Is anyone else annoyed at how men are commonly being portrayed in television commercials these days? I’m not sure when this trend began, but it seems to have been going on for a while and shows no signs of stopping. In fact it seems to be getting worse. Far too often, men are stereotypically being portrayed as… well, as stupid asses.
A dim-witted husband earns a scowl from his wife when he returns from a store with the wrong grocery item. A young man in a cafe foolishly says he’d save his beer from falling over a cliff instead of saving his faithful dog OR his sexy girlfriend (oh, for chrissakes). A middle-age man’s reflection in store window has to talk the guy into admitting to his doctor that his pecker has gone missing the wood. Meanwhile, another husband is mystified at how his wife can make their whiz-bang new air freshener spray smelly stuff while he can’t (push the button, stupid). Still another clueless hubby searches the fridge for yummy snacks as his wife describes to a friend on the phone how she enjoyed Boston cream pie dessert for lunch. That a yogurt manufacturer might be getting creative with naming product flavors is apparently too bewildering a concept for this fellow. The only cream pie he is likely to find will be between the legs of his wife.
A television ad that really plucks my last nerve is the sexist moron who sees a shapely female plumber in tight slacks enter his neighbor’s home, and proceeds to feverishly dump all manner of household items into his own toilet. Presumably, if he can clog it up in time while the lady plumber is still in the neighborhood, he’ll have a chance to gawk at her ass up close and personal. Alas, just as the moron empties a 20-pound bag of dog food into his shitter, his wife arrives on the scene to bring his ridiculous fantasy to a screeching halt.
Kohler, what the hell were you people thinking? God forbid they should show the guy just as he has risen from his toilet and is buckling his trousers. He turns around and looks downward to inspect his latest deposit (lets face it, all men do this) and, concerned over its meatiness, he crosses his fingers as he works the flush lever, or perhaps gazes upward as if asking for Devine assistance to save him from the nasty business of snaking or plunging all that poop. Flush… whoosh… happy days. Our man smiles at the camera and simply says, “All gone!”Speaking of meaty, I’m reminded of my ex brother-in-law who, after many days of suffering from impacted bowels caused by rectal surgery, “gave birth” to what would come to be known as “the meatloaf shit” that his father had to beat with a stick before it would flush. Okay… admittedly, TMI, and no bathroom fixture manufacturer would ever be interested in THIS story. But you know what, at least it has a lot more to do with reality than does a man flushing his wife’s African violet and Fido’s dinner, just to get a peek at a female plumber’s shapely posterior.
I wonder: are these ads being written and produced by women? Some, maybe, but surely not all. So why does Madison Avenue seem to want to portray men in this manner? Is this their idea of the true American male? If so, some of those ad people need to get involved in femdom relationships… maybe join the She Makes the Rules forum on wife-led marriage. They’d have a chance to rub elbows with real-life men such as yours truly who, despite maintaining submissive roles in our homes, are anything but the moronic buffoons we are being made out to be. We who voluntarily submit to loving female authority are WAY too smart to flush anything belonging to the women we worship.
19 comments:
It's not just limited to commercials. Consider animation like The Simpsons and The Family Guy where the women tend to play the 'straight man' while the father figure acts like the bumbling fool.
Thinking back further, I think Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show was also the comedian to his straight man (and rather serious) wife.
I'm sure there are more options in between, but consider television shows and movies during the 1950's and 1960's. Then, women were depicted as the fools. They were nothing more than dumb eye candy who were bad drivers and poor with money.
Perhaps the change in times allows for lifestyles such as FLR/WLM. Isn't that why its called "role reversal"? Perhaps we're witnessing a new societal norm.
You make a valid point but should understand that those ads are targeted at women, not men. Women find them funny, amusing and cute and most men find the humor (and a partial truth).
What bothers me is the one sided push for female problems (breast cancer, for example) which are very serious issues but no national push is given to mens issues (prostate cancer, for example, which has a much higher mortality rate and frequency than breast cancer.)
My lovely spouse explains it as women are more vocal and join together more readily, which may be completely true.
