The subordinate position of women in our culture is an important issue, currently and historically. But what does the “subordinate” position actually mean?
sub·or·di·nate
[adj., n. suh-bawr-dn-it]
1. placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
2. of less importance; secondary.
The term “subordinate” can mean many things. Often, when you think of women as “subordinate”, you might think of the wage gap between women and men (women earn 77% of what men earn as of 9/16/10)*, or you might think about the overwhelmingly disproportionate statistics about rape (99% of rapists are men)**.
This blog will focus on a more literal interpretation of the word "subordinate." The subordination of women is an extremely intricate subject matter; there is evidence of it all around us. But what happens when you take a closer look at the subordination of women in advertising? We noticed a pattern…
Remember that part of the definition of “subordinate” that has to do with something being lower? Check out these old magazine advertisements from the 1950s. Though women have gained more rights than they had in the fifties and sixties, the advertisements we have today are not that different from the ones that were common back then.
sub·or·di·nate
[adj., n. suh-bawr-dn-it]
1. placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
2. of less importance; secondary.
The term “subordinate” can mean many things. Often, when you think of women as “subordinate”, you might think of the wage gap between women and men (women earn 77% of what men earn as of 9/16/10)*, or you might think about the overwhelmingly disproportionate statistics about rape (99% of rapists are men)**.
This blog will focus on a more literal interpretation of the word "subordinate." The subordination of women is an extremely intricate subject matter; there is evidence of it all around us. But what happens when you take a closer look at the subordination of women in advertising? We noticed a pattern…
Remember that part of the definition of “subordinate” that has to do with something being lower? Check out these old magazine advertisements from the 1950s. Though women have gained more rights than they had in the fifties and sixties, the advertisements we have today are not that different from the ones that were common back then.
Take a look at these two advertisements, both of them from the 1950s. They both feature women lying on the floor, in positions that are either implied or directly subordinate to men. The first is a woman lying on the floor next to a shoe, with the copy reading “Keep her where she belongs…” It’s implied that this woman has less value than a man: where she belongs is on the floor. There’s also a hint that the woman’s only interest is in shoes and trivial things that a man can’t be bothered with—she belongs in a position where her only concern is for shoes and fashion.
The second ad is even worse. The copy reads, “It’s nice to have a woman around the house,” and depicts a woman, her body turned into a fur rug, on the floor, while a man’s foot holds her head down. This ad takes the theme of women being lesser than men several steps further. She has no body; she is a rug, turned into a furnishing. The only part of her body that’s left—her head, her brain—is being stepped on. The only thing she has left that can be considered valuable is being degraded as much as her body was by being turned into a rug. She’s not smart; she’s just there to look pretty. When we add all this to the copy, we can infer that it’s nice to have a woman around the house… as long as she’s not too smart and just sits around looking pretty, not getting in the man’s way.
Then there’s an ad like this one, which takes the theme almost as far as it can go. A man is portrayed as outright beating his wife for “getting flat, stale coffee.” It’s meant to be humorous, but instead becomes disturbing. It trivializes the problem of domestic violence in order to market a product. One would think we’ve moved past that mentality, but today’s ads prove that we haven’t.
Take a look at all of these and notice the positioning of the women's bodies, and compare it to the man's. They are always lower, always subordinate. Isn't that sending the message that a woman isn't as valued as a man?
Based on these ads, would you think today's advertisements are better or worse? Click "Older Posts" for the next entry and get a look at the advertisements of today, and keep these themes in mind.
