My school has started a feminist's society, and it's easily become the highlight of my week. Every Friday lunch, a student gives a talk on something relating to feminism. This has been on transgender people, whether men can be feminists and, what I'm going to discuss today, feminism in advertising, specifically food. Gender divides and food had never previously been something I'd thought about, but seeing the adverts side by side, you can see a huge contrast.
WOMEN:
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Adverts aimed to attract women usually focus on things being 'light' or 'diet' or 'guilt-free'. We have a really odd relationship with food, categorizing things as 'good' or 'bad', as though it is that simple. Therefore when you eat something you're doing something wrong or right. So adverts aimed at women always seem to focus on food being 'diet' or 'light' in order to make you feel good about eating it. The other side of advertising is when women are sexualised in order to attract men. Objectifying women in the media isn't a foreign concept to us, but I'd never observed it in food before.
MEN:
(via / via / via / via)
Adverts aimed at men however, focus on having protein and being 'manly'. They sometimes even exclude women, which I don't really understand as you're eliminating half of your potential demographic. It could be because women are seen as somehow 'weaker' and can't handle a yorkie bar? A lot of adverts aimed at men also usually involve some sort of explosion and images of young strong men.
The question I want to ask is whether you think this is a cause or consequence? Do these adverts cause an even bigger gender divide in our society, or are they the result of an existing one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
-Lexi xo
WOMEN:
(via / via / via / via)
Adverts aimed to attract women usually focus on things being 'light' or 'diet' or 'guilt-free'. We have a really odd relationship with food, categorizing things as 'good' or 'bad', as though it is that simple. Therefore when you eat something you're doing something wrong or right. So adverts aimed at women always seem to focus on food being 'diet' or 'light' in order to make you feel good about eating it. The other side of advertising is when women are sexualised in order to attract men. Objectifying women in the media isn't a foreign concept to us, but I'd never observed it in food before.
MEN:
(via / via / via / via)
Adverts aimed at men however, focus on having protein and being 'manly'. They sometimes even exclude women, which I don't really understand as you're eliminating half of your potential demographic. It could be because women are seen as somehow 'weaker' and can't handle a yorkie bar? A lot of adverts aimed at men also usually involve some sort of explosion and images of young strong men.
The question I want to ask is whether you think this is a cause or consequence? Do these adverts cause an even bigger gender divide in our society, or are they the result of an existing one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
-Lexi xo
