You Can Forget About your Worth When you Turn On your TV: Sexist Advertising, a Mama's Response

Another "sidetrack" blog during my "Count Down to 'Gorgeously Green'."

What kind of feminist mama would I be if I failed to bring attention to the appalling misogyny/misandrony of mass media advertising? Here is a link to Bitch Magazine's top sexist ad's on their: Mad World: The Most Sexist Ad in America blog post, as well as a few others I'd like to see featured. Watch 'em and weep, mamas. Or better yet, watch 'em and take action!





Don't even get me started on how disgusting this advertisement is. I am all for female athletes in advertising. Hell, I'm all for female athletes in general. But using them to sell sex as they clean men's "sports" balls and "ball sacks" while the men in the audience stand up one by one proclaiming "will you wash my balls?" is degrading, dehumanizing, and just down right abhorrent. Something needs to be done about this and quick. I for one will be boycotting all Unliever products, including Dove, in protest of their sexist advertising, not to mention the environmental damage they dole out with their products.


 

There are so many things wrong with this ad, I am at a loss as to where I should begin. First of all, a little disclaimer. I like beer. No, scratch that, I love beer. There isn't much I enjoy more than spending a nice evening in when Elliott is with a sitter and cracking open a cold Portland microbrew (like Hopworks Urban Brewery, or Rogue), and enjoying the heck out of it. With my love of beer aside, this advertisement makes me want to hurl. Or punch the guy who wrote it. Okay, maybe a little bit of both. 

Now, I know that beer advertising has never been particularly feminist, or even very woman friendly, but this one particularly gets my feminist panties in a bunch, and I'll tell you why. 

1) First of all, it is the idea that only men know how to drink "real beers",  and that women are just a bunch of fake beer drinking wusses. I, for one, am a clear debunker of this myth, and I'm sorry, drinking beer does not make you a "man".

2) Second, is the idea that there is nothing more degrading to a man than being called a woman, or even being compared to one for that matter. This perpetrates the idea that women are dirty, shameful, and above all else, second class to men in this world. It also says that in order to be a "man" you must do "manly" things, like drink beer, degrade women, and be an overall jerk. This to me is not only sexist towards women, but sexist towards men as well. I can tell you that my life partner is a "real man" without degrading women, or living up to unattainable masculine standards. My husband enjoys football, just as much as he enjoys the theater, and breaks gender norms everywhere he goes. All while being a "real man". A real man to me, is a man who lives his life not letting society tell him what that means, yet rather going out into the world and defining it for himself.

3) Lastly, if you want to drink a "real beer", please don't drink miller lite. It tastes awful, and it isn't a local or sustainable brew. And trust me, local, sustainable beers just taste better, all sans woman hating advertising. I for one, don't want, or need, the bitter aftertaste of oppression in my brews.


In Christ,
HipMama


Ps. I am sorry if this post turned a tad ranty, advertising has just really been getting to me lately. Thank goodness we ditched the TV!