Sexist Super Bowl Commercials Are Bad for Business and for Our Kids
As I watched the Super Bowl last night, I was struck by two things:
1) I didn't see as many advertisements this year that were blatantly sexist and degrading to women.
2) It's pathetic that there remain corporations run by people who have such a dearth of critical thinking skills that they think they need to resort to a transparent "sex sells" mentality to hawk a product.
Sex Doesn't Sell, in All Actuality
GoDaddy, Fiat and Teleflora were the most blatant offenders. Teleflora's commercial, which implied women are whores who will put out when given gifts, is a highly foolish way to alienate the female customer base. I guarantee you that the next time I buy flowers for my mother, I will make it a point to put my business in different hands.
Likewise, GoDaddy - the next time I need to reserve a domain name, I'll stick with my current provider rather than seeking the services of a company that demonstrates such an obvious lack of professional acumen.
Not that I'm currently in the market for a Fiat, but from what I understand based on the message I saw in the commercial, those cars are for men who don't want to think. Men who don't want to think presumably don't make a lot of money.
How Do We Protect Our Daughters From This Crap?
Make no mistake: it's harmful to show images that objectify and diminish the authentic qualities of an entire class of people. Most of the images of women depicted in advertising demonstrate a completely fabricated standard, devoid of real value.
If our daughters don't understand early on that advertisements are an insidious force that make them concerned with all the wrong things in life, they might spend time pursuing a false image and feeling bad when they inevitably fail. I keep wondering at what age I should sit down and talk to my daughter about advertising and the lie that Photoshop perpetuates.
Aside from the fact these ads are selling an unachievable standard, idealistic appearances are not what our girls should devote time or money toward to live a full, happy and meaningful lives anyway. Beauty is not a constructive hobby.
Finally, these commercials are insulting to all the men who want to be good fathers, husbands, brothers and sons, men who have evolved beyond base instincts, men who believe that women have far more to offer the world, beyond a fake, idealized exterior. It saddens me to think that some guy, presumably a fellow human being, approved this junk. Maybe next year we'll do better.
This post was written by Katie Morton.
Top Articles on Self Esteem
How to Be a Role Model For Your Daughter: 3 Secrets to Boost Self Esteem
The Revelation Project: How a Photograph Reminded Me of Who I Am
Do "Good Enough Mothers" Have Plastic Surgery?
