Sexism in Advertising--the GOOD

Here, Tide shows a man, Tim Gunn, interested in fashion and clothing. This breaks common gender stereotypes that men should avoid any interest or activity deemed to be feminine, such as doing the laundry or picking out clothes. Tide is able to use a well-known male figure to show that people should be proud of their skills and abilities and that they should do what makes them happy, regardless of nonsensical gender role restrictions.


PokerStars uses a photograph of a female poker player in an ad. Not only is she not objectified, but she is positively portrayed as independent and confident. Because poker is associated with male players, it is refreshing to see a company that is attempting to show that women also have the ability to be strong and dominant. This advertisement breaks common gender stereotypes.




This advertising strategy is positive because of the ways in which Oceana portrays a woman in a very strong role. In this typical field people do not expect to see women being the ones that are willing to get up close and personal with sharks; men are usually the ones being brave. It is very refreshing to see that a woman is willing and very capable of doing this as well.

The got milk? advertisements are positive because they use photographs of strong and confident women, in particular Dara Torres. Not only is Dara a world class athlete, but she is also a mother. This ad makes a statement that women can balance a career, a family, and still be beautiful. On another note, the field of athletics is one that many people perceive as dominated by men, and it is refreshing to see a company that highlights the accomplishments of athletic women. Ultimately, this advertisement breaks common gender stereotypes.

These two Curvation advertisements show real world women with real world bodies. This breaks the distorted view that women need to be thin to be beautiful and confident. While the ads show two women in lingerie, they actually display the products that they are trying to sell and their goal is not to objectify the women's bodies, but to show women as proud, confident, and powerful in their own skin.




This Boost Mobile advertisement is positive because it portrays a female race-car driver in an ad without objectifying her, and instead makes her look confident in her athletic abilities. Because sports, especially race car driving, are often perceived to be dominated by men, it is refreshing to see a company that is attempting to show that women also have the ability to be strong and dominant. This advertisement breaks common gender stereotypes and tells women to embrace and be proud of their own athletic abilities.





















The Serena advertising strategy is positive because it uses strong female role models. The women pictured in the two ads look confident, proud, and comfortable in their skin. The ads do not portray what a typical female body should look like, and the women are doing something they appear to be passionate about. This sends the message to women of all ages that being yourself is a beautiful thing. The ad encourages women not to be discouraged about things and to never use the words “I can’t.” It strengthens the message that women can do anything they set their minds to, if they just follow their dreams.