One of the advantages of not owning a TV is that I am spared the constant bombardment of advertising designed to make me discontented with the way I am living. Not entirely spared, of course, there's always radio and internet and print. But when one is not always bombarded one does have time to think and evaluate the messages that are coming one's way rather than reacting, reacting, reacting, which is what the advertisers want.
Lately there have been a series of radio commercials advertising Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Now, it's very interesting how the advertising company chooses to promote this product. Instead of a gender-neutral "Dinty Moore Beef Stew is a delicious, nutritious meal for those times that you don't have time to cook," they are playing on stereotypes. MASCULINE stereotypes. Apparently women do not buy or eat Dinty Moore Beef Stew; at any rate, the product is not for them.
The commercials start out with a female interviewer giving taste samples to a man who is described, both from the sound of his voice and his interests as being a bit wimpy, effeminate, you know, a little light in the loafers. They don't come right out and say this guy is gay but anyone who knows anything about gay stereotypes knows exactly who they are targeting. He is given something equally effeminate to eat, like a tofu sandwich with watercress. Then he is given a spoonful of Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Instantly he is transformed! His voice drops down to a manly baritone and he starts taking an interest in manly things--diesel truck repair guides, motorcycles.
Now, what is the message here? It's not about stew at all. It's about gender roles and society's expectations. Every second counts in advertising and therefore every word must count as well. There are no wasted words or images. The advertisers know precisely what they want and how to deliver the message. Whoever thought that a can of stew can be so political? But it's very clear how the advertisers of Dinty Moore Beef Stew think men ought to behave. Like I said, this is not a product for women even though beef stew is something both sexes enjoy (unless they're vegetarians).
Well, you might say, it got your attention, didn't it? It did. Not that I buy a lot of canned stew of any kind anyway; I much prefer to make my own and freeze it. I don't have any strong feelings for or against Dinty Moore Beef Stew. I am just using it as an example of the kinds of messages we are bombarded with that really don't have anything to do with the product.
Recently a radio station made the news when it announced it would no longer play the music of certain rappers because of their lyrics. The straw that broke the camel's back in this case was a song that spoke about beating a woman's private parts like Emmett Till. For those who don't know who Emmett Till was, he was a young African-American from Chicago visiting relatives in Mississippi back in 1955. A white woman accused him of whistling at her and he was dragged out and brutally beaten to death by a white mob. Naturally, Till's family is quite upset with the lyrics.
Now, I don't know the color dynamics of who owns and finances record companies and such, but I do know that record companies, book publishers, movie studios, and the like are not obligated to publish or record everyone who walks into their studio or submits a manuscript. In fact, far, far, far more are rejected than accepted. That means that the studio executives and publishers are making choices about what they will promote and why. The fact that a song like this, written and performed by an African-American, was one of the few that DID make the cut, says a great deal about the mindset of those who do have the power to decide what others will hear. I am willing to make a bet that there was WHITE money behind that song somewhere. There are WHITE people getting rich on BLACK people's self-destruction. I say hurrah to this black-owned radio station for having the courage to say no, we will no longer participate in this, we will no longer promote such messages.
Part of the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech is to recognize the many ways that speech can be used to manipulate and direct others. And what people forget about mass media, whether print, video or music, is that each medium has gatekeepers who are making the decisions for you about what you will read, watch, or listen to. Why do they select one writer but not another? One singer but not another? One show but not another?
Lately there have been a series of radio commercials advertising Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Now, it's very interesting how the advertising company chooses to promote this product. Instead of a gender-neutral "Dinty Moore Beef Stew is a delicious, nutritious meal for those times that you don't have time to cook," they are playing on stereotypes. MASCULINE stereotypes. Apparently women do not buy or eat Dinty Moore Beef Stew; at any rate, the product is not for them.
The commercials start out with a female interviewer giving taste samples to a man who is described, both from the sound of his voice and his interests as being a bit wimpy, effeminate, you know, a little light in the loafers. They don't come right out and say this guy is gay but anyone who knows anything about gay stereotypes knows exactly who they are targeting. He is given something equally effeminate to eat, like a tofu sandwich with watercress. Then he is given a spoonful of Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Instantly he is transformed! His voice drops down to a manly baritone and he starts taking an interest in manly things--diesel truck repair guides, motorcycles.
Now, what is the message here? It's not about stew at all. It's about gender roles and society's expectations. Every second counts in advertising and therefore every word must count as well. There are no wasted words or images. The advertisers know precisely what they want and how to deliver the message. Whoever thought that a can of stew can be so political? But it's very clear how the advertisers of Dinty Moore Beef Stew think men ought to behave. Like I said, this is not a product for women even though beef stew is something both sexes enjoy (unless they're vegetarians).
Well, you might say, it got your attention, didn't it? It did. Not that I buy a lot of canned stew of any kind anyway; I much prefer to make my own and freeze it. I don't have any strong feelings for or against Dinty Moore Beef Stew. I am just using it as an example of the kinds of messages we are bombarded with that really don't have anything to do with the product.
Recently a radio station made the news when it announced it would no longer play the music of certain rappers because of their lyrics. The straw that broke the camel's back in this case was a song that spoke about beating a woman's private parts like Emmett Till. For those who don't know who Emmett Till was, he was a young African-American from Chicago visiting relatives in Mississippi back in 1955. A white woman accused him of whistling at her and he was dragged out and brutally beaten to death by a white mob. Naturally, Till's family is quite upset with the lyrics.
Now, I don't know the color dynamics of who owns and finances record companies and such, but I do know that record companies, book publishers, movie studios, and the like are not obligated to publish or record everyone who walks into their studio or submits a manuscript. In fact, far, far, far more are rejected than accepted. That means that the studio executives and publishers are making choices about what they will promote and why. The fact that a song like this, written and performed by an African-American, was one of the few that DID make the cut, says a great deal about the mindset of those who do have the power to decide what others will hear. I am willing to make a bet that there was WHITE money behind that song somewhere. There are WHITE people getting rich on BLACK people's self-destruction. I say hurrah to this black-owned radio station for having the courage to say no, we will no longer participate in this, we will no longer promote such messages.
Part of the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech is to recognize the many ways that speech can be used to manipulate and direct others. And what people forget about mass media, whether print, video or music, is that each medium has gatekeepers who are making the decisions for you about what you will read, watch, or listen to. Why do they select one writer but not another? One singer but not another? One show but not another?
