THINK THIN PROTEIN BAR COMMERCIAL IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
http://www.ispot.tv/…/7lDK/thinkthin-high-protein-bar-runner
Thank you to the Think Thin ® Company for the “sexy runner video.” Not only does this commercial totally turn the tables on the “usual way” sexual norms and biases about women are reinforced and repeated to us in media, but it also acknowledges that there are people in this world besides heterosexual men who enjoy sexual eye-candy and joking sexual banter. Yay, a commercial where women are actual people too! This is a breakthrough in media representation of women, which usually reserves the limited view that women are supposed to be either sexualized, abused, victimized, or simply improbable fantasy beings in media.
Of course, you could argue that this commercial does the
same thing and has an agenda too. All advertising does. But I say, hey, so what? The big argument
forever in justifying sexploitation of women while also condoning the sport of
male voyeurism in media has always been, “sex sells.” Well this commercial sold me! Media has been spoon-feeding men the sugary
concoction of sexy young sexualized women and made-up, fantasy sexual images of
women for decades. I think I’ll enjoy my
one commercial that lets me pretend media cares about my fantasies too! (Though, yes, there have been other sexy
commercials geared for the ladies too. And Hallelujah for that!)
I instantly gained new respect for this company and its
product, for having the moxie to put this ad on TV and to show the very truth
of my life. I have totally sat there at
a table, just like that, with a couple friends, not in a “group drool”
necessarily, but definitely personally distracted as I watched a similar
attractive male scenario unfold in public, all the while with wishful longing
going through my head.
In searching online for a video clip of the commercial, I
did come across one comment reflecting someone else’s viewpoint on the
commercial:
“'Cougar Day', eh?
How many mothers gawk at their children's friends?”
How many mothers gawk at their children's friends?”
So, no surprise there that the first (and only) comment was
a dig against the commercial. That will
always happen when we start showing women in a different light than what people
are accustomed to—and comfortable—seeing.
Because it challenges our norms, ideals, and self-knowledge.
That’s the major difference between me and everyone else,
apparently. I am NOT comfortable seeing
women naked, scantily clad, or physically/sexually revealed in media. I don’t
seek those images out, and I don’t appreciate having them continuously thrown
in my face, particularly given the lack of male sexualized images, erotica and
even exposed sexual parts in media (the way they do ad nauseam of women). I have never been comfortable with this
supposed “fact” that only women’s bodies are sexy and therefore they are the
only bodies we reveal provocatively in society, end of rule. Hogwash!
Some people like men, some people like women. Can’t we all enjoy the fruits of sexy media
images and alternative sexual scenarios, instead of it always being about the
female body (yawn. SO BORED with that). Especially because it’s just this huge
elephant in the room that we never get to see men sexualized and women pining
for it or going for it. The Think Thin commercial made one little tiny in-road
to changing the old biased sexual landscape to reflect modern life and actual
sexual equal-ness between men and women.
Girls, we need more of such equality!
As for the comment that was left on the video page
questioning the likelihood of mothers gawking at the children’s friends, I say
this:
A) The whole point of the commercial is that they don’t
realize it is one of their kids’ friends and once they do realize it, they are
totally freaked out, guilty and maybe even disgusted with themselves,
right? That’s the humor—the punchline—of
the commercial!
B) But there are some other very important messages in that
commercial too. I give big kudos to the
advertising team and firm that produced it, and I am glad to see something like
this be depicted in media. Usually I
have an endless supply of examples of yet further ways that women are being
undermined (usually sexually) in everyday, ordinary, ubiquitous television and
other forms of media. Today, for once, I
have some good news to report!
This commercial not only shows women doing real female
behavior too (yes, guys, we learned it from you!), but this commercial also
reveals to women (and young girls) who may be watching that there are other
ways for women to be defined than just the sexy, emotional vixens and victims
we usually see depicted. Seeing this
commercial on TV adds legitimacy to real women’s lives.
This is, after all, what female images in media do for men
and boys too. It legitimizes misogyny and male attitudes about women that are
dirty-sex based, rather than exalted attitudes of the beauty and power of
women. Men are taught via media exposure
just how to observe women they see out in the world... taught by media to think
about women in sexually obsessed ways.
They learn it because it is reinforced in almost all media, just as
misogynistic images are also taught and reinforced through regular and frequent
interaction with media images and scenarios of women. This commercial does the same thing, but
gives us girls a break for once. Instead of being the objects of use, we are
shown as the humanized people in this video, and the young male stud is highlighted
for his sexually distracting “studness.”
Also, one last note:
The listing on the Internet that posted this video called it the “Sexy
Runner” video for Think Thin bars. I
loved that it was called “Sexy Runner”
because typically media restricts the use of adjectives like “Sexy” to strictly be for describing young women. When you see a description in the TV program guide that says, “A sexy doctor walks away from the job and starts a new life, with unexpected results,” no one assumes that the sexy doctor might be male.
because typically media restricts the use of adjectives like “Sexy” to strictly be for describing young women. When you see a description in the TV program guide that says, “A sexy doctor walks away from the job and starts a new life, with unexpected results,” no one assumes that the sexy doctor might be male.
The Think Thin bars TV spot is a breath of fresh air,
turning the tables and showing that media producers choose to show whatever they want.
It is a real and serious issue that most television shows choose to show
women sexualized and men not. It’s arbitrary, but it shapes society to perceive
a particular balance of power.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We are interested in your comments!