To
what extent does consumer media and advertising promote and enforce female
gender stereotypes?
Popular culture, in particular
western culture, promotes the consumption of goods and services to an
ever-increasing degree. Due to free market economics and trade competition,
suppliers are forced to utilise marketing and advertising strategies in order to
sell more stock which, in turn, will increase the profit margin and market
share of the supplier. Being that global markets are so competitive, and with
the rise in emphasis put on brand identity, companies are turning to ever more
focussed advertising campaigns. Because advertising looks at a consumer base or
target market as a whole, as opposed to a group of individuals, there is a lot
that is assumed and/or misconcluded. It is much easier to target a stereotype
than to appeal to each individual preference or desire. This compound targeting
does, however, have a serious impact on the general public’s perceptions of
social and gender groups and can be seen to ‘relax’ negative attitudes towards
stereotyping.
While certain gender roles are
commonly accepted in society, there has, in the past 100 years, been a
considerable shift towards gender equality. The sexual objectification of
women, while still very apparent, is more commonly noticed and recognised as a
negative and harmful portrayal. Due to aggressive advertising campaigns,
however, many stereotypes are overlooked or simply not recognised as being
negative. This essay seeks to identify and expose the less obvious female
gender stereotypes. It aims to critically analyse stereotypes in line with the
extent to which they are promoted and targeted in advertising and consumer
media.
In a progressive 21st
century society one would expect to see women and men working and living
cooperatively and equally, both sharing roles and responsibilities, where
warranted and appropriate. A man is just as capable at cooking, cleaning and
looking after children, as a woman is being the sole earner or handyman. It is
commonplace today that men and women raise children alone or never marry and so
it is clear that each sex can operate the same basic lifestyle without having
to rely on the role of the other. Yet the marketing strategies of various major
cosmetic and domestic companies maintain the portrayal of those exact
stereotypes. They assume that, because a large percentage of women are
‘housewives’, all must be. And so advertising campaigns evolve to become
aggressive in the promotion of the stereotype in order to sell the product.
“In the 50s women were constantly
brainwashed by ads, movies and vulagrized psychoanalysis to stay at home and be
happy housewives.” (Watkins, Rueda & Rodriguez 1992, p.97)
Although older methods of
persuasion are more blatant by today’s standard, the same bombardment of
‘appropriate’ gender roles is still experienced and taken heed of.
(See Fig.1 for reference to advert)
Fig.1 refers to an advert for
‘Cillit Band – Universal Degreaser’, a domestic cleaning product. The product
is introduced by Barry Scott; a loud and, almost, aggressive sounding man who
shouts a script at the camera. The advert then shows testimonials from ‘real’
customers (paid actors) who proceed to explain how amazing and helpful the
product is, while demonstrating its use in the home. Apart from the brand man,
there is no mention/depiction of any male involvement with the product, and
only women are seen to be using it. Even with smiles and positive attitudes,
the jobs the female actors are enacting look arduous and degrading.
“And women raising kids while
depending economically on men are made to feel they are not proper human
beings.” (Watkins, Rueda & Rodriguez 1992, p.148)
Watkins indicates the true
oppression behind domestic work, outlining the difficulty in maintaining a
household for a family. The advert ignores this and, instead, portrays tasks
like washing the dishes, or cleaning surfaces, as fun and enjoyable. While most
viewers, subconsciously, recognise how tiring these tasks can be, the strength
of visual persuasion seen in the advert can result a false sense of inspiration
in the audience.
Because people are more globally
connected and aware, scepticism is a common response to a lot of data
presented. Modern advertising attempts to avoid this by using survey/sample
data collected, usually, from selected focus groups. These groups tend to fit a
product’s target market and so often provide the answers a company is looking
for. Furthermore, the number of individuals included to make up statistics is,
generally, a small percentage of the given figure, meaning that a lot of
‘facts’ presented in adverts are largely assumed or averaged. This is apparent
in the Cillit Bang advert as the presenter states that ‘over a million women
around the UK are at it’. Although the small print indicates that the survey
used to gather the data only asked 10,000 households.
