Common Stereotypes In The 1950's, Del Monte Ketchup
Advertisements place men and women in certain roles depicting who they should be in society. These stereotypical gender roles have been used throughout the history of advertisements. Previous research has established that: Gender role is the set of characteristics prescribed by a culture and communicated through direct communication and through media (Kerr & Multon, 2015, p. 184)
Figure 1 demonstrates a common stereotype in the 1950’s, Del Monte Ketchup categorising women as dependent, weak and fragile. The advertisement shows a very surprised woman holding a bottle of ketchup with the words “You mean a woman can open it?” implying women are incapable of completing a simple task. The advert demonstrates that women in the 1950’s were inferior
to men reflecting the power balance present in the 1950’s between men and women. The 1950’s used women in adverts as a way of empowering men. Advertisements portrayed women physically and mentally inferior; housewives tending only to the needs of the husband. Figure 1 plays an important role in the history of women in advertising as it highlights where women were placed in 1950’s society. By viewing women as objects, it strips them of their humanness. This example is a prime indication of not only how women were being stereotyped but also how far advertisements could push the stereotype to ensure divided roles between men and women.
Women playing domestic roles in advertisements in the 1950’s were not only exaggerated but also extremely offensive by today’s standards. Business Pundit (2012) argues that “The 1950s - a time well before the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s, when sexism was not only tolerated, it was expected and actively encouraged".
Figure 1 demonstrates a common stereotype in the 1950’s, Del Monte Ketchup categorising women as dependent, weak and fragile. The advertisement shows a very surprised woman holding a bottle of ketchup with the words “You mean a woman can open it?” implying women are incapable of completing a simple task. The advert demonstrates that women in the 1950’s were inferior
to men reflecting the power balance present in the 1950’s between men and women. The 1950’s used women in adverts as a way of empowering men. Advertisements portrayed women physically and mentally inferior; housewives tending only to the needs of the husband. Figure 1 plays an important role in the history of women in advertising as it highlights where women were placed in 1950’s society. By viewing women as objects, it strips them of their humanness. This example is a prime indication of not only how women were being stereotyped but also how far advertisements could push the stereotype to ensure divided roles between men and women.
Women playing domestic roles in advertisements in the 1950’s were not only exaggerated but also extremely offensive by today’s standards. Business Pundit (2012) argues that “The 1950s - a time well before the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s, when sexism was not only tolerated, it was expected and actively encouraged".