Advertising lives in the short-form world. Because mass media is so expensive the 30 second commercial is conventional and because there is so much clutter simplified signals are essential to 'cut through'. One form of communication short-hand used as a default is the stereotype - "A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, based on the assumption that there are attributes that members of the "other group" have in common. Stereotypes are sometimes formed by a previous illusory correlation, a false association between two variables that are loosely correlated if correlated at all. Though generally viewed as negative perceptions, stereotypes may be either positive or negative in tone." In the 1950's and 60's when men dominated advertising stereotypical impressions of women as inferior or subservient were not only commonplace but usual. It was normal to show women as housekeepers, largely because most wer...
As it's Friday night here's an amusement (via Idealog weekly).
David - that last comment was uncharacteristically acidic (and probably a little unfair).
ReplyDeleteI write for Unlimited and don't think it can be written off as casually as you do.
Just an observtion and all...
Ben, you're probably right. I was just being flippant. I could have made the same joke about Idealog. Nothing personal - a little partisan perhaps…
ReplyDeleteIMHO Idealog should absorb Unlimited I don't think there is enough meat on the advertising bone for both to gnaw on. I think the standard of journalism in Unlimited is high - i don't read it often because the subjects don't interest me enough - all a bit middle manager for my taste.