The Representation of Women in Advertisements through the 20th and 21st Centuries

by aisha_issaoutlookcom (student)

The representation of women in advertisement has changed throughout the centuries. In the early twentieth century women were known to be subservient and inferior to their husbands, whilst in the present century women are acknowledge as equal and talented as mans, completely going against stereotypes. These changes are present in advertisement such as Listerine, Folgers and diet coke which show the stages of change.

Listerine

In the 1920 Listerine advert it portrays women to be desperate for a husband by showing the model Edna can’t cope without a husband. The camera shot in the advert is long shot as it shows Edna body and background. Edna is in a dark room and her hands have a grip on an open chest, which is empty because there should be men’s clothes in the chest. By the empty chest you could connote that women’s in the 1920’s are expected to have a husband in order to be joyful. This represent women at that time to be distressed and anxious for men’s attention because of society at the time expected women’s to be married before reaching that ‘tragic thirty-mark.’

The Listerine advert sends a message to women’s at that time that they should be married because happiness only comes in marriage. By using the words ‘pathetic Edna’ readers were expected to consider Edna’s story depressing because of her marital status: she was, after all, nearly 30 years old and still unmarried. What’s more, because of her halitosis, Edna had to be content being “always a bridesmaid but never a bride.” This represent women in the 1920’s to be a easily deceived as Listerine used dishonest approach in the advert like the fact that they mention that the mouthwash cures dandruff.

Women primary goal was to be a housewives and mother- if they couldn’t do this they were considered failure by society. The Listerine advert uses fear to frighten women in the 20’s society because of halitosis in a social situation and women’s would often compare themselves to “Edna”, who approaching her 30th birthday was still single, due to bad breath. She was, they said, “always a bridesmaid and never a bride.” This represent women’s in the 20’s society to have a simple goal that is to be married and have children and failing to have that met before they reach their tragic thirty mark would mean that something was wrong with them making them insecure.

Folgers

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Folgers

Similarly to 1920’s, the 1950s it was still considered important for women's lives around their family and home. In the Folgers’ 1950 advert it demonstrates how inferior the wife is to her husband in the first scene. The wife is wearing scruffy clothing, which can indicate or connote that she’s deprived similar to the quality of her coffee. The husband is shown wearing a black suit which could signify control and power, making him more superior to his wife. The camera shot used in the scene between the husband and the wife is a two shot to demonstrate their relationship to the audience. The husband is comfortable sitting, relishing his breakfast whilst the wife is standing and ready to please her husband with the coffee she made. This represents women in the 50’s as too eager to please their husband with a breakfast in the morning.

The scene between the good wife and the bad wife you could pin point which one is the good wife by the costume; the good wife has put a ribbon in her hair and is a wearing an apron unlike the bad wife that is dressed in a shabby clothing and her hair is untidy. A long shot is used in the scene to show the performance of the characters and the location. The good wife and the bad wife are in the kitchen. The bad wife is sitting on a chair and telling her problem to her friend, the good wife. The good wife is shown getting dinner ready to have a delicious meal ready on time for her husband return. This could be a way of letting him know that she is thinking of his welfare. This represents women to be more concern for their husband needs and is more desperate to please him.

Women’s place in the 1950’s society was to be a housewives that catered to their husband’s needs, failing to do so would make you a bad wife until you succeed. This is shown in the third and eightieth scenes were the wife costume change from shabby to beautifully dress because she changed the brand of coffee she has been using to Folgers. In the third scene a two shot was used to show the husband and wife character performance; the husband is position in the scene towering over his wife with a scowl on his face. This could connate that his disappointed and furious at his wife for making a ‘lousy’ coffee. The wife is position as a submissive to her husband because she keeping her eyes on him and her shoulder are slouched, which could connate fear and regret. In scene eight you could see the change of character performance between both characters when the wife gives her husband the Folgers coffee. The husband looks pleased with the coffee his wife gave him and even kissed her cheeks to show his grateful and the wife blushing at the kiss she got was glad that she has pleased her husband with a descent coffee. This represents women’s in the 50’s to do whatsoever to please their husband.

In the ending of the Folgers advert a man says “insert Folgers taste good as fresh perked.” This is important because a women in the fifty’s was not considered superior than man’s thus making the remark that a man’s voice was used at the end of the advert and not a woman’s. Even through women was portrayed as the main character in the advert she was still considered a housewife that didn’t please her husband at the beginning because she didn’t give a Folgers coffee. This represents women in the 1950’s to be inferior to mans.

The technique used in the Folgers advert is pervasive language to sell the product to men’s that want their wife to make better coffee and wives that want to please their husband. The beginning of the advert it shows a disappointed husband that doesn’t like his wife coffee and a wife that would willing do anything to please her husband. In the end the characters performance take a leap to better as the husband leans down to kiss his blushing wife’s cheeks. This shows the audience that a better tasting coffee like the Folgers would make a better living style for married couple.

Diet coke

The 2009 diet coke advert takes a different approach to how women’s in the twenty-first century behave compared to the twentieth century were women’s were expected to be married and pleasing their husband. In the kitchen scene were the shirtless man wearing black trousers was trying to open a jar of pickles and women wearing what probably is his t-shirt, which could signify the change in role, opened the jar with ace. The two shot demonstrates how superior the women are and the manly strength she has at opening the jar. This represent shows the role of women’s changed in the twenty-first century making them equal and slightly more superior to man’s.

The two shot used in the wedding demonstrates the relationship of the characters to the audience. The bride in the scene looks playful as she make goofy faces unlike the groom who looks to be taking the wedding more serious. Again this shows the reserve of roles as women are known to take the whole wedding notion serious and man’s more relax and playful. This is a complete turn over from the 1920’s Listerine advert were in Edna condition women’s were being shown at that time to love the idea of marriage and wouldn’t goof around because they wanted to impress their husbands. This represents women’s to be more cheering and not fussy person about marriage and weddings.

The shot used in the wedding scene again shows the cheering and goofy behaviour of the bride that is dressed in a white wedding gown and the serious behaviour of the groom that is wearing a grey suit. The reserve role of the characters shows that the relationship looks fun and perky by the bride and the groom probably being serious because he wants to impress his wife. This is completely different from a bride and groom would behaviour in a typical 1950’s because the bride would want to impress her husband and please him at the same time with wedding pictures and the event so would be taking the whole wedding more serious. This represents that women’s in the 2009 to be more relax and stress-free.

The over-the-shoulder shot shows the women in an office with two mans that are looking up at her while she present something to them. This could connote that she is the boss because they are looking up at her. This is unlikely to happen in a 50’s society because women’s were expected look after their husband and children. The outfit the two women are wearing in the scene are a black suit which signifies power and wealth, representing women to be powerful and wealthy.

The technique used in the advert is to empowering women’s and overcoming the stereotypes. The change in the role shows that women’s are equal and slightly more superior to man’s. This is clearly shown the scenes of the advert. The advert is obviously positive as it gives a new light to the image of women’s.

The representation of women has changed from being desperate to their husband, pleasing their spouse and independent that their able to make their choices and even be the bosses of men’s. This is shown in all the three adverts. So in general women’s change advertisement.