Women Are Stupid
Sexist vintage ad from 1970. Is it possible to look more STUPID than she does?
1970. Image credit: dklimke
Apparently, the answer is a resounding YES, as demonstrated by this 1953 sexist vintage ad:
1953. Image credit: dklimke
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Robin responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 10:37 pm →
It’s funny the way ads like the first one are meant to advertise the product to women, yet are designed to appeal to men. It’s the same with lots of bra ads.
As for the second ad, manufacturers seem to be getting more and more paranoid about their tops and lids being safe and secure, that they are becoming almost impossible to get off! Not so good for the elderly. Wouldn’t mind backtracking to 1953!
Robin
Robin’s last blog post..Friday the 13th.
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 10:43 pm →
haha, Vered,
You’re going to love my post for today. It’s about female bloggers.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Blogs Aren’t Just For Boys Anymore
Cecily responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 10:53 pm →
Now that’s some GOOD advertising!!!
Cecily’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday and You Write The Captions
Cecily responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 10:53 pm →
Tongue firmly planted in cheek, by the way…
Cecily’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday and You Write The Captions
Maisie responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 11:22 pm →
I wonder how that ad affected sales. Yes. They have her looking pretty stupid.
Maisie’s last blog post..Why Women Live Longer Than Men
Alik | PracticeThis.com responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 11:35 pm →
It must be fake – I do not believe it.
Alik | PracticeThis.com’s last blog post..The Best Advice For Any Manager
Shilpan | successsoul.com responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 4:06 am →
It’s too good to be true..:)
Shilpan | successsoul.com’s last blog post..How to Cultivate Mental Clarity and Happiness
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 6:34 am →
*dry laugh* nice.
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You’s last blog post..Big Dreams: 10 Critical Keys to Your Success – Part 1
Celeste(very sad) responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 7:05 am →
Ads are getting worse everyday
Marelisa responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 7:43 am →
I hate advertisements that perpetuate stereotypes. Here in Central America all of the advertisements that have to do with cleaning products for the home, doing the laundry, cooking, putting band-aids on children, and so on, are directed toward women. Hey, men can clean, cook, do laundry, and look after the children as well.
Marelisa’s last blog post..50 Ways to Celebrate Life Every Day
Suzie responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 8:20 am →
What…huh…I am having so much trouble pushing these little keys with my little girly fingers. I think my little mind will explode with all the effort it takes. Wow math is hard tooo!
Suzie’s last blog post..(Semi) Wordless Wednesday
Christina responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 8:29 am →
Interesting how they “cater” to women by creating easy-to-operate stuff, while they don’t really cater to women’s body types when it comes to clothing especially JEANS. I’m short and petite but I’m no size 0, the length always fits but never the waist haha.
Christina’s last blog post..Discovery – Quote from Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi
Tim Brownson responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 9:03 am →
@ Marelissa – Damn right they/we can. I do all the cleaning in our house as well as about half the ironing and cooking. Of course that may be because I don’t have a real job.
When we came to the US we had to buy 2 cars. At almost every garage the sales person would aim all the chat at me. In one we got up and walked out as I said “Watch this, you’re just about to see 30 grand walk out of a show room” because of it, in another I said “Mate you’re talking to the wrong person, my wife is the buying authority in our house” and in another Helen said “Can women drive cars in America or is that not allowed”
I’d like to say some were better than others, but the sad fact is the weren’t.
Gotta go I have an apple pie in the oven and my hair appointment is in 15!
Tim Brownson’s last blog post..Do You Need A Vacation?
Mrs. Micah responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 9:43 am →
You mean I can cook without a man? Glory be!! Here, I was afraid that I was insufficient even for my role in the kitchen.
(that said, I do like devices that help me with tougher lids.)
Randall responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 10:12 am →
People can be so stupid and bigoted. I heard this story from a mentor of mine, and I believe that it’s true. He was a successful S. California businessman before he passed away some years ago.
A man in overalls and a flannel shirt walked into a car dealer in Burbank, California. There was a man washing the windows. The window washer smiled and said good morning to the man in the overalls. The man in the overalls walked around the showroom looking at the new cars. The three salesmen on duty ignored him, their conversation was clearly more important than a man in overalls and a flannel shirt. Finally the man in the overalls asked to speak to the manager. One of the salesmen tore himself away from their engrossing conversation and got the manager. The man in the overalls asked the manager if the salesmen were on commission. The manager replied that they were. The man in the overalls said, “I’m Howard Hughes. I want to buy a fleet of cars for my company, and I want the commission to go to that man.” Howard pointed to the window washer.
Sarah responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am →
Times have changed huh?! I’d like to see them try one of these ads today.
Sarah’s last blog post..Lets Have Some Girl Talk.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 11:33 am →
@ Robin: I’m guessing the assumption was that the man would buy the automatic car for his wife… but yeah, the bra ads are just weird sometimes. I freely admit that opening jars is not always easy for a woman, although I do drive manual shift beautifully and many men can’t. What I find offensive is that women are portrayed here as stupid. Well, not exactly offensive since it’s vintage… more funny and interesting.
@ Barbara: I did enjoy your post!
@ Cecily: I know… I wonder if it worked?
@ Maisie: I’m curious too!
