Mad (Wo)Men
Mad Men successfully depicted the glamorous life of advertising in the 1960s. However, despite its fascinating portrayal, a recurring theme throughout the show was obvious: the inferiority of and sexism towards women in the industry. It was clear that power came through powerful men, and that while being pretty can get you on the ladder, it will not get you to the top.
In 2016, we like to think that this misogynistic industry has changed significantly. From a surface level, advertising has achieved something that most previously male-dominated industries have not: a 50% female workforce. In fact, compared to the ~36% of females in finance, advertising appears to be a leader in championing women. However, is it really? Although …show more content…
With the majority of women in advertisements portrayed as homemakers and sex objects while men drive cool cars, it is unsurprising that 91% of female consumers feel advertisers do not understand them and 70% state that they feel ‘alienated.’ Although more agencies are producing ‘girl power’ centered advertisements like Wieden+Kennedy’s Unlimited Pursuit for Nike and Leo Burnett’s Like A Girl for Always, these representations are still the minority. Because men dominate creative departments and their outputs, everything produced subsequently lacks a female perspective. In particular, I believe that these narrow and stereotypical portrayals of women are a result of groupthink: when a group of men are brainstorming campaign concepts together, the ideas originate through a male lens with no desire to break conformity. Because the creators of media have the power to influence a mass audience, the male-controlled leadership of advertising has the ethical responsibility to be conscious and careful of how they represent women. Otherwise, the failure to do so results in adding to a historical narrative of disenfranchising a specific demographic. I have no doubt that if executive decision making meetings were balanced with more women, we would see fewer women in advertisements using Bounty, and …show more content…
Walter Thompson male executive were “a one-man mistake” and not representative “of what is happening in our industry.” Although it is shocking to see these male executives dismiss the issue of gender diversity, fortunately, there are those who see it as a real issue. In particular, Mat Zucker of Razorfish believes “if you don’t pay attention and ask for more great women, than it’s your own damn fault,” and personally scours through women portfolios to find new female talent. In response to Levy, Chief of WPP, Martin Sorrel, acknowledged fully that “there is a problem” and that “Maurice has a habit of ignoring the
Mad Men successfully depicted the glamorous life of advertising in the 1960s. However, despite its fascinating portrayal, a recurring theme throughout the show was obvious: the inferiority of and sexism towards women in the industry. It was clear that power came through powerful men, and that while being pretty can get you on the ladder, it will not get you to the top.
In 2016, we like to think that this misogynistic industry has changed significantly. From a surface level, advertising has achieved something that most previously male-dominated industries have not: a 50% female workforce. In fact, compared to the ~36% of females in finance, advertising appears to be a leader in championing women. However, is it really? Although …show more content…
With the majority of women in advertisements portrayed as homemakers and sex objects while men drive cool cars, it is unsurprising that 91% of female consumers feel advertisers do not understand them and 70% state that they feel ‘alienated.’ Although more agencies are producing ‘girl power’ centered advertisements like Wieden+Kennedy’s Unlimited Pursuit for Nike and Leo Burnett’s Like A Girl for Always, these representations are still the minority. Because men dominate creative departments and their outputs, everything produced subsequently lacks a female perspective. In particular, I believe that these narrow and stereotypical portrayals of women are a result of groupthink: when a group of men are brainstorming campaign concepts together, the ideas originate through a male lens with no desire to break conformity. Because the creators of media have the power to influence a mass audience, the male-controlled leadership of advertising has the ethical responsibility to be conscious and careful of how they represent women. Otherwise, the failure to do so results in adding to a historical narrative of disenfranchising a specific demographic. I have no doubt that if executive decision making meetings were balanced with more women, we would see fewer women in advertisements using Bounty, and …show more content…
Walter Thompson male executive were “a one-man mistake” and not representative “of what is happening in our industry.” Although it is shocking to see these male executives dismiss the issue of gender diversity, fortunately, there are those who see it as a real issue. In particular, Mat Zucker of Razorfish believes “if you don’t pay attention and ask for more great women, than it’s your own damn fault,” and personally scours through women portfolios to find new female talent. In response to Levy, Chief of WPP, Martin Sorrel, acknowledged fully that “there is a problem” and that “Maurice has a habit of ignoring the