[Imc] Re: Sexist ads in C-U

[David Young]

If a picture is worth a thousand words, it's only because there are a
thousand captions you could put on it.

There are no captions to the ads in Lincoln Square. What an enormous
opportunity for subversion! You could put a new, witty caption on each
ad (executed in a similar typeface as the rest of the ad so that it
"fits"), every week for the duration of the campaign. Every caption
could interpret the imagery in a way that is outlandish, as far as the
advertiser's purposes go, but ticklingly truthful about gender from the
perspective of the average shopper, who (one hopes) enjoys relatively
greater freedom from gender stereotypes than their '50s counterpart.

Dave

On Wed, Feb 21, 2001 at 02:12:29PM -0600, Paul Kaiser wrote:
> Mr. Hanzel,
> 
> You do have a well-adjusted viewpoint to these ads. Indeed, I doubt anyone started
> this campaign with negative intentions. The idea is clever, and does have sort of a
> "pop-art, back to the prosperous times" appeal to it. Marketing message: "Lucky You
> can take you back to simpler times."
> 
> These are not simpler times, sir. These are times when "traditional" lines between
> genders are being blurred and erased. Young women have a greater chance now to grow
> up with a healthy sense of self-worth not tied to the acceptance and admiration of
> a man.
> 
> When you say "These ads do not perpetuate gender roles", you do not speak for
> everyone.
> 
> You do not speak for any of the women who have struggled against traditional
> stereotypes. They try to concentrate on doing something with their lives, rather
> than molding themselves to fit some accepted pattern. This campaign works against
> the ground they have gained, both in their own minds and the minds of men who
> affect their lives.
> 
> I do not ask that you change your opinion of the ad campaign, but that you consider
> the effects on people other than yourself. While marketing campaigns may have
> little effect on some people, they are designed to send very powerful messages to
> the masses.
> 
> Regards,
> Paul Kaiser
> 
> eric lawrence hanzel wrote:
> 
> > Don't you have anythign better to worry about? These ads d not perpetuate
> > gender roles. They are merely fashionable icons of the past. More likely
> > to elicite an embarrassed chuckle than your mistaken banter.
> > Eric Hanzel
> 
> 
> 
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