“…the broad division between…paid
work and unpaid family labour is usually based on gender, and even where women
participate in the labour market women and girls are still responsible for the
bulk of unpaid housework.” (Andermahr, Lovell & Wolkowitz 2000, p.68)
This division of labour is
unbalanced and, while more males are taking the roles of the housekeeper, many
women are still the sole carers for a home. This does not, however, justify the
targeting of women, solely, for domestic products.
A further example, present in the
advert, of gender stereotyping for product sales is the depiction of the female
actors as ‘show horses for the product. While a man presents the advert (an
indication of male dominance in commerce), women are involved to ‘model’ the
product and demonstrate is use.
“Interestingly, a classy young lady
is likely to be in the picture adding her approval of the product and herself
to its ambience, whether the product be floor mops, insecticides…” (Goffman
1979, p.26)
As Goffman indicates; the use of
women to model products is a common tool within advertising, and can be seen as
both degrading and objectifying. In this sense it is clear that the involvement
of women, in this way, communicates the idea that they are there to look pretty
and to promote goods. This is a clear example of how female gender stereotypes
are being enforced through the media.
Opposing this concept, but still
promoting gender roles, the 2012 ‘Cif’ advert uses other tactics to attempt to
mask the enforcement of gender roles through, supposedly, glorifying the
domestic experience.
(See Fig.2 for reference to advert)
The advert, set in a fairy-tale
kingdom, tells the brief story of a woman, disguised as a knight, saving the
palace from dirty surfaces. Post her successful cleaning demonstration she
reveals her true identity, only to be crowned queen of the land (or rather
queen of cleaning). The advert first presents stereotyped gender roles through
the depiction of various males failing to clean the cauldron, because,
apparently, men are incapable of cleaning. They are, however, still very
capable of dictating the task to everyone else, as seen with the moustached
squire ordering everyone else around. ‘A Glossary of Feminist Theory’ explains
that
“…through ‘FAMILIAL EXPLOITATION’
the labour of women-as-wives was exploited and appropriated by male household
members.” (Andermahr, Lovell & Wolkowitz 2000, p.69)
The advert attempts to disguise the
male dominance through the female character being dressed as a knight. While
this could be seen to break down perceived gender roles, one could also
interpret the ad as promoting the patriarchy more so. The idea that the woman
has to dress as a knight to first be considered for the cleaning job is,
itself, an indication of gender inequality. Additionally, the fact that the
knight, who then reveals herself as a woman, is the only individual who can
succeed in cleaning enforces the false perception of only the female sex being
good at cleaning.
Once complete, the knight takes of
her helmet to reveal her true sex, to which the audience is then surprised
about. She proceeds to clean the rest of the castle with ease, due to the help
of ‘Cif’, and is ‘rewarded’ by being crowned queen. This advertising technique
can be seen as misleading to the audience because, although it appears as
though the female character as gained reward for her triumph, in reality she
has been crowned ‘queen of cleaning’. This juxtaposition of royalty and servant
can confuse the audience and invite them to believe that the woman has been
truly rewarded whereas, in reality, she is still the cleaner. “Housework is work directly opposed to the
possibility of human self-actualization.” (Oakley 1974, p.222)
While it
could be argued that the crowning of the character is meant as praise for women
who clean, why then disguise her as a man? Conversely, why could the cleaning character
not have actually been a man? The advert masks the multiple gender stereotypes
it promotes through its uplifting animation and light-hearted tone of voice.
Ann Oakley makes the point that such work, whether done by a man or woman,
tends to be tiring and, to an extent, prevents self-progression.
The advert
then proceed to address the target market (while depicting a woman in the
kitchen), stating that ‘Cif’ will enable you to ‘clean all the things you never
though you could’. As though all women think about is what they can and can’t
clean, spending days pondering on how to remove tough stains around the house.
‘Cif’ enforces the idea that only women are capable of cleaning, and that men
are hopeless, but then goes on to indicate that, without the product, even
women are incapable of cleaning.
