Nanak Foods AlooTikki

This commercial reinforces the realities surrounding romance and ‘keeping women in their place’ in a unique way in comparison to most other advertisements we see; through the use of young children. The dramatization is something we can all relate to at some point – boys enjoying themselves, fully engaged in their activity (video game) while the girls sit quietly, passively, most likely bored (u can catch the one girl on the love seat yawning). They are waiting for the boys – reflective of ‘waiting for Mr. Right’ to come along … and how does she get and impress Mr. Right? Not through her intelligence or poise but through the eyes of his stomach. When the opportunity comes up for the girls to engage with the boys (when the one boys speak and says ‘Im hunry’) the girls jump up in excitement to not only free them from their boredome of sitting aimlessly watching the boys playing video games but this gives them the opportunity to do something nice for the boys – for what? The girls also cut the boys a deal, essentially belittling them as not only girls but as people in general. The doubt from the boys signifies most encounters we see together with opposing sexes. I link this to innocent until proven guilty – the men are hesitant and doubt the females ability until shown otherwise. We are taught from things like this that we as women are constantly being judged and marked in order to hold any merit with our counterparts. There is clearly a racial difference in the commercial as well as it is for a traditional Indian dessert AlooTikki and some of the actors involved are of this racial descent. This proves to me that these ideals surrounding romancing setbacks of gendering differences is not just a Western ideal but crosses boarders into other cultures and religions. How discouraging to know these are all stigmas shared and practices world wide. Certainly it is unfortunate to see such young actors and actresses being the objects for this commercial as it demonstrates the teachings of this romance divide at such a young age! When we are bombarded with these teachings and ideals at such a young, vulnerable, and fragile age it is easy for it to become embedded, understood, and practices and leaves little room for change or more importantly the knowledge to know this is going on and that it is wrong.


-ace55kg

I want her/I want to be just like her.....

Many of these restaurant and/or food ads continuously use woman who are younger, white (usually blonde). I don't always see the romance in the traditional sense but I do see romance how men would like to perceive it and prefer it plus I see the ideals that women are always trying to live up to and emulate.

So men see one thing what they want a woman doing to them while women see a pretty blonde girl who can get away with eating a burger and not worrying about weight.

The famous "got milk" ads completely taking a natural process and function of women and hyper-sexualizing it. Big (probably fake) breasts that women think they need to have to be attractive.

Who would have thought Perrier could be so sexy, women drink it if you want to look just like her and men find those women with a green bottle in their hands. (looks sort of similar to a beer bottle.....) In this ad her clothes are melting right off of her, you don't even see her entire face, maybe because that is not important to a man , her brain but her body is.

While this isn't for a specific brand I feel like ads liken women to food too much, something to be devoured and consumed. You eat with your eyes first so they play to both males and females in the same ad with different messages. This one is unusual as they are showing a women who is not white but she fits all the other ideals. So the word romance conjures up images of candles and roses, that is a societal generated ideal while romance can and is very much geared towards sex. Many ads play on the female eating something that looks very phallic and there are various other connotations that can be drawn from these food ads that are very sexual. 

Boing!!

What do birthday’s mean to you? Me? I think of balloons, cake, presents, and friends. What about if its your husbands birthday? Society tells women that an ideal present for your hubby would be to dress up in sexy lingerie and do something nice for your man…and I’m not just talking about breakfast in bed!.

This commercial starts off with the man in his bed, there’s sexy music in the background, candles lit and he’s lying on his back. His voice is also trembling like he is VERY excited for something…He calls out to his wife and asks her if “she’s ready yet”. She replies “I’m only doing this for your birthday!” – as though its her duty. The viewer would expect to see her walk out in a sexy outfit, because that’s what the ad implies.

TADA!! It’s an Arby’s commercial so she walks out (sexy & slowly) with the food. My favorite part of the commercial is when the Arby’s logo Pops up, BOING!! But wait; watch it again, what does that remind you of? And if you look closely its actually shaped as a penis! “Me likey” he closes with…ew?

This commercial is a perfect example of how it puts women in their place. It shows them that they are supposed to please their man, even if it’s something that they don’t necessarily want to do.

Thanks Arby’s now I know exactly what to do to please my man on his birthday! (Since of course, that’s what its all about!!)

- Molly

One of my greatest obsessions in life is old television commercials. I am convinced that I was born in the wrong decade, and as such I have quickly become immersed in the culture of old television commercials. One of my favorites is an old margarine commercial that puts 'Mother Nature' in an interesting place indeed.

Short sweet and simple. An amusing take on how mother nature feels about the idea of a man made food spread can imitate, or even be better then the butter that her hand creates. She obviously flies into a 'hysterical' rage at this and takes it out on the unsuspecting forest.

This typical view of 'mother nature' is nothing new, she has been portrayed as a Grecian goddess with a heart full of barely concealed rage when it comes to defiance. this motif of mother earth has shrouded women from its arrival. It is expected that this mother earth loses her logic just as any other rational woman would, given that situation. It labels women as hysterical and idyllic creatures waiting for the right moment before breakdown...

Butter, anyone?

Comment for Daddy needs some more lasaaaaagna!

You are only allowed so many characters in a comment so i had i had to post my comment to 'Daddy needs some more lasaaaaagna!' in a new post.

