This is what I was talking about before

[trinityvixen]

There is a truly awful ad for JCPenny running around about how men who give thoughtless presents to their wives/girlfriends (usually of the sexist stereotype sort, like vacuum cleaners, et al.) end up in "the dog house." The ad is a travesty first and foremost because it's about thirty years long. So, do yourself a favor and don't watch it:

The fact that it's sexist is not surprising to anyone viewing it. Where I disagreed with some is that it's just anti-male. Au contraire! It's equal opportunity in its ability to mock, offend, and belittle both sexes! Men are stupid! Women are shallow! Thank you, Sarah Haskins, for taking jewelry commercials apart:

Comments

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

My least favorite commercial this year has been one for Playskool. They've created this fold-out plush mini house for girls (all pink of course) where they can "explore their dreams." The only activities on offer when you open it up are baking plush muffins and doing plushy laundry. And then the mom comes in and looks all proud that her daughter MADE PLUSH MUFFINS! OOOOOOOOOH! Live your dreams girls! I did quite well when I was little imagining all sorts of things out of the box our refrigerator came in - yes, sometimes it was a house, but other times, it was a spaceship! Look at that!

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've seen those ads. Nothing like gender-segregating kids from the get-go so that you can turn around and scream about how girls really do just like baking and cleaning later...

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

I didn't have a dream house like that, but still like baking and doing laundry. Obviously it doesn't have the same necessary correllation for boys--maybe if I'd had one, all that pink would have made me catch TEH GAY.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Possibly, but just think of how much sooner you could have gotten started on the making of good foods if you'd had a little pink dream house of your own.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

The other thing that occurs to me, is that I don't want my kids to have little plastic ovens that produce little plastic cakes. I want my kids to learn how to bake real food with real ovens. I loved my fake stove and collection of plastic food as a kid, but I liked making real snacks out of my superhero cookbook or with my easy-bake oven even more.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I don't see anything wrong with letting them have both. They should have the play stuff to tide them over when Mom and Dad can't supervise the real baking.

[jendaby.livejournal.com]

I think my son is far more excited about trying to help clean and bake than my daughter. I also know he is more clothing obsessed. :)

It is so weird to think that we still have gender stereotypes today. I remember my mother bringing me to women's rights rallies 30 years ago, and one would think that, by now, things would have changed. I guess that thinking is merely wishful.

And, OMG, you warned me about the first video. I didn't finish it, but it was hideous.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I know, right? The commercial is way too long for the BLEEDING AWFUL point it wants to drive home. I can't believe anyone wasted money on that shit.