Original Ad:
This advertisement was posted on Women’s Day (August 9th) on Bic’s South Africa Facebook page. In South Africa, this day is intended to honor the Great Women’s March of 1965. That said, this advertisement does everything but celebrate women and their abilities. Bic posted a blatantly misogynistic advertisement suggesting that women should look, act, think, and work like something they’re not. I strongly believe the original intention of the post was to celebrate women; but instead, it puts down women and reinforces traditional gender roles. The line “Look like a girl” touches on the ongoing expectation in society for women to dress and present themselves in a feminine way, even in the workplace. It also gives off the wrong message of suggesting that the appearance of a woman is an important factor. This ties into how many women and young girls are sexualized and judged by their choice in clothing. In a society where many young girls and older women are unhappy with the way they look, this ad would contribute to the unreasonable expectations for women to fit a specific beauty standard. The line “Act like a lady” highlights the expectation of women to be less vocal than their male counterparts. They are expected to behave submissively; to obey orders instead of giving them, to be weaker and less powerful. The line “Think like a man” completely devalues the intelligence of women. It suggests that in order for a woman to succeed, they must think the way a man does.Overall, this advertisement unintentionally emphasizes that being a woman is just not enough; that you need to present yourself in a feminine way but think like a man. This ad completely disregards the individual capabilities of women and their own unique and creative thinking. This advertisement puts women into a box and tries to tell them they should act and look a certain way. This advertisement made it seem like being a woman is just not good enough. I think this is detrimental towards a woman’s confidence and I believe it sends the wrong message, especially to young girls.
Jammed Ad #1:
Although the original ad was blatantly sexist, my jammed version of the ad aimed to make the underlying misogynistic messages even more obvious. I tried to emphasize the fact that the original advertisement encouraged the feminine appearance and personality of women. However, when it came to intelligence and work ethic, they emphasized the need to be like a man. The ad suggests that women are just good at acting and looking feminine, but when it comes to succeeding, they must garner the ability to think and work like a man. This version of the ad inspired to invoke the ideas of modern society and the expectations set for women. It also aims to bring light to the misconception that men are more intelligent and/or capable of succeeding in their own endeavours than women are. The advertisement fails to understand the unique knowledge, values, and experiences women contribute to modern day society.
Jammed Ad #2
I also decided to change the advertisement into a more appropriate Women’s Day advertisement. “Look like you”, “Act like you”, “Think like you”, “Work like you”, because “YOU” are good enough! It’s important to be yourself! Being a woman does not mean one has to dress in a feminine way or act in a feminine way, it means dressing however you want. It does not mean that you have to push yourself to think and work the way a man does because thinking and working like yourself is equally as important. If everyone thought the way a man does, we would not have as many advancements in various fields! This concept was covered in a previous module that explained that healthcare equality is often overlooked but there is a dire need for equal representation of women in the healthcare field. Dr. Justina Trott discussed the idea of a “consciousness raising group”, how women are able to get together to push the need for the representation of women in various fields. Women are able to provide insight on being a woman, so they should continue to think like themselves.