Men in Commercials
Steve H. posts about the way men are depicted in commercials. I have read other blog posts on this subject, but Steve's is particularly worth reading.
I also really hate the way men are portrayed in commercials. Usually they are shown to be stupid, incompetent and ineffectual as father figures. I can understand somebody being the butt of a joke in a humorous commercial, but why is it considered off-limits for a woman to be the butt of a joke?
Many of Steve's commenters gave examples of "idiot man" commericials, and I posted about one that I found really annoying. It was a radio ad for an internet company (I think) that aired quite a bit on the local talk radio station a few months ago.
In this ad, a father asks his teenage son to let him use the computer for a few minutes. The son is very disrespectful and refuses, saying he is doing his homework. The father again begs his son to let him on the computer and the snotty, disrespectful teenage son again refuses. Then the mother comes in wanting to use the computer and the son immediately lets her use it. The father is, of course, flabbergasted, and I guess this is supposed to be funny.
However, imagine if this commercial were turned around, with the teenage son being snotty to his mother and immediately deferring to the father. Suddenly, it wouldn't be "funny" and I imagine there would be some outrage.
It has been said that for humor to be effective, it must have some truth to it. Is it honest to portray men as being perpetually stupid and clueless? Steve puts it this way:
How many times did your Dad rescue you when you were growing up? How many times did he rescue you?Right.
Exactly.
Posted by Susan B. at 8:00 AM to Rants & Ruminations
Exactly. Men are portrayed as fools in the media, unable even to turn the bucket of chicken around so that each gets the type he wants. The recent "study" that found "smart" women can't find worthy husbands is simply the result of years of propaganda that All Men Are Stupid. Of course, they omitted from their sample intelligent women like my sister who (*gasp*) CHOOSE to stay home ... even with her advanced degree. Love involves a measure of respect, and no one, man or woman, could love someone he regards as inherently inferior. You may keep an inferior as a sort of pet (especially if the sex is good), but the high divorce rate argues that tends to pall after a while. There are trophy husbands just as there are trophy wives -- especially among professional women who "need" a husband to advance their careers. Too bad if the boobs sometimes want to be something other than convenient sex objects and party escorts.