@ Alik: I actually don’t think these are fake – these ads try to be funny and were created at a time when the idea of political correctness did not yet exist.
@ Shilpan: See my response to Alik… I think they’re for real!
@ JEMi:
@ Celeste: luckily, those are vintage ads, which really makes it more funny than offensive.
@ Marelisa: I honestly don’t know how a capable woman like you can stand the Central American Macho culture. It must be tough. It was bad enough for me in Israel, and I think Central America is even worse.
@ Suzie: so you made me laugh twice today – on your own blog and here.
@ Christina: True!
@ Tim: Car dealers are notorious. I thought it was a universal phenomena – surprised that it’s different in the U.K.
@ Mrs. Micah: “I do like devices that help me with tougher lids” – absolutely, as long as I am not portrayed as STUPID b/c lids were designed by men, for men.
@ Randall: I LOVE this story! Thank you so much for sharing it. Making assumptions about people, and snubbing them, based on how they look, is something that I never quite understood. I guess people have a need to feel superior.
@ Sarah: that would make for an interesting experiment indeed.
think responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm →
Some of the easy-to-operate inventions are by women and are popular with men. For example Dish Washer.
think’s last blog post..10 Tips to Start — Guidelines to Start a Task & Finish Successfully
hyrcan responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm →
@ Sarah: Sadly it hasn’t stopped, just changed with the times. Those ads seem absurd to us now, but much like the ads at About-Face.org they were socially acceptable. The ones out today may be seem not as bad, but that doesn’t change the negative impact they have on society as a whole.
hyrcan’s last blog post..Change?
Bamboo Forest responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 2:36 pm →
Heh, advertisements. Don’t expect much from them.
Bamboo Forest’s last blog post..Top 7 Things I’ve Learned about Blogging
chris responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 3:08 pm →
You know the most unfortunate thing about women stereotypes? Other women believing them.
chris’s last blog post..Going Green
Andre Kibbe responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 3:24 pm →
It’s fascinating to see that the Mini Automatic ad passed without comment when it appeared, right at the peak of Women’s Lib.
Even harder to believe that the Del Monte ad, er, engendered no backlash, in the Fifties or any other era.
Vered, what images from the present do you think will make your Wordless Wednesdays in 2058?
Andre Kibbe’s last blog post..What You Can Do Right Now
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 3:42 pm →
@ think: This is great, but were they marketed to the public using images of males looking STUPID?
@ hyrcan: Wow. Thanks for the link.
@ bamboo: True! Although, they do teach you a lot about our culture.
@ chris: this is very, very true, though I hope it’s gradually changing.
@ Andre: I thought that was interesting indeed – the seventies were NOT the fifties, you would think there would be a backlash against this ad. Well, maybe there was. I didn’t dig through newspaper archives from that year.
As for your question, I think it’s a great question. Hyrcan’s link provides plenty of examples, such as this one: Versace ad
However, 50 years from now, ummm I’ll be 87 if I still exist. I suspect I won’t be doing Wordless Wednesdays by then.
Nameless Blogger responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 7:06 pm →
i don’t think it’s possible. she looks crazee! like she just escaped.
Nameless Blogger’s last blog post..Do You Suffer From Affluenza?
Joel Falconer responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 10:28 pm →
I sure as hell could do with tomato sauce bottles that are easier to open. Writing all day takes its toll, ya know!
Joel Falconer’s last blog post..Advertising on Your Blog: Choosing Revenue Sources
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pm →
@ Nameless: she does look like a LUNATIC!
@ Joel: I don’t know how you do it…
Ellen Wilson responds:
Posted: June 24th, 2008 at 8:53 am →
Ah yes. I suppose we need are stereotypes in order to relate to eachother. Ridiculous. I don’t think I would do well in advertising because I would forever be trying to break down the stereotypes.
Ken would wear a skirt.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..Everyday isn’t Always an Opus
MomGrind responds:
Posted: June 24th, 2008 at 12:19 pm →
@ Ellen: I would not be very good at advertising either. I often find the whole thing ridiculous.
Dot H. responds:
Posted: July 7th, 2008 at 6:19 am →
I love your Wordless Wednesdays, especially the stuff from the Fifties (where do you FIND it?). If you want to experience what working life was like in the Fifties and early Sixties, try to find an episode of “Mad Men” on TV. It’s about Madison Avenue (advertising executives). In the only episode I watched, the sexual harassment of the women employees was so chillingly accurate that I didn’t know whether to scream and throw things or dig out my eyes. Couldn’t watch any more. So GLAD that some of that stuff is over, though not as much as should be.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: July 11th, 2008 at 5:11 am →
@ Dot H.: Sounds interesting! I am intrigued by the fifties b/c it amazes me that women were treated like that – and it wasn’t even that long ago. I do agree that we still have a long way to go.
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DumbMan responds:
Posted: February 3rd, 2010 at 10:16 pm →
Hi Ladies,,,
Maybe these ads are just trying to bring in sales and are playing on gender roles to make a dollar? I would never make a judgment on a person without meeting them first, but I think most married men just find that their wives do silly things at times, and these ads jokingly point fun at it in an attempt to get a person to remember and buy a product. In a nation where men are usually the primary bread winners, it just sounds like they are trying to focus on a majority target audience that may see the ad, not that they are a bunch of sexist or racist bastards.
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