If you want to know about the advertisements encouraging dogmatism about women, you are in the right place. Women power has been on a surge since the last century. People have been fighting back for women equal rights. And why shouldn’t they? Every person on the face of the earth should have a perspective on the general issues and should not be limited to a specific gender.
But every ethos of its time does not make a quantum leap in its attitude by itself. the people who influence society are the top 1 per cent and till the time they don’t pull their act together a change in the attitude of people cannot be evident.
When we see corporates and marketing people pulling off ads which are limiting women to a set of tasks in order to promote their product, it prejudices the era to change its attitude about women and what they are capable of. A lady is a quintessence of a caring and nurturing persona and that is what is eyed by society. And yet, they also praise Maa Durga and draw a conjecture that a lady is fierce and bold too. A woman can do both and so can a man. It depends on the psyche of a person and should not be concluded to one gender.
Let’s have a look at what the marketing teams have to convey to the society with their ‘brilliant’ ideas behind their products.
An advertisement for Bournvita in the 1960’s
After seeing this I can’t say I’m not gonna throw out Bournvita from my kitchen. And how a chocolate drink I love is related to my fathers’ happiness only if my mother chooses it over Milo or Horlicks. Brilliant logic and marketing, I must say! Don’t you think this is one such ad that encourages dogmatism about women?
A home appliance advertisement that says- Train her to be an ideal housewife
You cannot rewire a society better than this to think that women are only meant to be at home and completing the indoor chores is just a part of her life. Such messages portrayed out will only embed into societies subconscious to not let women out of their house and to only see her as a caring and nurturing housewife, and thus encourage dogmatism. They can be fierce and bold too.
A detergent company advertisement pivots the message around women responsible for washing clothes
I see that they want to promote their detergent but why do they want to promote the idea that men are immature and washing clothes is a woman’s job. I get the immature part (they added it for entertainment purposes) but why a wife is responsible for the stains and dull t-shirts men wear? This is one such ad that promotes dogmatism about women.
Usha Sewing Machine- A gift for a daughter who’s getting married
These advertisers are not selling the product. They are selling the idea that a girl who’s married is just meant to be accountable for her household chores and nothing outside of it. It is deep embedded in the society that girls will take care of GRIHASTHI and men are responsible for taking care of finances, working jobs, and for their career. As naive as it sounds it is as much uncomfortable with men as it is for women. Being able to take care of finances is a big deal and a man goes through severe depression just to manage their responsibilities.
Women can contribute to the finances and men can contribute to the GRIHASTHI. It is a team effort that should be understood and we have moved forward from those times but the kind of approach is used is very obnoxious. It influences the society in that way and change could never be determined if it wasn’t for these brave activists who spoke their hearts out to the public making them aware about it. Promotion of dogmatism at its best.
Jack and Jones ad from 2016
Because these shirts make you Ranveer Singh and girls will happily be lifted like puppies if you wear them. And girls will laugh around if some stranger picks her up upon their shoulders because these shirts will make you Ranveer Singh who is a macho and that is what you become. Misogyny is a bit subtle when compared to the Usha sewing machine advertisement approach but is still clear and evident. I also like how the lift guy dreams of getting that t-shirt and could get to lift girls like that. This is one of such advertisements that encourage dogmatism about women.
Electric shaver linked with a sexual approach
Really? Were they so out of ideas to sell the product that they had to link it with sex? For god’s sake, can we leave models and girls out of everything which is been promoted? Don’t these guys have any other idea to sell apart from intimacy? This is just the way of advertisements that they have chosen. This is one of such advertisements that encourage dogmatism about women.
A woman is a ‘gift’ for your woman
Gift your wife a maid as if it were a toy. The audacity of ad agencies to compare a living working being into a gift is just mind-boggling. After observing the majority of people not giving respect to their household workers, it just makes sense to me why these ads are out there and why everybody lets it slip by. There are a deeper meaning and a deeper problem which is societies behaviour and how people who are underprivileged are treated by them. Subconsciously, these ads embed a thought process subconsciously into peoples attitude. This is one of such advertisements that encourage dogmatism about women.
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