Using the text Coward, R. 'The Look', write one critical analysis of a media image (advert / TV commercial / publicity poster / magazine cover / news story) which, in your opinion, constructs a particular type of gender sterotype, or reflects the dominant patriarchal concepts of gender, critiqued in the lecture 'The Gaze & the Media' (31/10/13). Use at least five quotes, referenced according to the Harvard system, in support of your argument.
After the seminar of The gaze and the media it really opened up my eyes to the stereotypical and judgemental world we live in. The above advertisement shows this perfectly, not only by the imagery but also by the text. This advertisement for Schlitz Beer is not only stereotypical towards male and female but it is also sexist and patronising. This beer company hasn't just produced the one of stereotypical image it has produced many using women particularly in a demeaning manner, its as if they have built up a reputation to use women in there advertisements in a humorous way. However it doesn't just show this stereotype for women it portrays it towards men as well, by having a women stood in the kitchen with an apron on cooking but also having a male dressed in a suit insinuating he has just come home from work to his wife cooking. It is also showing the stereotypical view that a man would advertise beer, as it is seen as a male dominated beer. The advertisement is also in a sense showing that the women is sad holding the cloth towards her face as if she was upset and equally quite emotional and soft because she has burnt the food and the male, her husband has come in and comforted her and said in a rather patronising way that its ok because he still has beer. 'Marriage, for instance, operates to secure women's labour and reproductive capacity to the advantage of men.' (Coward, R., 'The look' in Thomas. J. (ed.) (2000), Reading images, Basingstoke: Palgrave, p.g 35.)
The marriage of the couple in the advertisement already is insinuated because she looks as if she is a stay at home wife and the husband works, therefore the women cooks for the man for when he comes home. The fact that the advertisement has a vintage design to it, it also suggests that because in those days that was the norm for the male to be the main income and for the women to stay at home to do the laborious jobs.
'Advertising in this society builds precisely on the creation of anxiety to effect that, unless we measure up, we will not be loved' (Coward, R., 'The look' in Thomas. J. (ed.) (2000), Reading images, Basingstoke: Palgrave, p.g 38.) This would go back to what I said previously about the women in the advertisement seemingly crying and wiping away her tears, as it shows that she is inferior to the man because she has failed because she burnt tea and it is going against what the 'perfect' housewife would do, women are born into a society which forces them to believe they have to be like that.
However the stereotypical thought that many have been brought up believing (not so much now) that beer is a male drink, and this is portrayed with in the advert but also seemingly all the male cares about is the beer, heaven for bid if she had done something to the beer, then she would have a reason to cry and be upset, not the fact that the women has spent ages cooking for the male and that is all he is focused on.
For further understanding of the Schlitz beer as a brand I looked at there other advertisements as well and they use women scantily dressed, i.e topless in there most recent ads, objectifying women using a quote 'Things had better body then'
That quote is completely correct this has been most probably designed by a man for a man, something that would catch his attention also using imagery that looks like its been taken from a male magazine. Its also having a dig at the appearance of women now in todays society insinuating they don't look as good as they did back then but perhaps they don't look as good as the women in the magazines. This ad could in fact make many women feel inferior, less confident and degraded. 'Women's experience of sexuality rarely strays far from ideologies and feelings about self-image.' (Coward, R., 'The look' in Thomas. J. (ed.) (2000), Reading images, Basingstoke: Palgrave, p.g 33.) The main focus on this advertisement is not the beer its the naked women on the ad, that anyone male or female would notice first either out of interest or disgust. 'In this society, looking has become a crucial aspect of sexual relations, not because of ay natural impulse, but because it is one of the ways in which domination and subordination are expressed' (Coward, R., 'The look' in Thomas. J. (ed.) (2000), Reading images, Basingstoke: Palgrave, p.g 34.)
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