You know, not living in the dark ages.
Sometimes I'm wrong.
I saw this ad in the weekend's papers - or the recyclable packaging for copious promotional material posing as a newspaper here in W.A.
Immediately I was struck by the stereoptype switch or role reversal depicted in it.
 |
| Could be the cover of a houswives' raunchy magazine, really. |
Hmmm.
But their target market would have on some level, right?
Well, I did.
If you're still in the dark, wondering what I'm banging on about
- the man is vauuming.
The man. While the woman looks on.
If I wasn't already in a happy, committed relationship with my own beautiful Dyson I may have considered such a purchase.
Magoo and I would love to watch Hubby enjoy a spot of vacuuming while looking on from the clean couch in our pristine finest.
There my 1950s-esque self was, thinking that they were cleverly and subtley turning society's stereoptypes on their head in this avant garde campaign.
Until...
Later that day, I opened Kate's blog (Our Little Sins) to realise that it was probably only my personal stereotype that this ad was actually challenging
She featured a pic of her man, the Innovator, vacuuming their place.
For real.
(Love the blur effect too. We can't show you this man's face because he is in trouble with men like Shar's Hubby for raising the bar.)
The pic didn't actually show gorgeous Kate and her children reclining and gazing on with familial pride and adoration - but I'm sure they were.
So, there you go.
A raging dinosaur I am.
Guess I'd better go back to my rightful place in the kitchen now.
Did you notice / care that the handsome man was happily engaged in housework?
Shar :-)
8 comments:
Yes I did notice Shar. That, and the fact that they are all wearing white articles of clothing, hmmm! Clearly they don't live in my house, where cleaning requires only the best daggy clothes on offer. Don't worry, you're not a dinosaur, we have a domestically challenged male in our household too ;o) xo
That would ONLY happen in my house if I was deathly ILL on that couch.. but since my hubby goes to work and I faff around at home all day I think that's probably OK.
Completely Off Topic -- I just wanted to thank you for calling over to my DILs blog and making such a fiercely supportive comment. It means a lot to me and I know it will mean a lot to her, as well.
THANKYOU.
Hello :) just want to say how grateful I am for your kind words about me on Bern's blog. I have had a hard time lately and your words mean a lot. Thank you.
I love that the gorgeous man is vacuuming!
That happens here too - the Doc actually used his ff points to buy a new Dyson!!!!!
Go the new age vacuuming man I say :-)
Oh boy, I am printing that baby out! xx
Perhaps the ad was an attempt by a female marketing executive to trick men into thinking that a vacuum is just like any other exciting 'boy toy' (car, appliance) - hasn't caught on in our house either. Perhaps they could start selling them at Bunnings - that might work.
Love it!
Thanks for the link Shar.
Thought I might add...The Innovator was only vacuuming because we were having people for lunch and he's so proud of his new house that he wanted it to look good and I'd run out of time because I was doing all the cooking, getting kids ready, tidying everything else! But, none of us were looking on lovingly... I was too much in shock to do anything!!
Immediately. And I actually thought 'what a crock'. Advertisers are so annoying when they try to be the ones to break stereotypes. The fact that they have the woman in the shot on the couch is what annoys me the most.
I don't even know why! x
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