Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

GRSJ 300 98A

Gabrielle Vecchio-34730151
Raymond Hsu
June 30th, 2017

Culture Jamming Assignment:

ORIGINAL AD: ‘The Problem’

http://socitina.blogspot.com/2010/11/gender-roles-in-tide-laundry-soap.html

Within this image, we see a definite role being played by the female depicted within the photo. The advertising industry chooses to narrow audiences within ads representing products such as Tide, in order to cater to a certain demographic. The female within the ad is represented within the ‘Tide’ advertisment as the homemaker, the cleaner, the housekeeper and the caretaker of the overall wellbeing of the home. This advertisement particularly showcases that ‘she’ takes care of the household maintenance that needs to be completed, that she is responsible for the home’s well being and cleanliness. Through assessing this particular photo, we as viewers can identify that there is specific identifications that are played between genders within the household. The female takes care of the cooking, childbearing, cleaning and within this specific example, the laundry. This is in direct opposition to the males, whom do not have a connection with the ‘Tide’ product and are not represented in the washing and drying of the household clothes. Not only that, but the male individual is not showcased and or shown within this specific advertisement, highlighting the absence of the male being within this particular household duty. This advertisement shows the roles that are played within a hegemonic family structure, specifically that the women should partake in the daily chores, which require laundry to be done and completed. It is as well a direct representation that males do not and should not partake in the practice of cleaning and that it is a “women’s job” to be enamoured with a washing product and to represent it with such enthusiasm and a desire to clean. Even within the ad, we see the female’s hand gently pouring the liquid into the washing machine. This not only showcases that she is partaking in the sampling of the products she is using within the household, but she   is the main contributor and source to the practice and maintenance of the doing the home laundry. The ‘problem’ represented within the ‘Tide’ advertisement is something that occurs within mainstream advertisement and media daily and this example is just one of many. What is represented here is that females are the sole provider and caretaker to the home and that males no longer need to play a role within the practice of laundry. Through my particular ‘culture jamming’, I hope to invoke a change that will a) provide the audience with a more inclusive and gender unspecific advertisement and b) change our perception and how we view females, versus males within the household.

NEW JAMMED AD: ‘The Solution’

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flap-over-tide-ads-glorifying-stay-at-home-dad/

With my particular “jamming” of the photo, I specifically chose to integrate the male specimen into the process and practice of cleaning laundry within a household. This is considered “jamming”, as I incorporated an extremely vital component of a functioning household (the male), which should have been showcased within the original ad. Within my jamming philosophy, I am aspiring to invoke a change in how we view and interpret household chores to be done and by whom they are being done by. Instead of always viewing the female as the vital component to a functioning household, we need to as well consider the male being, as specifically partaking in the everyday role of doing laundry and cleaning up after oneself. This jamming process reveals that there is a very evident issue of gender dynamics being showcased within advertisements, which feature specifically household items and products. The ads are targeting a certain demographic and type of consumer (the female) and unfortunately by focusing on the females, we are degrading them and showcasing them as “workers of the home”. Women have become painted as the sole provider and giver to a full functioning household, through ads, programs, television, magazines, etc…and the way we can alter this perception, is through changing the way we view them. Hence, this involves incorporating the male within the Tide program and highlighting his involvement and relationship to the Tide product and the practice of doing laundry. Overall my jamming reveals that society has a huge problem in how we view females versus males within a household and who we believe should be partaking in the practice of cleaning dirty laundry. Through my jamming, I hope to have enlightened my audience into understanding how crucial gender powers, dynamics and hierarchies are within popular advertisement and media. Until we begin to invoke a change, i.e. incorporate a more gender neutral stance on who does laundry, then society will be able to forgo the perception of females within a household.

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed viewing and articulating my specific example of gender dynamics and issues within advertisements and how we can change that, through the process of “culture jamming”!