sexist advertising

Here in the feminist blogosphere, we spend a lot of time calling out sexism in the media, especially in advertising. Contrary to popular belief, this is not because we are screeching harridans, but because most mainstream advertising is hella sexist. That’s why I was extra-psyched to see this new Acer electronics ad featuring Megan Fox as a budding marine biologist who is not, at any point, reduced to a piece of ass.

You may have seen the hilarious Amazon customer reviews for the BIC "For Her" Ball Pen that have been circulating the web this week. Written in response to BIC's ludicrous idea that women need a pen with an "Elegant design - just for her!" and a "Thin barrel to fit a women's hand," the reviews are smart, sarcastic, and sounding alarms in the social media world for all the wrong reasons.

The new Hooters campaign features two owl puppets—a devil and an angel—meant to represent the internal conflict many customers face when eating fried food at what is basically the world's least gratifying strip club. On the one hand, you consider yourself a nice person, but on the other hand, you want to objectify women while you eat lunch! What to do???


You eat at Hooters, duh. Also seriously, how is one guy supposed to eat all that food?

Wouldn't it be so funny if a company marketed a "smart" camera by making fun of a "stupid" woman? Take it away, Samsung!


Too smart for Amy. Too obnoxious for the general public.

Advertisers are tapping into some of the most misogynistic male fantasies when they use futuristic fembots to convince men to buy their products. They are selling a fantasy of control by turning women into obedient, mute, homemaking, sex slaves.

Well, our Mad World discussion blog is in its third week now, and we just couldn't hold off any longer: It's time to talk about Axe.

 

For the love of god, what will it be next? This is not Burger King's first rodeo, in terms of terrible, sexist advertising, but it might be the raunchiest and therefore the most abhor-able. There is no reading between the lines here, no smoke and mirrors as far as the imagery and message are concerned. So who the hell keeps getting this smut on their desk and signing off on it? In past blogs, we've tackled this b.s. once or twice before, and you'd think they'd eventually get over the tired, easy, douchebag messaging. "Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled"? For the love of... Please, please, this is so grade school immature and straight-up offensive.

Burger King, women don't like giving sandwiches fellatio. Shockingly enough. Based on past ad campaigns, Burger King thinks women think hamburgers are babies and now, penises, and that we'll stuff our pants to emulate Spongebob so we can drop it like it's hot in some weird, washed-up '80s hip-hop star's quasi-music video. A big shut up, please, to Burger King for their latest jaunt down Douchebag Avenue. BK execs, why don't you take your own advice and suck it (metaphorically speaking).