Do you think the Diet Coke adverts "objectify" men?

[foodworknews]

They've been going for years. It used to be a bunch of office women drooling over a window cleaner with his shirt off drinking the beverage.

The latest one a bunch of women in the park drool over a man who gets his shirt wet and removes it before proceeding to have a drink.

Isn't this basically the opposite of what we sometimes complain about?

I agree.

Well i never complain about half naked women so does this mean i get to appreciate half naked men guilt free?

Totally agree!

I've just said exactly that when I saw the ad tonight.

Flip the genders and there would be hell on.

Gives women a bad name does that.

I totally agree. I don;t know if any of you have seen the two twin brothers who are gardeners on this morning, i think they are on once a week, but they are always showing off their muscles in tight vests and shorts, and it really irks me. Imagine if they had two twin sisters as the gardens in scantly clad gear. It's just so transparent. Put on a t-shirt and a pair of trousers!

it's not the opposite, it's the same.

Are they still going? Bit of a dated concept all round, both objectifying men and aiming diet products at women.

Time for a new idea?

sex sells

Yes, I agree. If this was a woman who was being ogled by men, then had to strip to her bra after the shaken can of Coke soaked her t-shirt I'm sure there would be uproar.

It's pretty vile.

Who wouldn't want to be drooled over by a gang of smart women?

In film studies they call it 'reversal of the male gaze'. Those ads are always trotted out (usually by men) whenever anyone complains about sexist advertising. Two points though. Compare the amount of woman-as-sex-object versus man-as-sex-object in adverts/music videos. That said, two (many) wrongs do not make a right. Objectifying anyone based on looks alone is wrong - second point. You have (I assume) educated, intelligent and professional women lose their shit because a pretty man shows up. Demeans the man, yes, but also the stupid women who are so easily distracted by a fit body.

I actually thought watching that advert 'Well, that's really dangerous! What if the blades tore up the can!' I'm obviously not their target audience

They also make women look completely vacuous - oooh, sexy man .

So they pretty much debase both men and women.

That's the point though - they are portrayed as stupid women!

Cross posted with TrudyK!

Go Vecta! Always annoys me, when people use these ads as some kind of defence against page 3 etc. As if we want to look like the airheads on those ads....

BTW, this is my first post on Mumsnet. I thought it would all be Daily Fail awfulness and I am so sorry. Browsing tonight and it's a hotbed of feminism and awesomeness. I have a feeling I might be spending quite some time here...

I'd be happy to give up the Diet Coke ad in return for no ads objectifying either gender.

Yes, it's objectification- but its premise is to pillory the very idea that a man could really be objectified in the same way as women are. The underlying message is that men still hold all the power... but wait! what's this absurdity? The novelty value of a group of women mindlessly objectifying a man is what sells the product.

It is the same as the objectification of women just as a bead of sweat is the same as the Atlantic Ocean.

how did you decide the premise?

Is there a link to this ad?

oh yeh kim the dulux ad annoyed me too. fgs ! oooh pink!

not comfortable with the ads because it gives men permission to read nuts and zoo and continue objectifying women. which is more of a problem. funny isn't it how a woman who gets distracted by a sexy handsome man is perceived/portrayed as dumb but a man who is distracted by a beautiful sexy woman, well, that's just 'natural' isn't it??!

Oh hell yes. I hate it when this happens.

looking forward to the sexist drivel of xmas adverts if only for the MN responses

Ok, the apparent premise.