Gender Representation in Cultural Artifacts
By: Kevin Matadamas
In this cultural artifact we can see the theme of masculinity and the idea that women are subordinate to men. In the picture we can see that the woman is crying in her husband's arms after burning what she had on the stove. The woman is well dressed with her hair and makeup done, while the man is dressed in a nice suit. This advertisement clearly shows how American business men thought of gender roles when this picture was made.
In the picture we see the woman is represented as fragile and sensitive. She has a pan in one hand and with the other hand she's wiping her tears with a handkerchief. This shows that creators of this image believed that women are so sensitive that they cry when something minor goes wrong. The creators of the picture also show how they believe that women run to men for comfort when they are upset. Another traditional belief that is shown is the idea that women are responsible for everything in the household. The woman is shown in the kitchen and the man is at the table drinking beer. Traditionally women are expected to cook, clean and keep the house maintained while the men are expected to relax and do whatever they want around the house. Lastly this advertisement shows the stigma between men and alcohol. The text on the picture suggests that men care about beer more than what their wives say. Instead of comforting her wife, the man is more worried about the beer at the table.
This advertisement has not impacted the way I think about gender roles but it does show me how far society has come from it's attitude of male dominance. If this advertisement was displayed in today’s society the company would have received negative feedback from customers and who ever disagreed with the pictures’ message. This advertisement represents American society and how many men see women. The people that made this image where likely older white business men who were trying to attract the attention of adult males who drink beer.
In recent years American society has moved from their traditional beliefs that women are lesser than men to an attitude that women have the same opportunity as men. This advertisement would anger many women that no longer accept being seen as sensitive or just a housewife. As gender roles and stigmas continue to change within society we can see more opportunities for women around the world.
I agree that this photo portrays masculinity as being more dominant than women. This sends a message towards women making them seem like they aren't capable of fulfilling the duties of a man. This is degrading to women by making it clear that they aren't capable of handling the same responsibilities as a man.
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