This
tactic of falsified praise followed by an adverts indication that one cannot
actually complete the task without the relevant product is another common ploy
used in advertising. Take the ‘Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Puddings’ advert, for
example.
(See Fig.3
for reference to advert)
The advert
shows two old ladies spying on a new neighbour who, before their eyes, is
managing the mammoth task of working and cooking tea for her kids. While
observing through binoculars, they notice she has also included Yorkshire
puddings in the meal and become even more bewildered as to how she could
possibly have managed to prepare such a meal while having picked her kids up
from school (clearly she didn’t as the advert is promoting Yorkshire puddings).
One of the two women then proceed to faint because she simply can’t believe how
what she’s witnessing is achievable, even though millions of single and married
mums and dads manage to juggle work and family without ‘Aunt Bessie’ every day.
“Gender
Segregation refers to the concentration of men and women in different
occupations, workplaces and sectors and is crucial in understanding the
persistence of gender inequality in employment.” (Andermahr, Lovell
& Wolkowitz 2000, p.105)
The advert enforces such
segregation on multiple levels and does so with full disregard for the
stereotypes it promotes, and the offence it may cause. There is no mention,
whatsoever, of a male presence (minus the children) in the advert. This may be
due to the mother being single, or the father being at work, yet the advert
still assumes that it would only ever be a woman’s job to pick up the kids and
make their tea. It is usually the case that advertisers target only women when
promoting domestic products, and so tend to only depict women in the adverts.
Goffman considers the few occasions that men are included in such adverts and
how they are involved, stating that
“One answer…is to picture the male
engaged in no contributing role at all, in this way avoiding either
subordination or contamination with a ‘female’ task”. (Goffman 1979, p.36)
While this
is usually the case in adverts that involve male characters, the ‘Aunt
Bessie’s’ ad has simply eluded any mention at all. There is, however, a
definite need to praise single mothers who manage to raise kids and work at the
same time, but there is also that need with single fathers. The advert doesn’t
really praise mums; rather it presents quite a patronising view that women can
really manage without the product.
The advert
is concluded with the strap line: ‘get a helping hand; from Aunt Bessie’s’ as
though women can’t really cope with cooking tea without the extensive help of
frozen Yorkshire puddings. This is a common trait in this sort of advert
because companies want to enforce the necessity of their product to the
consumer’s life. Usually, the strap line is voiced in a light hearted and
inviting tone of voice to lull the audience into a false sense of security,
diverting their realisation that the product only really furthers the
oppression women, and limits the acceptability of men in a domestic role.
While many
adverts present an intended scene stereotypically, some make an attempt to move
away from the usual storyline. This is usually done to disguise the involvement
of stereotypes in the advert. ‘Ecover’ attempt to make a shift from the common
style with a fresh, lively, and hippy looking advert that truly depicts the joy
one can receive from washing the dishes. They go so far as to even include a
male figure in the advert, albeit for half a second.
(See Fig.4
for reference to advert)
The
advert, backed by James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’, shows a number of scenes, in and
around domestic settings, of young and attractive women frolicking/dancing with
their kids and cleaning equipment while doing the dishes. The apparent message
is that, with ‘Ecover’, all those arduous domestic chores become uplifting and
positive events enjoyed by the whole family. This sexual objectification seems
misplaced due to the fact that the advert appears to target women, yet it uses
attractive models to promote the product. Possibly an attempt to extend the
feminist ‘vibe’ of the advert, such involvement only really adds to the
falseness of the ad.
"everywhere, it seems,
feminist ideas have become a kind of common sense, yet feminism has never been
more bitterly repudiated.” (Gill
2006, p.1)
Gill sheds
true light on this concept of falsified feminism used to promote a product.
This advertising tactic leads women to believe that the company and product are
on their side, and for the progression to gender equality whereas, in reality,
the same basic shots of women doing all the housework are seen throughout.
