#likeagirl
I came across this advertisement for the feminine hygiene company Always on youtube the other day and thought it would be appropriate to share in relation to this weeks readings on Post-modernism. The text discusses Jean Baudrillard’s conception of post-modernism and his claim that “we in the West have reached a stage in social and economic development in which ‘it is no longer possible to separate the economic or productive realm from the realms of ideology or culture”, in short that culture and economics have become one in the same. I find this interesting because I think it illustrates a large theme in marketing as of late that targets social movements, personal ideology and feelings of exclusion in order to sell their product. Woman become consumers of pads and tampons at the age of puberty, brands recognize that the products we initially start buying and are satisfied with we will continue to purchase. By creating a marketing campaign that appears to show Always as a nurturer and protector of adolescent girl the company is likely seeking to draw the attention of these “vulnerable” consumers into asking their parents for their products. Speaking of Parents, this kind of viral campaign also works on feelings of nostalgia for parents, a Mother who may have lived her life being told she does things “like a girl” will use her spending power by buying Always for her daughter even if she hasn’t asked her for it, because she doesn’t want her daughter to have to grow up with those kinds of labels. And this is all well and good, but what kind of a difference is Always actually making? Sure, for a few days #likeagirl may trend on twitter and we may start to see some testimonials about how terrible it was for someone to grow up being told they run like a girl but otherwise its likelihood of actually creating a difference in the the hegemonic stereotype that is involved with the saying “like a girl” is unlikely. In the end mostly all they will have accomplished is to gain a few more loyal customers who are under the impression that just by spending money they can make a difference without having to actually change their habits in any way.
This video operates as an example of hyperrealism because of its inability to call into question the political and cultural claims that it represents. It posits that Always is making a difference, the audience is walked through this when they experience the deep emotion and introspection of others. A “pulling of the heart strings” to give the allusion that a real difference has been made. I don’t intend to imply that I am entirely pessimistic about this campaign because despite that it will likely have very little immediate impact on western culture and that it is, as a woman, something that is the least of my worries on the road to equality, it still brings ideas about how inequality is embedded into our language onto the table. Optimistically it does exist as a media that we may access and subvert to make more substantial marks with.
*apologies for not having the video in the post by I cannot get the embed link to work