I notice it in print as well. I ordered something from Red envelope .com and they sent me a catalogue after a few weeks. It was full of thinly disguises femdom images. Women grabbing the man by the tie and pulling him towards her etc. I guess the world is changing and we should pat ourselves on the back as we are at the forfront of a new femdom age. Well, at least in my house ;-)
On sitcoms too. The wife is smart, the kids are smart, but dad is always a buffoon.
Agree 100 per cent!
bobbi
http://stores.lulu.com/empressarises
Those commercials are exactly where they want them to be.
I find it ironic, that just a little while ago I was reading an article be a women who said all the Super Bowl ads were sexist against women. While here you are, saying they're sexist against men. Maybe it's all in the perception? Either way, no matter.
Those ads were made by a committee of people; of a client business and a commercial producing agency, sitting around a table discussing exactly what they wanted in their commercial. It wasn't just some guy who was just sitting in his chair with a half-eaten baloney sandwich hanging out of his mouth while he took his mid-day nap.
Especially with all the sexist super bowl commercials, loads of money where dumped into those. Precise storyboards are drawn, directors meet with clients, who approve every step of the process.
So what am I saying? Commercials are not supposed to make sense. They are capitalist propaganda. Whether it's a women, getting unrealistically excited over, a cup of yogurt, and talking about it on the phone with her friends (seriously, who talks about yogurt flavors, of all things?). Or if it's a guy choosing a beer over a hot woman who's totally into him.
None of it is supposed to make sense. The idea is to show it to us so much that it becomes normal.
I read an article a long time ago that said the message of commercials today is that, while a girl may jilt you, a new car is, "safe." It's, "safer" to invest your time and effort into pursuing a beer, a laptop, or a car that can't dump or cheat on you. By making women look unattractive, their own product looks more appealing. Alternatively, perhaps the reason why men are portrayed as morons, may be to make women feel more intellectual over their supposedly superior buying options.
"Wow, are you a smart women, you shop a Payless shoes, not that' we could ever expect HIM to understand."
It works great. Woman can feel a special connection to the commercial, like it understands them. Then they go...shopping. Why?
"Because CostCo understands me, not like HIM."
Not suggesting women are stupid. Although you gotta wonder why (Vajayjay) Oprah has such a huge following sometimes.
Worst part is, Va jay jay is probably going to become the new, "in" word, and vagina will probably become a dirty one. The power of marketing.
Personally, I think it's because, were the situations reversed, women (quite rightly) would complain about being portrayed as being stupid. Men, on the other hand, REALISE theya re stupid and there's no point in complaining.
i agree with Gazman. :) have you ever heard the song, "Women Are Smarter"?
Let us put men and women together
See which ones are smarter
Some say men but I say no,
The women got the men like a puppet show
It ain't me - it's the people that say
The men are leading the women astray
I say it's the women today
Smarter than the man in every way
That's right, the women are smarter...
as a man, i love the current flow you're complaining about. i think humor like this is a perfect, gentle, enjoyable way to introduce the populace at large to the notion of female superiority without offending them or freaking them out. and these bumbling men/in-control women scenarios wouldn't be funny at all if there wasn't at least some truth in them.
no, not all men are idiots...but those who are not have nothing to fear from these ads and sitcoms, right? just as you have to be secure in your masculinity to cede control to your woman, you have to be secure in your intelligence to be able to laugh at the stupidity of men.
at least that's the way i look at it.
I heard it explained once that in the majority of households the woman has more buying / purchasing power. Therefore the ads are directed towards them and if they are able to relate to the commercial or find it memorable or humorous then they are more likely to purchase that product / service.
In the end it is marketing science.
Also, the title should be "NOT All Men Are Dumbasses" b/c currently it sounds as if "No Man Is a Dumbass". Word order effects.
This is Exactly why I stopped watching TV over ten yeas ago.
It is a deluge of social-engineering propaganda that is intentionally designed to denigrate men in general and especially White heterosexual men.
