Sexist Selling

Hello <3 

The media is one of the largest social concepts in the world, as it influences children and adults alike with what is acceptable and what isn't. Through the informative pieces that edify specifically how the media commits these sexists actions are with Gender Roles in Media and Culture in Advertisements 

as these articles have gone deeper into the stereotyping of commercials and exactly how they may affect the perspectives of most.

In the article, Gender Roles in Media, the author gives multiple examples of how stereotypes are enforced not through commercials but in ordinary movies and tv shows that most don't see the harm in. The author, Lantagne, uses the female lead Penny in the television show of The Big Bang Theory as she carries many of the stereotypical characteristics such as being aloof and attractive but she exists solely to create sexual tension between herself and the other male characters. The show has developed since its pilot but the female characters are only used as merely love interests despite their varying personalities and potential for much more. Another example of this occurring on television is on The Office, as there is a strong, working class of females represented with the 5 women leads. Although one of the characters, Kelly, is known to be quite emotional and then men outnumber women on the show. This may not seem as stereotypical as the previous example was but this goes to show how sexism can work in different ways. 

In the article, Culture in Advertisements, the author speaks of the psychological affect advertisements and commercials may have on a viewer pertaining to gender norms. This changes another's psyche because it depicts how men and women are different and this can be so powerful that they bias people's memories of their own past performances. 

There were multiple studies about women in the entertainment industry, such as:

• Women were 4 times more likely than men to not have a speaking role
• Women were 2 times more likely than men to be associated with domestic products like body care and home goods.
• Women were 3.5 times more likely than men to be presented at home or in a domestic environment (vs. at work)
• Women were 3 times more likely than men to be presented as a product user rather than an authority

  

I chose this issue because in previous blog posts I've commented on gender roles and stereotypes, this seems to be digging deeper because although these advertisements are right in front of us we often miss the degradation occurring. I believe that there should be equal rights amongst both genders but with all of the damage done through the media it pains me to witness this. As I have grown up with these types of commercials and blind as a child I never caught the actual representation, as I wish that my niece should never see this which is why I feel as though this should be spoken of to others.  

 I believe as well that this is an unjust issue because even though society has grown and females obviously have more rights but that it's been approximately 96 years since females earned the right to vote and there are still misconceptions of women and how they're portrayed in the media. I wish to live in a society where females are given an opportunity to demonstrate how strong we can be and let the youth view this as well. 

   This may be an issue because societal norms are shown to very young children and they make this their reality, as if it's acceptable. An example of how sexism seems to be more appealing to others is the comparison of the two movies Grown Ups 2 and The Call, as Grown Ups 2 grossed out $200,000,000 more than The Call and only about a quarter of the cast of Grown Ups 2 is female, and the movie doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. There are strong female actresses in the movie but the conversations that take place in the movies between them are only about the men. 

  Whereas, The Call features a strong female lead, who saves a young girl after being kidnapped by a man, but grossed significantly less. The message consumers are sending to filmmakers is that they should produce more films with women falling into the resigned, quiet, gender role, as opposed to films that break away from these molds. This is certainly not justified because the audience is used to seeing women portrayed like this and the companies are responding to their customers in order to make a profit and not wishing to break down these stereotypes. 

  Don't lose hope though, there is a way to improve these circumstances. If there is more advocation towards giving gender the accurate representation they deserve then this will work towards ending the media's stereotypes. As ambitious as it seems, in order to start this movement it must be through social media, whoever is reading this now please take the time to post something about gender equality on your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and see how your followers may react to it. Think about the type of impact advertisements have with how they can change another person's psyche into believing these types of things. As culture expresses a form of oppression but if you advertise gender equality then think of the positive effect this may have. Hopefully there will be a way to change things for the better and diminish these inaccurate representations for all. 

~All love, Aya 

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*In regard to the shows and movies mentioned, there is no bias or hatred towards any of them, they're primarily used as examples of how gender roles and stereotypes may be represented in the media.*