The husband is clearly telling his wife she's doing the right thing (serving a good dinner).  Her place is in the kitchen and she is to 'perform' well in there. The husband and child sit at the table and eat while the wife caters to their needs. The advertising company uses romance as a selling technique to remind women that they need to be beautiful and sexy in the home while doing her domestic work and chores. The women 'melts' to her husband who seems to be a typical breadwinner husband waiting for his wife to prepare and serve him is daily meal. This ad is one of many that has been 'inspired by the paternalism of the ideology of mass culture' (Hollows 71).  Women are hooked on that housewife ideal thanks to mainstream media and our male powered society.  The hollows text we have been reading says 'if 'housewives' can be weaned off their addictions to romances and soaps and read feminist books, they may overcome their 'false consciousness' and join with their feminist sisters in the struggle to overthrow patriarchy' (Hollows 71-72). This to me means that if women realize that the romance novels and other romantic fiction they are continuously reading and believing in is actually just a ridiculous ideal then they maybe women will be able to reject typical advertisements directed at making their 'place' one in the home. Advertising compere use romance in their ads to make women's role just like they hear about in the romantic novels. Women readers of the genera haven't been trained to see that romance isn't actually the most important thing in her life But, women are use to reading about happy male dominate families in their novels so when they see advertisements with the same ideals they believe what they are told. This particular commercial would reinforce the stereotypical role of a women as belonging in the home. She is shown as the cook of the dinner, and the one who picked out out the cheese (must have done the grocery shopping). She's in a clean house and the husband is waiting at the table with his child for dinner to be serve. This set up of the family has become 'normal' to society. Romance novels, chick flicks and soap operas have all reinforced this typical role women play. They have used the novels, films and shows as an escape of their daily domestic lives, so when advertising companies use the 'romancing technique' it is easy for women to fall for them. When women don't get to see women dominated activities their imaginations don't allow them to think of better for themselves. The advertising companies has only allowed women's abilities to be recognized in the home(as a cook, cleaner, act). This commercial also demonstrate women must also be sexy and 'melt' for their husbands. That 'melting' look she shows may be suggesting that the husband has the power to 'mold' his wife into the person HE wants her to be. Advertising companies use romance in their ads because half of the work of overpowering a women's mind was done by the chick flicks and romance novels. The companies know that women have been trained to think men are in power and their lives revolve around finding the perfect man and doing whatever necessary to make him happy (she will do all the work in the home). They use this to their advantage and take the 'romancing the roles of women' to another level and include them in food advertisements and household product advertisements. This commercials overall message seems to be if you want to get recognition from your husband (you should want that because romance novels have told you to be happy you need to please your husband) you need to buy our cheese. You will be a happy women if you please your husband with a delicious meal. The woman then becomes sexy for her husband and feels great once the husband says she's done a good job in the kitchen (her place). This advertisement is clearly a great example of how women are tricked to believe they belong in the home. 

-Goldilocks

M&S

    This advertisement could be interpreted very differently as it emphasizes the roles of sex binaries through mainly verbal accounts as there is no actual actors within the ad.
I went through a number of these M&S ads and this was the only one I found with a female narrator – all others are spoken about by some generic British guy surrounded by  very light and fluffy, also generic music. Undeniably, this particular ad, with the female speaker, plays a very sexual, ‘mood setting’ music. It is unmistakable to notice that such adjectively used words as extra virgin olive oil”, “tender rump steak and, “wild blueberry” are emphasized while describing particular foods being depicted. Comparatively, when the male is describing his food there is no stress on such innuendos. This type of reality could be explained by the dangerous fantasies Hollows discusses in chapter 4; and her suggestion that we are mindless, passive consumers. We are being fed this in all aspects of our lives as female (and I suppose feminine) beings. The suggestions of these foods are being objectified comparing that to all females (in the context of the female as a ‘feminine’ character) in general. Firstly, in order to listen (not truly, but on a second hand basis) we must sell ourselves to the male audience/gaze through overwhelming sexuality. Secondly, the images selected reflect and resemble the differences of femininity and masculinity – and example of this is strongly proven during the dessert portion of the ad; the descriptive and suggesting portrayal of the dressing of the dessert with melting chocolate syrup acts as a seductress (the women) for the audience (male) to gaze and fantasize over. Take the reality out of the food itself and allow imagination and fantasy to take over.  As discussed in the readings, romance is an ideology that is unchanging which leaves people not only accepting this but hindering their ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. Such mindless commercials like such are rarely questioned and although we may feel as though we are essentially unaffected by them, they continuously instill and confirm age old frame works of romance and gendering binaries allowing little room for personal interpretation and resistance. 
Additionally, I feel as though i was able to better critique this commercial given the fact that i had others with a male narrator to compare it to. Thus supporting my argument around binaries surrounding reoccurring romance roles.

-ace55kg

Daddy needs some more lasaaaaagna!

In this video, it shows a sterotyipcal family (mom, dad, child) ... Of course the mother made dinner and serves it to her husband and her child (who also happens to be male).. The husband starts to speak Italian and the women starts to melt and act like a little school girl, when she sort of takes the food away from the kid to give into her sexual urges to her new sexy "italiano" husband I almost died.. I love this commercial haha.