This is why so many young men are confused about their role in society and why growing numbers of women are turning to lesbianism and inter-racial sex.
It is all due to the, hate White Men propaganda spewed forth on American TV.
I see the TV shows, the commercials, the magazine ads and hear it on the radio. Men are portrayed as stupid and inferior to women. The problem is Men have let women go too far with their new double standards to oppress Men. Makes me think of the Styx song "The Grand Illusion". They show you pictures of how your life shoud be but their just someone elses fantasy.
I am a very intelligent professional Man. I am smarter than most women so how can they be superior to me? I see so many women in power positions that are average (they think they are more)but they have confidence and talk a good game. To combat that BS I ask questions. Best way to communicate with a woman is to ask her questions. Get into her head using her style of communication. Eventually she will contradict her self. Then be a Man and confront her.
My wife is the only woman who dominates me, and that is limited to the bedroom. Being a Type A personality relinquishing control in sex is relaxing for me. Outside of the bedroom we are equals. We love each other. Although when we got married she made more money than I did. That was unacceptable to me since I am a Man.
Generally, I think most women are selfish catty bitches. Look at the television shows where the women are selfish, sef-absorbed, shallow and stupid. For example Real Housewives of New Jersey, Nancy Grace (what an xxxhole). How about Carly Fiona the narcissist refers to Barbara Boxers hair as so 80's (vote for her). Gov. candidate of California she is against illegal immigrants except the one working for her that she didn't know about. Sharon Angle wants to eliminate social security, well how is she going to pay me back the 750,000 I have paid in. People today idolize women for this behavior. Oh she is so strong and smart. A man behaving the same way is a jerk and a moron. Women in power behave no better than Men in power.
In the late 80's feminists led th march to change the way children were taught so girls could catch up to boys in school. These changes have made boys fall behind girls and the trend continues. When Men speak up the women say boys are inferior. So when girls suffer we change the schools and when boys suffer then we need to change the boy. Wise up guys or we will lose our social status and most of you will not like the reality.
It's just a fantasy its not the real thing. Just because it has two bumps on her chest and a cat between her legs doesn't make her superior unless you let her be. Make her think you don't care about it. If she cheats she isn't worth keeping. Dump her.
By the way I am a CPA with a client base that is 80% female. My female clients love me. They trust me and like the way I interact with them. Ask her questions don't offer solutions. I love them too. They pay my bills and adore that I am a manly man that is really smart.
Anthony
I see the TV shows, the commercials, the magazine ads and hear it on the radio. Men are portrayed as stupid and inferior to women. The problem is Men have let women go too far with their new double standards to oppress Men. Makes me think of the Styx song "The Grand Illusion". They show you pictures of how your life shoud be but their just someone elses fantasy.
I am a very intelligent professional Man. I am smarter than most women so how can they be superior to me? I see so many women in power positions that are average (they think they are more)but they have confidence and talk a good game. To combat that BS I ask questions. Best way to communicate with a woman is to ask her questions. Get into her head using her style of communication. Eventually she will contradict her self. Then be a Man and confront her.
My wife is the only woman who dominates me, and that is limited to the bedroom. Being a Type A personality relinquishing control in sex is relaxing for me. Outside of the bedroom we are equals. We love each other. Although when we got married she made more money than I did. That was unacceptable to me since I am a Man.
Generally, I think most women are selfish catty bitches. Look at the television shows where the women are selfish, sef-absorbed, shallow and stupid. For example Real Housewives of New Jersey, Nancy Grace (what an xxxhole). How about Carly Fiona the narcissist refers to Barbara Boxers hair as so 80's (vote for her). Gov. candidate of California she is against illegal immigrants except the one working for her that she didn't know about. Sharon Angle wants to eliminate social security, well how is she going to pay me back the 750,000 I have paid in. People today idolize women for this behavior. Oh she is so strong and smart. A man behaving the same way is a jerk and a moron. Women in power behave no better than Men in power.
