Sweet Talker-Buying into Gender Roles

          For decades advertising has attempted to mirror the attitudes and desires of the 'modern woman' but has instead reinforced gender roles that define women as submissive or weak. Many ads of the early 1980s for example reinforced the sentiments of the day - woman were supposed to want to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan but still make him feel like a man. And advertisers served it up the messages ever so sweetly. 
          The woman in the commercial only makes an appearance twice. Once its to swirl a pastel pink finger through the frosting of one of her tempting treats and the other is when she has her eyes suggestively superimposed over the words WILD BLUEBERRY MUFFIN. 

Figure 1 The ad features very suggestive music and text, narrated by a man, that imply that baking for her significant other makes her sexy and desirable. She knows his weakness. We don't see her face.

Figure 2 Everything is sugary sweet, right down to her perfect pink nails. We can only assume she will be suggestively licking that finger. 

Figure 3 The director chooses to focus solely on the man's faces and reactions in a serious of very tight shots. They imply that he can't take his eyes off of the woman and her treats. 

Figure 4 His reaction to every swipe of her finger or closeup of hot blueberry muffins is hilarious. 

Figure 5 Betty Crocker even goes so far as to overlay her sly eyes over the words WILD blueberry muffin mix. We don't ever get a clear picture of her face. That is apparently irrelevant. What is important is what she is able to serve up. 

Figure 6 The song and narrative reiterate... there is more than one way to his heart.

Companies such as Nike are doing a better job of including more advertisements that celebrate woman's contributions to sports and encourage empowerment but they one one of only a few. There are still some that still serve up old stereotypes with a side of sugar. Don't buy it!!