Chase & SandbornThe Chase & Sanborn coffee advertisement on the left displays a man hitting his wife for not purchasing the correct coffee. The text on the right of the advertisement reads, “...If he discovers you’re still taking chances on getting flat, stale coffee...woe be unto you!” The advertisement suggests to women that in order to be considered a desirable woman, one must constantly strive to please one’s husband, and if they fail they should expect abuse as a possible outcome. (1)
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FolgersThe commercial on the right is another coffee advertisement. This Folger's coffee commercial profiles a woman with an intense desire to meet her husband's every need. In the beginning of the commercial, the wife presents her husband with a cup of coffee which he finds to taste awful. This frustrates the wife, and she proceeds to tell her friend about it saying, "He didn't even kiss me goodbye!" The friend introduces her to Folgers and tells her that her husband will love it. Later, at dinner, she presents the coffee to her husband and is visibly relieved when he exclaims that he loves it. This commercial shows just how strong the typical 1950's woman's desire was to please her husband. If a wife could not meet her husband's standards, she was expected to feel inadequate. The commercial even hints at the "girls at the office" and the fact that they can supposedly brew a better cup of coffee than the wife. A wife must constantly strive to be better than the other women so that he husband will not leave her. (2)
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Wate-On
The text on this weight gaining advertisement reads, "If men 'hate the sight of you' _READ THIS_" The advertisement proceeds to depict an interaction between two men and a thin woman. Upon sight of the thin woman, one of the men says, "Let's beat it_ here comes that skinny dame," After the woman gains weight, the same man comes up to her and says, "You're gorgeous since you've gained weight!" This advertisement suggests that women should feel the need to alter their appearance to be more attractive in the eyes of men. It is interesting to note the the magazine Playboy and the Barbie Doll were created during the 1950's. These creations attributed to many men believing that curvaceous women were more attractive. Advertisements similar to the one on the right plastered women's magazines all over America and had a large effect on women's confidence in their ability to attract men. (4)
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Footnotes
1.) Harrison Jacobs, "26 Sexist Ads of the 'Mad Men' Era That Companies Wish We'd Forget," Business Insider, last modified May 8, 2014, accessed May 19, 2016, http://www.businessinsider.com/26- sexist-ads-of-the-mad-men-era-2014-5.
2.) "Vintage Folgers Commercial," video file, posted August 17, 2006, accessed May 19, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kovsZZw0LwU.
3.) Jacobs, "26 Sexist Ads of the 'Mad," Business Insider.
4.) "Sexist Vintage Ads: 17 Vintage Ads Targeting Husbands And Wives,"Huffington Post (New York, NY), August 17, 2012, [Page #], accessed February 16, 2016,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/sexist-vintage-ads_n_1798977.html.
2.) "Vintage Folgers Commercial," video file, posted August 17, 2006, accessed May 19, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kovsZZw0LwU.
3.) Jacobs, "26 Sexist Ads of the 'Mad," Business Insider.
4.) "Sexist Vintage Ads: 17 Vintage Ads Targeting Husbands And Wives,"Huffington Post (New York, NY), August 17, 2012, [Page #], accessed February 16, 2016,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/sexist-vintage-ads_n_1798977.html.