The advertisement to the left is from the 1930s. What do you make of its message? Do you imagine everyone who viewed this advertisement received the same message? Are there multiple messages here?
Professor Wiggins
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2 comments:
From looking at this ad it is clear to me that is was in circulation during a time when women were still ONLY thought of as "homemakers". Therefore if something in the "home" (which mind you HE pays for) is not working correctly it is DEFINATLY HER fault. I believe that everyone received the same message, however had very different feelings of this message. I feel as though by seeing this message a woman would think "We have received the right to vote, yet that has still not achieved much- it is still a man's world and I am still just a homemaker". As for what a man might think when viewing this ad maybe something like "We need some of that! Honey be sure to pick that up TOMORROW!" I don't believe that this ad would cause much deep thought from a man during that time.
I agree with what "hamerr" wrote about women being thought of as "homemakers." In the early 1930's, at least before many women took over mens' stereotypical jobs during WWII, women most likely were considered "homemakers," by the majority of the population who saw this ad. However, other than contributing to that "homemaking" image of women, the ad's use of guilt--in expressions and in words--and of the symbolic hand gestures of the man and woman (man tugs his tie up almost forcefully while the woman touches her face indicating nervousness, guilt, stress), contribute to negative gender stereotyping. Not only is the woman depicted as ashamed, and guilty--almost afraid of her husband because the house has a clogged pipe--the man's motions and slanted resemble someone before they pounce--violently. So both depictions of everyday man and woman are negative stereotypes that to some viewers may appear to encourage guilt and violence in married relationships.
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