Having
shown a number of scenes of young women splashing each other in few clothes and
dancing around, the advert voices the line ‘however you clean…’ addressing the
target market of women. This blatant assumption that all women clean, along
with ignoring the fact that men also clean, is a much more subtle and
subconscious promotion of female gender stereotypes. In ‘Feminism for
Beginners’ Watkins talks about how
“Men can
claim to play a greater role in parenting today, but 90% of all childcare still
rests on women’s backs” (Watkins, Rueda & Rodriguez 1992, p.148)
The
accuracy and credibility of the statistic provided is highly questionable, yet
the point still remains that women do account for a greater percentage of
domestic work. While this is true, the men that do contribute should be
recognised and targeted also, not because they deserve greater praise, but
because the targeting, solely of women, by domestic product adverts only
further predicates such stereotypical gender roles. The fact that the media
send such strong messages to males and females about the sorts of gender roles
commonly accepted only serves to perpetuate them further.
Being that
“Ecover’ is an ecologically considered product manufactured with regard to the
environment and pollution it is promoted in a very liberal, eco-friendly tone
of voice. This style is also mimicked in the way the advert addresses the
audience, involving a liberal sounding woman with a joyful voice who clearly
cant get enough of washing the pots. It could be construed that the advertiser
uses this tactic to further mask the stereotypes illustrated and promoted
within the advert; giving a false sense of the company’s open-mindedness.
It is true
that the world today is a more gender equal place. Women have many more
opportunities, personally and professionally, along with many more rights.
Similarly, it is much more acceptable for men to work domestically and as
housekeepers. It can be seen that there is a much more even crossover between
gender roles and there is a much greater recognition and opposition towards
sexual inequality. Sexual objectification is more highly recognised and
challenged meaning women are more freely able to live their lives without fear
of being materialised. Yet, every day, people witness such severe and
entrenched gender role enforcement without even noticing it. It is still
commonly accepted, by both sexes, that men take the role of being the earner,
while women look after children, cook meals, and maintain the household.
The
constant addressing and depiction of women as the only sex to be involved in
cleaning, cooking, and childcare by domestic products companies serves to
familiarise the public with this image. The audience, men and women alike, see
a woman promoting toilet cleaner on the television, or voicing the benefits of
a new vacuum cleaner on the radio, and recognise it as the standard. This then
leads people to enact what they see in real life, continuing to conform to the
same gender roles apparent over 1000 years ago.
The
consumer society we live in dictates that, to maximise sales, a target market
should be established and promotion should then be concentrated on that group.
People neglect the fact that such groups, in reality, involve a whole range of
individuals and only recognise the group. Advertising and consumer media
enforce the group mentality, not only to increase sales, but also to make the
public believe in such groups and their relevant roles so that people maintain
their patterns of spending. It can,
therefore, be concluded that, due to the nature of advertising, and the way
that gender roles are depicted and targeted, advertising and consumer media
enforce female gender stereotypes to a serious extent.
Final Word
Count: 2982 words.
Bibliography.
1. Watkins,
S.A., Rueda, M. and RodrÃguez, M. (1994) Feminism
for Beginners /, Cambridge: Icon Books.
2. Figure
1 – Cillit Bang Ad – A Million Women Are
At It 2008, Video, JesusCaine, 3 March, Viewed 2 April 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1NE9Sgoa2I>.
3. Andermahr,
S., Lovell, T. and Wolkowitz, C. (2000). A
Glossary of Feminist Theory /. London: Hodder Arnold.
4. Goffman,
E. (1979). Gender Advertisements.
USA: Harper & Row Publishers.
5. Figure
2 – Cif – The Cauldron and the Crown 2012
(UK), Video, HallOfAdvertising, 12 October, Viewed 4 April 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-I1BKmKo80>.
6. Oakley,
A. (1974). Housewife. London: Penguin
Books Ltd.
7. Figure
3 – Aunt Bessie’s ‘Yorkshire Puddings’
Advert 2009, Video, utalkmarketing1, 6 October, Viewed 4 April 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfxPliU4WvY>.
8. Figure
4 – Ecover TV Advert – Feel Good Cleaning
2012, Video, EcoverUK, 5 January, Viewed 15 April 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTyad_vexw>.
9. Gill,
R. (2007). Gender and the Media.
Cambridge: Polity Press.
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