Problem:
As we are all aware, there is a huge variety of different brands that sell all kinds of products for people's hygiene. I mean just to name a few we have Gillette, Dove, Crest, and even Pampers. Pretty big names, right? Well, for my discussion I want to talk about two specific brands that both market body care for specific genders. I am going to be talking about Old Spice and Secret. As we remember from the 2010 commercials, Old Spice leaned towards the men and Secret is more for the ladies. When it came to Old Spice, don't get me wrong I too enjoyed Isiah Mustafa's funny charismatic commercials, but what did they mostly consist of? The idea that once the man stops using 'lady scented body spray' he could be more of a man. Not only that, miraculously once he started using that specific product, he would be able to do all the things his partner would want to do. All because the man started using old spice and stopped 'smelling like a lady'. While all of this is told in a comedic manner, it ultimately contests the male audience's masculinity and tells them "I need this product". Now, when it comes to Secret, we often see depictions of women at work or the gym. Kind of more like the women are able to balance a work life, gym life, and overall a social life while staying fresh and confident throughout her day.
When it comes to the intended audience, it is pretty cut throat for these kinds of commercials. Old Spice will target the men by appealing to the stereotypes surrounding their masculinity and sex appeal to their partners. Secret typically targets women by going heavy on staying confident knowing they don't stink...anywhere. But also making sure the body is still beautiful. While these commercials are great and all, they kind of unintentionally reinforce all kinds of stereotypes. What I mean by that is that men should appear manly and confident; and on the other hand, women should maintain staying fresh and attractive. Overall, I think it is pretty effective given it reaches its targeted audience and has proven to be very successful.
For my perspective, I am going to be tackling the symbolic internationalist's perspective. By our notes that is "Symbolic interactionists explore the meaning and interaction of symbols such as "masculine" and "feminine;" another way they explore these concepts is through doing gender or analyzing the performative nature of gender". Now from that perspective, these kinds of advertisements kind of mold how people view their own gender roles in their day-to-day lives. Given that today's day is considered the 'modern age' people typically take what they see from things like social media for example and compare that to themselves. I mean the media would be the core piece to people understanding their masculinity and femininity through all kinds of symbols. If men always see other men attracting women's attention, they would want it too. And, in that same mindset if women kept seeing other women being confident, they would want that for themselves too. Believe it or not, over time these kinds of commercials will start to affect people and how they think. Especially when it comes to how society would want them to look and behave.
If it were up to me, when it comes to what I would exactly change about a brand's advertisement; I would probably want to more or less steer away from the stereotypical stuff, and just lean to what the product is about. Being able to be active and clean no matter if it is for men's products or women's products. I think that would just make the products feel more inclusive but still relatable to a bigger audience.
Discussion Question:
Do you think that commercials that weigh heavier on gender stereotypes are still effective today or not? Need Assignment Help?
Write 200 word paragraphs agreeing to this paragraph.