Gender Stereotypes In Commercials

Gender Stereotypes in Commercials
Mass media, nowadays, have a great power and influence large audiences, as they not only give people information and entertainment, but they also affect their lives by shaping their opinion, attitudes and beliefs. In order to create a universal, understandable and acceptable for numerous and diverse recipients message, mass media very often use stereotypes and more specifically the gender stereotypes. Despite the fact that the differences between male and female roles are smaller in our times, mass media still use traditional gender stereotypes, maybe because they assume that they are well known to everyone, and help the receivers to understand the content of the message. Sometimes they choose to picture certain

Men generally advertise cars, cigarettes, business products or investments. They are usually middle-aged or older, playing autonomous roles, and mostly shown outdoors, at work or in a leisure environment. The most popular type that is widely used in commercials is “a real man”. In this category are included men that combine a good appearance with a successful career in their professional field. So, the man that is depicted in this type of commercials certainly is successful, professional, seducer and athletic, with a branded and very expensive car, and he also has a beautiful woman by his side. Another type of man that is less popular, presents men devoted to their families, maybe working hard and trying to save time for them. Men are almost never presented during housecleaning and if they are, it is a satirical image or they appear as the experts and they advise women how to do something properly or which product is better to use. Advertisers also use the stereotype of male friendship; men are presented as acting together, they share the same interests and opinions, and they enjoy spending time together by doing something extremely interesting only for males, such as playing or watching a football game. (Vierra, 2014) (Wolska,

That is, more and more commercials are directed to children and define the proper place in the society for girls and boys. Girls are shown as babysitters nursing or dressing dolls (Barbie, the most famous doll), whereas boys do sports or play computer games. However, children are even more affected by children's films. Disney films about princesses are the ideal example, as they were, and still are, very popular with young girls and extremely profitable. Nonetheless, these films are great sources of stereotypes. Appearance is something valuable, to a point that it seems that beauty is what makes someone special ('Cinderella'). Also, heroines fall in love at first sight, without knowing the prince. They teach girls that they should change who they are for a love ('The Little Mermaid', Ariel transformed into a human to be with Eric), and to be happy they have to fall in love and marry a prince. Girls are also presented as damsels in distress that need to be saved from a man (Rapunzel, Ariel, Snow White with a kiss, Cinderella etc.), thus, men are presented as heroes. Men are also shown to need women to take care of them and their house ('Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'). Ιn boys' films, boys are heroes as well, with the difference that they are more violent. (Juergen, 2014) (Smith & Cook,