Television perpetuating Sexism (towards men)

I recently saw 2 commercials which I deem absolutely sexist- towards men. I wonder why our society does not say STOP to this. Sexism does not just occur against women.

The commercials- one had a mom that left for work or something and the dad was messing everything up. The product (forgot what it was) was something that the mom had given the children and one of the kids said "at least dad did something right!" Are men now not capable of preparing food, starting a load of laundry, or reading a bedtime story? I hate the "big dumb dad" angle. This makes it seem like men don't know enough to care for their kids or aren't smart enough to know what their families need. (It is also sexist in the sense that maybe they think he "can't" do those things because he shouldn't do those things because they are "women's work"?)

Second commercial- this was a commercial that poked at stereotypes but was sexist in the sense that eating salad makes you feminine. It was a Dial commercial for a new MANLY bodywash (they mention how the container looks like an oil can. I believe this is in jest, but still). This guy is sitting on the couch eating a salad and the commercial condemns him for eating "rabbit food". So A- vegetarinism is apparently just for women and b- caring about your health and body is just for women.

What do you think? As men, do you encounter stereotypes you would like eliminated? I am posting this in the women's issues forum too, to see the the different results.

 

As a man who dislikes cooking/cleaning/domestic chores and regularly indulges in steak while simultaneously harassing salad-eaters (faggy pinko commies),

No, I am not bothered.

 

Interesting veggies make you gay while you love the meat?
Men...... who love meat...hmm.


I take your posts with a grain of salt because I believe them to be half or all joking.

 

Advertising speaks to societies commonly held beliefs. If it didn't, it wouldn't work. They don't care about destroying stereotypes or improving society; they care about selling product.

Our society doesn't say STOP to advertising, it says either SOLD or NO SALE.

 

I'd like to see *all* stereotypes eliminated. I find myself watching les and less television as I get older.

 

well, having watched my brothers, my fathers, and my husband, i've come to the conclusion that they must either be playing dumb or deliberately screwing up in order to get out of doing this stuff ever again. however, that first commercial in the OP was pretty funny to me, innovative, outta the box thinking. gotta love that.

 

I know what you mean. Men are portraid as womanizing, money grubbing bastards who will Beat you, and rape your children. Enough already Hollywood!
Some of us really ARE Prince Charming with the right woman.
We succesfully raise families, and a lucky few have even had a
SILVER Anniversary! (That means 25 yrs of marriage.) I want to see
my GOLD with my wife. Tell OUR stories for a change! Ya MIGHT fuck-up
and help make the world a better place.

 

Sorry for the rant. This is a "Pet-Peeve" of mine.

 

that stuff doesn't sell because it's not dramatic. it's not interesting. it's not interesting because the true majority of us have good people in our lives. bad news sells because it's not the norm. but people have incredibly short and easily manipulated memories. suddenly they'll take ever little episode in their lives and find the bad in it, instead of being able to remember the good. we're kinda pathetic that way.

 

It was pretty facetious, if you're into that sort of stuff.

 

the only annooyying thing is called unmanly coz i like drinking alcopops over beer.

 

I hate the big dumb dad angle as well, and have said so for years. Not only does it make men look bad (and lead them to believe that this is how they should act) but it makes the women who are with them look like fools for being with someone who is not competent enough to take care of himself.

As far as salad, my boyfriend eats anything and everything, and he sure as hell doesn't care what anyone else has to say about it. In my opinion, real men don't worry about what other people think.

Really, tv sucks. Just turn it off.

 

I've noticed that lately most of them are for cleanin gproducts that make men look horribley incapable of doing anything correctly or even being able to make it in the bowl. All I have to say is that I am really glad men aren't actually like this because I, myself am horribley domestically deficient and really incapable and it would be a sad sad story if I was ever with somone as incapable as me...it would be scary.

 

No offense, but it was down right stupid.

 

No offense, but it was down right stupid.

 

No offense, but it was down right stupid.

 

TV SUCKS!

 

Who cares, they've been doing this for years, when I was growing up all I saw on pretty much every commercial that had a family in it was the dumb dad angle.

Or commercials that showed the wives had all the control & the father was just stumbling along, like cable commercials, that had the father flipping through the channels when his little daughter comes in the room & says "Mommy said no T.V" as if the daughter was commanding her own father as if he was the child & she & mommy was the parent. It ends as always, the daughter tells mommy & Mom turns off the t.v in a witty way while dad looks all Homer Simpson like.

They've been doing this for a decade or two, you just get use to it. You wonder why foreigners think American men are weak & stupid. All these same commercials get aired over sea's you know?

 

Haha it seems the only ones so far who care are mostly women.


Sometimes I envy men for being so detached from things and not over analazing them (I know a sterotype, but it wouldn't be a sterotype if it it didn't fit more times than not)

 

This extends way beyond commercials, which is why I find it so disturbing. Lots of US 'sit-com's' seem to base their stories around a stupid guy and his intelligent but frustrated wife.

If the roles were reversed, and the man was frustrated with his stupid wife, it wouldn't get on television.