Sexist Asda ad cleared - feeling bit depressed about this verdict

[ashesgirl]

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/30/asda-christmas-ad?INTCMP=SRCH

So the Asda ad was deemed not likely to have caused widespread offence. 8 out of 10 women questioned said it didn't bother them and just reflected reality.

Does anyone else feel a bit disillusioned by this?

[fallenangle]

It felt to me like an exaggerated reality of my Christmas, even though it wasn't. All that rushing to get to school plays, make sure there are enough hot cross buns (they were in the shops) etc. DP did a lot of the work. It didn't reflect reality, but then advertising doesn't. There are far more sexist things on tv than that ad.

[fallenangle]

Not sure what illusion I might have lost OP.

[ashesgirl]

Because it represented a Christmas where the woman runs herself ragged, is entirely self-sacrificial, doesn't even get her own chair at xmas dinner but is glowingly satisfied at the end of the day that she's just made everyone else happy.

[ashesgirl]

Which other ads have you seen that are more sexist, Fallen, out of interest?

[TheSurgeonsMate]

Where does she sit?? I dont like the sound of that at all.

[ashesgirl]

She sits on an inflatable thingy at the table because not enough chairs so is lower down than everyone else. But she beams nonetheless.

[LalyRawr]

See, people getting offended at stuff like this does make me laugh.

So they showed a woman preparing for Christmas, everyone screams it's sexist.

So what if next year they show a man preparing for Christmas? Suddenly it will be 'Oh look, the Mum is getting no credit again, she does everything all year and suddenly the man comes along and gets all the credit for one day. Bloody misogyny again!'

It's an advert.

It's a bit...dramatic to feel depressed about it.

[ashesgirl]

Um, not sure that follows - that everyone would automatically scream misogyny in that scenario.

Yeah can see how it may seem a little dramatic :-) On the flip side, it makes me think how easily we accept these stereotypes and what a long way we have to go before we'll ever reach true equality.

[fallenangle]

ashes i didn't actually say ads, I said tv. But for ads: Fairy Liquid through the ages. Mum and daughter - message 'washing up is womens work, always has been, always will be.
Any hapless man doing housework ad ( they are going out of fashion a bit) Message, don't expect men to do housework they are not wired for it.
Notice that it is always women obsessing about hidden germs in the toilet or on the kitchen worktop, never men. message 'housework is womens work.

[CashmereHoodlum]

The advert certainly didn't reflect my reality, but I have found that many women think it is appalling that I am not running myself ragged with domestic stuff. Therefore it doesn't surprise me that 8/10 women thought this was ok.

As an example, I ordered the Christmas presents online (not a time consuming task), husband wrapped them all, and set things up with batteries, downloading stuff etc. I wrote all the cards to my family (about 20), his family doesn't send cards so he didn't do any. We don't send joint cards. I mentioned this arrangement to everyone who was moaning to me about how much there was to do for Christmas and they all thought I should have done everything.

I will not be a martyr to my family but most people think I should be. Whether this is because I am quite vocal about not being a martyr I don't know, but it seems to me that most people insist on sticking to their sexist and stereotypical arrangements.

[CashmereHoodlum]

Gosh, I've just re-watched the advert and there are loads of things I forgot, like the tree and decorations. I forgot because DH did all that.

[Panzee]

At least the Asda mum looked happy. The Morrisons mum looked like she wanted to kill herself.

[fallenangle]

I'd not seen the Morrisons one before now. Asda one was ultimately upbeat and had humour. 'Shop at Asda and, despite the stress everyone will have a good tim.' Morrisons dream ad came from a dark, dark place. 'Christmas is a nightmare, get your nightmare at Morrisons'
Waitrose went for, ! ' It s Christmas, we are Waitrose doing good, nuff said'.
I wonder which had most effect?

[SushiPaws]

Asda advert made me feel awkward. I'd have been one of the 2 out of 10.

[sashh]

Does anyone else feel a bit disillusioned by this?

I got the official report a couple of days ago with 'confidential' stamped all over it.

I'm disappointed because

a) they say dad helps out - er where?

b) just because it is reality for a number of mums does not make it nonsexist.

[AbigailAdams]

Even the imaginary "dad helps out" part of the advert is indicative they still think it is a woman's job to provide Xmas dinner. Dad is just there to provide assistance. You shove an ornament on the Xmas tree, carve the joint. Those little things to make your life so much easier .

[AbigailAdams]

control issues?

[nefertarii]

I would find threads like this amusing if they weren't so worrying.

Really 'control issues' are you serious?

The fact is women do alot of th Christmas stuff. Why?
Because there are infinitely women that are the sahp than men.
In alot of houses someone ends up on a temporary chair. So what. Would have prefer the advert to be about her moaning about having the chair?

Companies spend hundreds of thousands on advertising and know the demographic for these adverts is women.

Also I find the attitude that the 8 out of 10 women who gave their opinion are wrong and the 2 out of 10 must be right, quite sad really.

These threads always have an sit of superiority about them. As though the people who are offended are the intelligent ones and everyone else can't see what's going on.

and yet the irony of telling women that their opinion is wrong is lost.

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

I'm pleased with the verdict, and didn't find the ad offensive. If anything it shows how much women (or someone) does to prepare for Christmas.

Same way that an ad showing a chap doing DIY and heavy gardening wouldn't offend me, although I do both.

[FeckOffCup]

One I've noticed recently is the aldi washing powder one, where a mud covered child says "mum likes this powder (ariel) and this one (aldi) but she won't like this.". Because only mums are responsible for cleaning the kids up and washing sports kit?

[Fairylea]

I loved the advert. It showed how hard some women - like me - work to make it a good Christmas for the family. I don't consider it sexist. They could have had a stay at home dad doing it. Okay they didn't and that's a point but in the grand scheme of things I think it's fine..... and so did the majority of people (including women) obviously.

Sometimes we can all take life a bit too seriously.

[landofsoapandglory]

I totally agree with nefertarii.

[ChestyLeRoux]

I see it as not true at all.Would a woman really try and put the xmas tree in the car if she had a husband? Or pump up the airbed? Its not very traditional to have a woman serving up the xmas dinner either.

[Jinsei]

I know it's "only" an advert, but when our children grow up surrounded by these images, I wonder what messages they absorb about what is "normal". Even if it reflects the reality, doesn't mean that's how it ought to be. :( I think it's a disappointing verdict.