Stereotypes are everywhere. Good or bad, it seems as though we as a society can not escape being categorized in some type of classification. The media reinforces these stereotypical images in every way possible. Whether it’s the news, sitcom, magazine, or the ads in which you’re exposed, stereotypes are there and they shaping the minds of our society. Stereotypes are teaching young children that generalizations are now absolute truth.
Being an advertising major I watched the superbowl commercials intently, actually that was the entire reason for me to watch. I thought the ads were pretty good this year; clever, funny and extremely expensive. But the ads, without a doubt, used stereotypical emphasis to get their message across to the audience. One particular ad emphasized the stereotypical personality of a woman and the relationship she has with her husband. The ad was for Bridgestone and featured Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. The ad was meant to show the high performance level of Bridgestone tires, but in reality they portray a common stereotype of men and women. Mrs. Potato Head is shown nagging her husband, talking erratically, and worrying about her appearance while her husband is driving. When Mr. Potato Head almost looses control of the vehicle Mrs. Potato Head’s mouth falls of the cliff, all the while she continues to nag as her mouth falls. Mr. Potato Head gets a chuckle out of the loss of his wife’s mouth; now she won’t be able to nag about his driving. This ad portrayed the stereotype that men overpower women.
I think most ads use some type of stereotype. Ads are trying to do one thing; sell a product. Why wouldn’t they focus on an image that most people believe even if it isn’t true?
This ad used a stereotype, it didn’t harm me and it didn’t even offend me, but when will we decide to look beyond a stereotype and start saying and selling the truth?
This is a refreshing thought from an advertising major. I agree with you about the ad. I watched the commercials as well and agree that this stereotype is too often found and what even bothers me more is that it is found to be funny on almost every attempt. I am a married woman and I hate those stereotypes. I think that concern in a marriage is a serious topic and I do believe that is personal. I am not saying that a married couple cannot be a funny way to sell advertising effectively. A great example of picking fun at a married couple in an ad is the valentines card ad with the musical card. The couple is sitting in the car and the woman gives her husband a musical Valentine’s Day card. The card plays a rock song and the couple begins to reminisce about when they met at a rock concert. Then they come back to reality and begin making out. This is a great example of a way to use a marriage as humor without being offensive to one gender or the other. I love this commercial. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdZ6i95UAA&feature=related
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this particular post. I admit that I love funny commercials and I do tend to laugh at ones that contain relationship humor. I did see this commercial during the Superbowl, and although I found it to be comical, I also found it to be degrading towards women and very stereotypical.
ReplyDeleteI think that women need to be taught from an early age to always remember to be themselves. With advertisements, such as the Potato Head ad, women are looked down upon by being too this and too that. Women are always categorized with nagging and annoying while men are looked at as the power and control in relationships. We do not need to be teaching this to our daughters or our sons. Men need to learn to respect all women for who they are and women need to learn to respect themselves.
I agree that stereotypes are all around us and don't seem to be fading out anytime soon. I think society relies on stereotypes and would be lost and confused without them. Focusing on stereotypes is a way we all socialize with one another. Such as the Mr. Potato Head commercial during the Super Bowl. That commercial was voted in the top ten on most web sites and definitely made me and my friends laugh and socialize about the ad. With out the stereotype of relationships that it uses, there would be no socialization between friends or even acquaintances. Although I believe this in today's society, I do not feel it is the right way to go about things. We need to start breaking away from these stereotypes and not be afraid to face truth. However, it will definitely take some time and some courageous individuals to break away from society. But hopefully we will be able to socialize and express ourselves only using the truth.
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