It was a long, rough week for me. Actually, it’s been a long, rough month. I’m not here to whinge, just prefacing this with a disclaimer that I’m exhausted and this is going to be a very quick drive-by post. Something non-critical. Something fluffy. Maybe later I’ll be more critical, about things like CBS’s new show The Ex List, which is all about a thirtysomething woman trying to find happiness, and by happiness I mean her one twu luv. I digress. This is a fluff piece.
I present to you:
*Gasp* Look, Chevy is marketing a vehicle specifically to a woman! (I’d wager they’re also unintentionally hitting the gay male target at least partially as well. I say unintentional, because the dude’s ironing a dress.)
Look, a man is prancing around half-clothed in situations that do not call for it!
Look, a man is doing what society has long told us is women’s work.
Does it make me want to buy this SUV? No, because I’m a treehugger and don’t need such a thing (I sure as hell don’t need to spend $28,000 on a vehicle). But I sure do appreciate that someone out there understands that this type of visual marketing might just work for someone other than a man.
Why, yes, I do enjoy looking at beautiful men.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m fairly new to your blog (loving it so far!) but when I saw this commercial the other day I thought of you. Hehe.
Stassja(Quote) (Reply)
Heh, the first time I saw it I was all “WTF is this?” (could have done without the sappy music) and then I just gave in and enjoyed the visual.
sbg(Quote) (Reply)
On one level I as blown away (pardon any unintentional pun) to see the shirtless guy, the implied nekkidness. Scrubbing the toilet? Woah.
On the next level I can’t help thinking it’s condescending (could also be my mood today). Yes, I like seeing a marketing company acknowledge the fact that women don’t need to be targetted solely as caregivers for a vehicle like this, that, just maybe, showing us some beefcake might sell a few more cars. But I wouldn’t object to an average woman, not a model or actress, telling me why she uses a car like that. If it’s to haul kids around, cool. But if she were to use it to haul around her art supplies, or equipment for her repair or contracting business, or equipment for her scientific field work, that’d be cool, as well.
Of course, I am so not the demographic they’re targeting.
Alleahna(Quote) (Reply)
I totally get where you’re coming from, Alleahna. It’s not a complete win of a commercial at all, but some aspects of it are great. I’d love, for example, the dude not necessarily doing “woman’s work”, because why the hell is it considered “woman’s work” in this day and age, anyway?
On the downside, the other commercial, which does highlight storage capabilities shows a woman driving along and suddenly there’s a downpour … of shoes. She excitedly scoops lots and lots of shoes into her SUV.
Because that’s not a stereotype?
sbg(Quote) (Reply)
I actually quite disliked the ad. I interpreted the imagery to be a reflection of the ending voiceover: “It’s useful, It’s beautiful, It’s everything you want.” (? on that last part) Meaning that the SUV, like the man, is useful (cleaning, ironing) and beautiful (young, toned, shirtless)–everything you want. I strongly dislike it when ads present women as useful and beautiful, so I really dislike it here, too.
The thing that is interesting about this ad is how weird it is to see–I mean, how odd, how much it sticks out, how much it makes you think about it. We barely flinch at sexist and objectifying ads of women, but this one stands out. It’s also interesting how a gay overtone tends to be the first thing we consider when we see men’s bodies–Pavolvian, in a way.
I do like that the ads show an attractive man…the useful part really bugs me, though.
(and note how the “useful” things he does are female-codded tasks? Is that part of his “use”, kind of like that awful Porn for Women book?)
lindabeth(Quote) (Reply)