If advertisers are targeting women in their ads, they should stop being so patronising and regarding women as a group of braindead twats?

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Someone on MN said that in advertising speak, kitchen spray ads were described as 2Cs and a K (which means 2 cunts in a kitchen). Nice.

WHY when adverts for some stuff is directed at women, do they show such a stupid and unrealistic view of women? This thread is inspired really by the thread currently in chat.

Just of the top of my head

-the ads for Boots - all aimed at women. Stupid contrived scenarios and cliches of women being unable to stop shopping
-lancome Mascara. Apparently we all want to look like dolls

• Special K. God forbid you CAN'T have that cake, you fat bastard, eat this crappy cereal and you will fit in that vile red dress.
• Every sanitary product ad

Do any women actually work in advertising?

I'm still waiting for the ad that shows a massive car with huge engine being driven by a female, why are they always males, while the little runabout cars are always driven by women.

Any add with a spotless woman in white clothes feeding a spotless child in white clothes in a spotless white kitchen with every surface gleaming.

Any cleaning product/antibacterial rubbish to be honest.

I want some shampoo that gives me extensions and hair pieces just like they do in the ads!!

How about that ad for (I think) CocaCola zero where a girl is with her boyfriend in her flat and her father knocks at the door. The boy goes off in a helicopter while the dad breaks the door down.

Imagine how pissed off you'd be if your dad knocked the door down if you failed to open it immediately.

I really hate those WKD adverts. I saw one today where a man was in a pub and his phone rang and the whole pub froze and muted so he could lie about being in the office instead of home and ended with the phrase "Have you got a WKD side". It might as well say "Are you a bit of a knob?". Other ads for the same brand have been even more offensive.

I generally find the ads aimed at men even more patronising... 'use this new razor/deodorant/shower gel which is marginally better than the one we tried to sell you last week, and you, yes even you, could get a 18 year old model who looks like this!!!' (enter said smug woman shipped in from aforementioned make-up/boots/sanitary towel ads)

I think it just must be because all the people with power in advertising are either stupid white men who hate women, or stupid handmaiden women who hate themselves.

I used to work in advertising. One of my colleagues once went on a red wine diet.

That's how stupid people in that industry are.

A red wine diet

The Boots ads have made me froth with irritation ever since the first time they used the vile "Here Come the Girls".

The Diet Coke ones are also totally moronic.

Nooooooooo. You mean the red wine diet isn't a diet? Bugger!

is the only thing that needs saying about advertising and sexism IMO.

I am SO glad I hardly ever watch TV or read magazines. Does wonders for my mental health.

I hate adverts too, presume they must work or they wouldnt make them like that??

I think the Lynx adverts are just as bad. Even Angels will fall? Mermaids trying to drag a man into the ocean? WTF?

There are some awful ads! The Boots one is dreadful. They seem to have the idea that all women work in an office, read Heat, and their lives revolve around getting glammed up to go for after-work drinks.

I don't mind the make up ones as the only point of make up is to make you look better. Hard to read anything deeper into it! I agree though it is hardly a challenge to make a model/celebrity look beautiful.

I'm not sure the men's ones are much better though! All seemed to be aimed at macho heteros.

notlettingthefearshow- 'the only point of make up is to make you look better. Hard to read anything deeper into it!'

I like make up and I dont think there's anything inherently wrong with it, but if the women in the ads for make up are portrayed as vacuous/airheads then there is a deeper message.

I agree that ads aimed at men are often just as insulting in the way they stereotype.

I'm struggling to think of a more sensible way to flog a fake sculpture that shoots out puffs of perfume. How about ...

Scene: family kitchen, breakfast time.
Cast: Woman in business suit, man in shirt sleeves, toddler, baby, adult visitor.
Woman is feeding toddler in high chair. Man eats toast while holding baby.
Toddler: "No, not want!" Pushes food away; it falls to floor.
Woman just avoids getting food on clothing, sighs.
Man: "Oh, no ..." Baby has liberally soiled nappy.
Man lays baby on table, begins to change baby. Woman turns to look. Toddler vomits, begins to cry.
Adult visitor enters kitchen, smiles.
Visitor: "How do you keep everything so fresh and calm in the mornings?"
Cut to Glade on worktop next to door.
Close-up rerun of Glade fragrance puff as woman enters.
Man and woman exchange knowing glances.

Next up: Motion-sensitive soap dispensers, and how useful they are when you do not have motion-sensitive taps.