In the late 80's feminists led th march to change the way children were taught so girls could catch up to boys in school. These changes have made boys fall behind girls and the trend continues. When Men speak up the women say boys are inferior. So when girls suffer we change the schools and when boys suffer then we need to change the boy. Wise up guys or we will lose our social status and most of you will not like the reality.
By the way I am a CPA with a client base that is 80% female. My female clients love me. They trust me and like the way I interact with them. Ask her questions don't offer solutions. I love them too. They pay my bills and adore that I am a manly man that is very perceptive.
Anthony
I tried two female led relationships earlier in my life. They were fun for awhile but I eventually hated it and resented one of the women.
One of the women is currently our friend (my wife and I) and one of my tax clients. She helped me realize I am a very strong personality with a foot fetish who likes playing Fem-dom games in the bedroom. She was at our wedding. She also helped have the guts to indulge in the bedroom games with my wife. She told me my wife adores me and would never take advantage of me. She was absolutely right.
I learned fem-domme is a bedroom game for me to indulge in fantasy and release stress. I am a very considerate lover by nature, I am fluent in French, am not quick draw Mc Graw, provide that thicker fuller feeling, and am ready again in a couple of minutes . Wife says its a nice sore for a couple of days. I love it.
Anthony
These commercials, as another poster here mentioned, are designed for social engineering purposes.
There is another commercial, for car insurance, the white husband, is wearing a purse. When "Flo" the company's spokes-woman says give back the purse to the wife, he blushes and says it was a gift from the wife, in other words, she's feminizing him and he has to take it.
Other commercials with other ethnic backgrounds do not have feminized males in their pitch.
There are other revamping themes, like mixed race marriages for a car commercial, she bought him a new car for Christmas.
In most cases, these themes are to reconstruct on a subconscious level, as we are in a subconscious state when we are not paying full attention when commercials are on, the way we think as a society, we are being reprogrammed that what we once considered normal, is outdated and useless.
I too am a sub to women, one on one. I am not a sub to advertizers whims and attempts to redefine society.
Jack
I agree! Thank you
".....despite maintaining submissive roles in our homes, are anything but the moronic buffoons....". Bravo! On the other hand, don't expect too much from the femdom world, as way too many men around here portray themselves as sissies.
Um.....er....I wouldn't be surprised if a good chunk of the male population adore and cherish these ads, sitcoms, and you have what, as so many seem to want us women to treat them like dirt, humiliate them, walk them like dogs, abuse them, so on.
Ayesha,
Indeed you are probably correct. I don't understand why so many submissive men see themselves as sissies, eating out of dog bowls, sleeping in a cage, etc... This kind of behavior doesn't fly in our relationship.
I have met many of them and understand them very well. But they should stop contaminating the femdom world, and find a different label for their ways. We don't want doormats! And what makes it worse is that too many women in "the scene" are supporting these men, and opposing the insights of women like me.
A very accurate observation, I believe that because of the success of shows like the simpsons (which I do find quite funny) advertisers are trying to put a homer like character into the ads as they hope people will laugh and therefore remember the ad. I also agree with a previous comment about how these ads are also designed to manipulate women into buying from a particular store or particular brand. The idea that that company understands you, even better than your husband. Is should be noted that this in itself is nothing new, most ads are aimed to manipulate the audience that would possibly buy the products, you only have to watch your child react to a toy commercial to see this.
The concept is flawed though, at least in regards to my first point. The reason that most people (i hope) enjoy shows such as the simpsons or family guy is because they make comedy out of what is going on at the current time in news. politics, trends and so on. Whereas, an add about yoghurt is hardly a piece of comedic social commentary.
Finallly, although I am quite aware how old this post is, and the comments in it, and hence I am almost positive that it will not be seen buy who I am about to mention. Anthony who posted earlier, and spoke of how he is so much smarter than all women and gave us way tmi on his sexual prowess. To you Anthony, I have to as just why the F*&% are you reading a blog about female led relationships? For me at least and I presume many others, this is not all about the bedroom, and to borrow a more BDSM type term it seems quite obvious that even in this you are simply topping for the bottom, look it up if you don't know what that means.
Chris
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