Men make major purchasing decisions (cars, houses, etc.). Girls play with dolls. Boys play with "action figures." I think it all boils down to whom the product/service is aimed at.

 

[Guest]

.....

 

[matriarch]

A recent TV advertisment in misguided macho deluding Iberia runs as follows.

Shot from the inside of the house, a father answers the door. On the doorstep is a young man carrying a young woman in the traditional 'bride over the threshold' pose.

He tells her baffled father 'he's returning her, she's not what he expected', the young woman wears a resigned expression.

The shot cuts away to the smiling happy young man walking away from the house, down the drive to where his shiny new car is parked, with the caption 'Test Drive Before You Buy.'




Would you buy a car from this company? If you are a woman, would you agree to take part in this advert, monetary consideration apart.

Vauxhall are doing a whole series of them, Neon.

The first I saw was a legionnaire in the French Foreign Leigion, cutting away from exercises, and goes up to his sergeant, saying he's been there 3 days and its not what he really wanted, can he leave?

The second is a prisoner in an obviously American Jail, calling over the guard, saying he's done 3 days and he's not happy with the outcome, what are the chances of high security.

Both commercials then cut to a picture of a Vauxhall car on the open roads, with a similar message, take the car out for a 3 day trial before committing yourself.

I haven't seen the one you are talking about. I think I'd probably laugh at it the same as I did with the others. *shrug*

 

[TheEarl]

Vauxhall are doing a whole series of them, Neon.

The first I saw was a legionnaire in the French Foreign Leigion, cutting away from exercises, and goes up to his sergeant, saying he's been there 3 days and its not what he really wanted, can he leave?

That was the one I was attempting to refer to earlier! Thanks Mat.

It probably says a lot that I remembered the advertisement, but not which car it was for.

The Earl

 

[Recidiva]

There are other examples that have me scratching my head. A local motorcycle dealer has a billboard that says

"So, do you have to ask your wife for permission first?"

Or something of that sort.

It's offensive to the target audience (which I'm not)

But they probably wouldn't have it up there if it didn't resonate with a large part of the people they're trying to reach.

Since motorcycles can be considered a rebellious, lawless sort of symbol to some, that's their hook. To me it reads "Welcome to your mid life crisis!"

 

[Guest]

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[Recidiva]

Is it really offensive? To who? The man wanting a motorcycle? It simply asks him to examine what kind of man he is. I take no offense to that.

Well, as a wife I'd consult my spouse before making any major purchase.

I'd expect him to do the same.

That's basic good manners in my book, not something that diminishes your manliness.

 

[Liar]

Yet 99% of cooking programmes are about male chefs.

According to my tableau, that's an extreme exaggeration. But yes, men dominate the chef image in the media. (3 out of 4, perhaps? But on the channels I can get, it seems to be about equal.) But, men also dominate the chef profession those people come from.

 

[neonlyte]

According to my tableau, that's an extreme exaggeration. But yes, men dominate the chef image in the media. (3 out of 4, perhaps? But on the channels I can get, it seems to be about equal.) But, men also dominate the chef profession those people come from.

Yeh... an exaggeration 75% is probably closer. I was exercising my male right to be provocative.

 

[tolyk]

My responce to any thing that I find offensive at first glance is to switch out the roles. As someone said, have the woman carrying the man to the door and then driving off. I take a second look at my created version and see if I'm still offended or just handling the shock value poorly.

This commercial, though it doesn't offend me, probably wouldn't make me laugh either. I see it as others have explained it, a jab at marriage, not at women because it would be the exact same thing if it were a woman carrying a man.

 

[JamesSD]

Would you buy a car from this company? If you are a woman, would you agree to take part in this advert, monetary consideration apart.

Car ads usually are tremendously dull, so I'll give partial credit to any company that actually tries to be creative.

I guess it depends if you interpret the message as cheeky or more literal. Humor, as we all know, is a very subjective thing.