The video, “If Women’s Roles in Ads Were Played by Men”, explores role reversal in advertisements. Usually, the woman is portrayed as inferior, vying for male attention. An example of this is the Doritos commercial. The woman is competing against a football game for the attention of her significant other and decides to cover her naked body in Doritos to get the attention. Other times, she is alone. In a Carl’s Jr. advertisement, the model is alone and posing provocatively, nearly naked. This gives the male viewer a sense of power, as learned about with the gaze. The third commercial in the video is the infamous GoDaddy ad with Bar Refaeli and Danica Patrick. This commercial portrays the “hot girl nerdy guy” trope.
If the commercials were role reversed, they would tell a different story. A man would never be portrayed as competing for the attention of his girlfriend while she’s watching a football game. In fact, a woman is rarely shown watching any kind of sporting event on television. A man would never be alone on a beach sexualizing a burger in a swimsuit. It is humorous to think of those images. So why is it that women are portrayed in such an inferior and sexualized manner? It is the way the advertising has been for decades because “sex sells” and these commercials make the man feel powerful. It gives off the idea that men are valued more as people in society, whereas women are valued for their bodies and beauty not as a whole person.
If the commercials were role reversed, they would tell a different story. A man would never be portrayed as competing for the attention of his girlfriend while she’s watching a football game. In fact, a woman is rarely shown watching any kind of sporting event on television. A man would never be alone on a beach sexualizing a burger in a swimsuit. It is humorous to think of those images. So why is it that women are portrayed in such an inferior and sexualized manner? It is the way the advertising has been for decades because “sex sells” and these commercials make the man feel powerful. It gives off the idea that men are valued more as people in society, whereas women are valued for their bodies and beauty not as a whole person.
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ReplyDeleteI agree, it has become very usually and common to see women in these roles. I believe commercials are starting to show more men in them, however it's still not to the extent that women are used. Also men are not seen on billboards unless it's an ad for something like beer.
ReplyDeleteIt would be strange to see men in barely any clothes, posing sexually but why is it okay for women?
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see the roles reversed, and the reactions of people who view it. Our generation in particular has become so used to seeing women in a sexual manner and men in a masculine, business manner that it no longer surprises us. But when the roles change, people notice.
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