Are
women being seen negatively in advertisements and men look like the powerful
ones? Why are certain tasks associated with gender? I have been reflecting on
this question after reading "Two ways a woman can get Hurt":
Advertising and Violence by Jean Kilbourne. Also by reading the other readings,
I have some to realize that men and woman have certain responsibilities but on
them by society.What gives someone the right to say that woman are this way and
men are another way?
Through
the use of advertisement, women are presented as weak and defenseless while men
are all powerful and successful. According to Kilbourne, she talks about how in
advertisements power is the main focus over another person. I certainly agree
with this because even when you watch commercials the guy is in control or the
only person featured in the commercial. Why can’t women be seen as powerful
too? In this society women are responsible in most cases to have a job and
sometimes even be single mothers and support the family.
In some of the ads in her article the women
are shown with guns pointed at them. What is this teaching society? I find it
very harming for the children of our society to see. It only teaches violence
and not the well-being of others. I found this very alarming, and think women
should have better rights when it comes to advertising.
Why
does each gender have specific characteristics? I found it very interesting
that in “Becoming Members Of Society: Learning the social meanings of gender by
Aaron Devhor, that children are taught to adapt these traits at very young ages
because that is what society wants them to do.
These gender roles are
predefined for them. I find nothing wrong with each gender having the same characteristics.
Men and women should be seen as equal. Men typically want power/success and are
aggressive while women are trying to have harmony and well-being. Why can’t
each gender have both traits? Maybe they would act for the better then.
Gender
roles are just traits of masculinity and femininity that cultures and people have
made up through the years. I strongly believe that they aren’t always true to
either gender. Advertisement of women needs to change to create more equality of
both genders. Do you think gender roles are acceptable?
Hey Brittani,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your essay as I have the same views and same questions as you do. One question I really would like to know also is why can't women be seen as powerful? Why must the men always be in control? I would try to answer these questions, but don't know where to begin.
I also agreed that men and women should be seen as equal. I don't understand why we aren't seen this way even though we can do anything a male can. In the paragraph that you talk about this equality you also mention that men want power/success and women want harmony. This statement really got me thinking because in life I always am looking for power and striving for success and don't really seek harmony. I am wondering if this is just a masculine trait I have or if a lot of women are like this.
Thanks for the interesting and thought provoking essay.
Amanda Kudick
I believe women are being seen negatively in advertisements, but men are too these days. In most ads On billboards and in magazines everywhere, it seems, body image is the main thing people look at. Buff, sleek, hairless men with washboard abs is how most women want their men to look but most men don't look this way. Some men can suffer from body image problems but buff, sleek, hairless men is what women want so thats what they get. But how does it make the average guy feel?
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. I too have wondered why some tasks and qualities are associated with a particular gender. I don't see why some jobs are for women while others are for men; as long as someone is qualified for a job, I don't think they should be excluded or ridiculed for it. I also agree that men and women can learn from each other. Self-assertiveness shouldn't be reserved for men and promoting harmony should not be exclusively feminine.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your point about advertising. Some ads do give genders equal representation, however. It is the few that do not, such as the ones we looked at in Kilbourne's essay, that are troubling. I often play a family rated horse game online. This game has an advertisement bar at the top of the screen and the game claims to have no control over what advertisements appear. Often these advertisements are completely fine and ignorable, but occasionally there is one for an adult rated game, featuring a very scantily clad woman in a suggestive position. As an adult woman, I find this offensive. Also, there are many young children that play this family rated horse game and are seeing this same ad. That is a disturbing thought; I certainly would not want my children seeing that ad.