Advertising has a long history of portraying women as goods for barter. This practice is so prevalent it seldom draws criticism, and as evidenced by the industry’s continued use of these types of campaigns, the negative impacts may not be fully appreciated.
I remember an ad from over 20 years ago where a man was offered the choice between a sexy woman and a cheeseburger. While I don’t remember the brand, I vividly remember my feeling of resentment that a major chain was nationally comparing women to meat…literally. And I am not referencing the numerous ads where scantily clad women “sell” products. I am talking about ads that directly categorize women as objects, compare them to a product that is being sold, and then promote the negotiation.
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Over the years I have thought of that burger ad. When it came out I was in graduate school getting my masters degree in Mass Communications. While I was upset by the content, I did not have the framework to constructively express my feelings. This was before social media and when I timidly mentioned it to a professor in my department, the only response I received was a quizzical look.
It is this sort of cognitive dissonance that makes change challenging. If the status quo keeps reinforcing traditional stereotypes, those with opposing views may question the validity of their feelings. The current political climate exacerbates this situation. If I express concern over a media portrayal will people accuse me of “wokeness” and oversensitivity? Will I be labelled a snowflake?
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What prompted me to write this article was a commercial that came on my stream this morning from Heineken for their new Silver beer. The ad capitalizes on the culture’s current popularity of series such as Games of Thrones, and portrays a Viking seeking retribution. The “negotiation” has the Vikings daughter being bartered to a man…for a beer.
While this may seem innocuous, again the underlying theme is that it is okay (nay reasonable and encouraged) to reduce women to goods. This is literal objectification. In the ad the Viking says “Your family tortured my first wife and stole my second favorite goat…now you want to marry my daughter”. Then he is handed a Heineken Silver…and all is well! The daughter is “given” away. The formerly angry mob rejoices! A great bargain has been struck! The daughter will marry the man – and we get to keep the rest of our goats and have beer!
This is not an ad from 20 years ago. This is a current campaign to launch a new product by a leading brand. And I will note that in reading the YouTube comments, most people love the ad. They find it humorous and entertaining. They want to buy the beer.
So what is my problem?
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My issue is that messages like this propagate the dangerous message that women are not equal. That they are still bound to patriarchal systems that define them by their value for a prosperous marriage. That their fate is determined by ownership being passed from father to husband (as property is). And it seems in especially poor taste that the father is condoning marriage to a man who he references with an association of violence against women. There are disturbing statistics that indicate a high correlation between alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Why would an advertising (or PR) firm think this is good promotional tactic?
Yes, maybe it’s just a silly beer commercial. But the message goes much deeper. Using humor helps normalize this type of mindset. Maybe it’s time to start finding creative ways to sell products that break the old status quo. Ironically, the tagline for the new product is “All The Taste, No Bitter Endings”. I’m not sure they are delivering on that promise.
Heineken Silver Vikings commercial
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHO
