How do advertisements present gender views of society?

Essay by trojanbebe October 2005

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Have you ever found yourself being particularly disturbed by the infinite number of advertisements presented in a 30 minute show? The media nowadays is overwhelmed by countless different ads that imply distinct messages of how our culture is changing, and how our society views gender roles today.

Whenever I flip the channels while watching TV, I find myself bombarded from every angle with tempting images, and catchy phrases that give me satisfaction without even realizing it. However, there are always those kinds of advertisements, such as the Clorox ad or the Mr. Clean one which, as a female, bother me. Whether their toxic content is inadvertent or outright, the messages contained in these advertisements are heinous. Take, for example, the Mr. Clean advertisement. This ad portrays two women being very concerned with their house, and how it is not perfectly clean. I demand to know why is it the woman in the family that is possessed with anything cleaning related.

Is the woman the only person who should know about Mr. Clean products and how they help her reach her satisfaction in her duty? Shouldn't a man also be worried and concerned about the well-maintenance of his house? Or is he just too busy to be bothered with such women's work? That is the reason I am constantly disturbed by this ad, for it is part of capitalist ideology, of a patriarchal agenda to socially construct certain roles for different groups. It expresses the unrealistic, common view of men and women and their function in society. Women are often depicted as being the ones responsible for the well maintenance of the house, while men are the ones who guide and direct women as they (men) watch them perform their duty. As years are passing by, there are a few...