Scandal! Vintage clothing ads that wouldn't fly today

[Talbot]

Agreed, but what is hypocritical of much of advertising and our society now is the trend to downgrade men in advertisements, particularly on television...

Agreed, the pendulum has swung the other way. I don't see any (many) US adverts, but any product where a woman is percieved as making the purchase decision will likely portray a man as foolish at best.

On the other hand, there are the adverts for 'mens' products that are seeking humor through being offensive. I lament on both fronts.

Edit: I just noticed the woman in ad #4! I was too busy admiring the designs on the neckties.....

 

[billyspew]

Not clothing, but the most un-PC, and offensive advert that I have ever seen is the old Pears Soap ad.

Truly awful.

 

[Jan]

Agreed, the pendulum has swung the other way. I don't see any (many) US adverts, but any product where a woman is percieved as making the purchase decision will likely portray a man as foolish at best.

On the other hand, there are the adverts for 'mens' products that are seeking humor through being offensive. I lament on both fronts.

Edit: I just noticed the woman in ad #4! I was too busy admiring the designs on the neckties.....

HA! Maybe these ads aren't as farfetched as we see them to be... Just kidding.

 

[Black Dahlia]

Agreed, but what is hypocritical of much of advertising and our society now is the trend to downgrade men in advertisements, particularly on television...

Absolutely...in ads, on TV, in movies, etc. Though I would say it's more than downgrade, and in some cases very obviously an 'anti-male' sentiment.'

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[Mario]

Agreed, but what is hypocritical of much of advertising and our society now is the trend to downgrade men in advertisements, particularly on television...

Hmmmm...

Now tell me: Is this retributive or poetic justice? I dunno... [huh]

 

[Mario]

I wouldn't want to buy a car from any of them...

 

[Mario]

I like the shoes in the "Keep Her Where She Belongs" ad. Goofy shoes make me smile (but then, I've always wanted a pair of clown shoes).

Aw, c'mon - what's so goofy about them? I can absolutely imagine the late 70's/early 80's (transitional) issue of Tom Waits sporting those while not really having a chat with Don Lane...

[video=youtube;gCSc6E4yG9s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCSc6E4yG9s&feature=related[/video]

 

[sulla]

Wow, some freaky stuff. I found this while cleaning out the old family farm house. I think it belonged to my now deceased aunt. I always found it a little tiny bit offensive... but I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

 

[Widebrim]

Hmmmm...

Now tell me: Is this retributive or poetic justice? I dunno... [huh]

I'll leave that up to the individual to decide...

 

[Stearmen]

Tim Allen

Agreed, but what is hypocritical of much of advertising and our society now is the trend to downgrade men in advertisements, particularly on television...

Don't knock it, Tim Allen made millions playing the dumb man! Besides, which one of us men haven't tried hooking up a Harley EVO engine to our garbage disposal?

 

[Edward]

Agreed, but what is hypocritical of much of advertising and our society now is the trend to downgrade men in advertisements, particularly on television...

Yeah, because even today, not to mention right throughout history, we men have had it so tough in the Gender War. :eusa_doh:

Not clothing, but the most un-PC, and offensive advert that I have ever seen is the old Pears Soap ad.

Truly awful.

Jinkies, yes.... I am rather horrified that that ever existed! The sad thing is I'm sure there are plenty of people still around wouldn't see anything wrong with it - the "I'mnotracistbut" crowd.

 

[bunnyb.gal]

Yeah, because even today, not to mention right throughout history, we men have had it so tough in the Gender War. :eusa_doh:



I have noticed one thing - women still seem to be largely the only ones doing housework in the adverts, and not only that, but being depicted as nearly experiencing, um, la petite mort, at the sight of a sparkling toilet or shining floor. I mean, MY week is not complete unless I have killed 99.9% of germs on my kitchen countertop. Puh-leeze! I would love to see the gents represented, or, even better, men and women (and the kiddies, for that matter) being shown happily pitching in together to do it!

 

[sheeplady]

[huh]

I have noticed one thing - women still seem to be largely the only ones doing housework in the adverts, and not only that, but being depicted as nearly experiencing, um, la petite mort, at the sight of a sparkling toilet or shining floor. I mean, MY week is not complete unless I have killed 99.9% of germs on my kitchen countertop. Puh-leeze! I would love to see the gents represented, or, even better, men and women (and the kiddies, for that matter) being shown happily pitching in together to do it!

That is probably because women still do the most of it compared to men, see this link: http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111458. (That is not knocking the men that DO their share, but at least in the US, women are still doing many more hours of housework than men on average). Women also have a huge amount of purchasing influence in most heterosexual couples.

Most of the television ads show the man and kids of the house making the mess (if they exist at all in the ad), and the wise and happy woman sweeping in with the amazing cleaning product. Then she states it saves her time, keeps her family from getting sick, and makes her family love her more. Because we all know what we remember from our childhood's people- how clean our mother's countertops were! These "statements" about the product are very important in ads aimed at women.

From a media studies perspective, television media aimed at women focuses on dialog rather than flashy video, so women can be doing house work while listening to your commercials, being tempted to buy your product to make what they are doing faster and easier. (Women tend to do more housework during media consumption than men, so they tend on the whole to listen to television media, rather than watching it). Or that's what people who study this say. [huh]

 

[Widebrim]

Yeah, because even today, not to mention right throughout history, we men have had it so tough in the Gender War. :eusa_doh:

I understand what you're saying, Edward, but my point was that for the last few years it has been acceptable to portray men as childish boneheads who need to be "set straight" by their more mature, more intelligent wives. If it was wrong to often portray women as scatterbrains, it is equally wrong to show men in that light, especially in advertisements which have the children looking at Dad with embarassment.

 

[scottyrocks]

Unfortunately, Madison Ave will do anything they can get away with to sell a product. The media, including advertising, are where social trends begin nowadays, whether its advertising, entertainment, or politics. People being portrayed as bubbleheads, whether male or female, didnt begin recently. Just off the top of my head, Dick York did a magnificent job of that in Bewitched in the 1960s. Then there was that 'Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?' kid in the '70s that brought the smart-aleck kid movement out into the open, afaic. Its whatever is entertaining, no matter the societal repercussions.

 

[Black Dahlia]

I like spending quality time with my man's shoes....;0

Or are those ladies shoes? Then yes...I lie naked surrounded by my shoes often. It's relaxing....*lol*
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[rue]

Is it wrong that this ad makes me want to buy that shirt for my husband? lol

 

[scottyrocks]

No, and he is a lucky man in more ways than one.

 

[rue]

Awwww...... that's so sweet of you to say. Thank you

 

[Widebrim]

No, and he is a lucky man in more ways than one.

:arated: