Sunday, July 22, 2007

Trophy Wife


To be honest I have no idea what they are try to "sell" in this ad. This women is giving impressions to other women that they should be a man hott little house wife who will wear little dresses and cook for him all day while looking beautiful. She has a dress on that someone would usually wear going out to a party or to a wedding. Not for cooking. She has her make up on and hair done like she is ready to go out. She has a huge smile on her face as if all she loves to do is cook. They are using all of these images to help sell the product.

I do think it is offensive towards women. I mean honestly, I do not mind cooking, but you will never catch me wearing anything like that while doing it. I understand some women do love to cook. This add gives of the vibe that this is the way women should be and this is all they are good for. They need to be some mans trophy wife and they are suppose to just cook for their man and look good doing it. They could have done this ad in a complete different way and not make it so sexist. They can still have a women cooking and serving a dish but not have her wear a little dress, with lots of makeup and a huge flower in her ear. The ad might be selling more the way it is becaus sex sells. But it just makes it offensive to women. If they had an "average" women on there, it might not be so offensive towards women.

This ad is anti-feminist. They ad goes against everything feminist believe in. Women are independent and shouldn't have to be anyones trophy wife. Women can amount to alot more things than just cooking and looking good. Sure we can do that too. But this ad just makes this woman look like she is the happiest person in the world to cook and serve someone else. Not to mention she is a skinny gorgeous blonde. Which gives off the vibe to women that not only do you have to cook and serve people, you have the pressure of being a skinny gorgeous blonde and thats the only way you will be happy.

This ad does affect body image for women. The women in this picture looks like she is serving cookies. Yet the women in the picture probably does not even eat the cookies because she is so skinny. She can cook and serve someone but because she has the pressure to be skinny she cant eat any of what shes serving. I think the advertising industry has a huge responsibilty to promote more diverse and realistic ads. Body image is such a huge social issue in this country and the media and ads are a huge part of the problem. If ads start becoming more diverse maybe the tides will start to change and body image issues will start to get better.

I believe the most activism that can be done against these products is to not buy them and try to get other people to not purchase them. Women should not follow the messages these ads are saying. I mean this is a free country and they have the freedom of press but they wont advertise anything that wont sell. So our job is to not let these advertisements sell their products and make a bold statement saying these ads are NOT okay!

Emily Chumbley

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