Sexism in Ads
Study Case 1
One of the corporations that have been on the wrong side for advocating for sexism in their ads his KFC. On several occasions throughout history, KFC has been on the receiving end for claims of sexism in their ads, a recent one being in January this year. In the 15-seconds ad, a young woman, the primary character in the ad, is seen to lean over to look at her scantly clothed body on a car window and even goes to the extent of adjusting her cleavage in the reflection. While she is at it, the window rolls down to reveal a rather disgusted woman and her two sons who seem to be staring clumsily at the lady’s burst (Mazzoni, 2020). This is followed by the phrase “Did someone say KFC?” the ad was meant to advertise the famous Zinger box, one of the products sold by the fast-food store.
The main character in the ad, the young woman, plays the active role in the ad, being that she is the center of attraction in the ad and seeing that she utters the only words in the ad, while the mother and her sons play the passive roles in the ad. While the fast-food giant tried to explain the relevance of each character in the ad, a majority of women’s rights group members understood the ad as to refer to the stereotypical ideology that objectifies young boys as objects of male sexual satisfaction (Mazzoni, 2020). Objectifying women as sources of male sexual satisfaction has been listed as one of the contributing factors towards mistreatment directed towards women. In addition to that, the ad portrays women as objects of sexual satisfaction, whose primary role is to please the men (O’Barr, 2014).
Study Case 2
In what was meant to be a feminist campaign, the Russian branch of the legacy athletic footwear Reebok found its self on the wrong side of social media when its ad was taken to be sexist. The ad belonging to the “Be More Human” campaign featured Zalina Marshenkulova, the founder of women empowerment Telegram Channel. One of her slogans in the ad stated: “Get off the needle of men’s approval – sit on a man’s face.” This was met by a lot of backlash from the footwear enthusiasts on social media who found the advert extraordinarily offensive and sexist (Sputniknews, 2019).
In the ad, which takes women to be the main character, was meant to advertise their wide range of workout footwear for women. The active members in the ad are famous actors and athletes who were photographed wearing the different footwear made by the footwear giant. The ad portrays women as being superior to men, and the phrase “sit on a man’s face” meant undermining the male gender. Additionally, women are portrayed as the problem solvers while men are illustrated as being the problem (Sputniknews, 2019). The ad was understood by many as advocating for the stereotypical phrase, what men can do women can do better.
Additionally, Marshenkulova’s provocative slogan was interpreted as being designed to undermine male gender. Even though the message was meant to be a positive one, the interpretation by the public led to the wrong message being put across. Therefore, the firm had to render its apologies for it and even take down some of the photos posted on its social media platforms that were considered to be offensive (O’Barr, 2014).
Case Study 3
In 2011, Mr. Clean was in the spotlight because of its suggestive advertisement that objectified women as being responsible for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in the house, a stereotypical ideology supported by backward minded individuals (Bedros, 2016). The ad shows a mother and her daughter in a cheerful mood holding on to a sponge made by Mr. Clean. The text used in the ad, “This Mother’s Day, get back to the job that really matters.” Links women to household chores, and the fact that it describes household chores as the job that matters, means that based on stereotypical thinking, the only job that women should do is household chores (Bedros, 2016). In addition to that, the phrase implies that women should only focus on being housewives, and the fact that it linked cleaning to Mother’s Day means that the primary role of women is cleaning and undertaking household chores.
On top of that, the advert illustrates women clad in white clothing to mean women are defined by household labor. Furthermore, since the clothes are white, it means that the society expects women to be clean, pure and innocent, ideologies that are typically fronted by the color white not to mention how the color variations in the ad suggest that it was explicitly meant for women (O’Barr, 2014). Finally, the fact that the ad involves a mother and her daughter implies that society expects women to have and maintain a household shores mentality from a young age. Stereotypical communities expect women to start showing interest in household chores at a young age. This is the kind of mentality that the ad puts across.
In conclusion, the society that we live in is based on stereotypical individuals who think and believe that the different genders in society are cut for specific roles in society. Traditionally, it was believed that men were the head of the community, and women were meant to always play subordinate to these men even in oppressive situations. However, society has changed based on the fight to change such stereotypical mentalities. Gender equality is slowly becoming the norm the world over through these fights against gender stereotypes (O’Barr, 2014).
References
Bedros, M. (2016). Gender Analysis of Mr. Clean Advertisement. Marina’s Chronicles. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://marilinabedros.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/gender-analysis-of-mr-clean-advertisement/
Mazzoni, A. (2020). KFC ad showing young boys gawking at a busty woman adjusting her cleavage is slammed by feminist group as ‘sexist’ and ‘tacky’ for reinforcing ‘archaic stereotypes.’ Mail Online. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7909641/KFC-ad-busty-woman-adjusting-cleavage-slammed-sexist-tacky.html
O’Barr, W. M. (2014). “Representations of Masculinity and Femininity in Advertisements.” Advertising & Society Review. Fountainhead Press, 2014. 7.2: n. pag. Web. 18 Feb 2016. Rpt. In (Re)writing Communities and Identities. Ed. Cynthia Debes et al. Southlake, TX: 68-92.
Sputniknews. (2019). Reebok Russia Faces Backlash Over Sexist ‘Face-Sitting’ Ad. [online]. Retrieved from https://sputniknews.com/viral/201902081072251811-reebok-russia-sexist-ad/