Walking down the aisle; I dislike supermarket ads.

We are all familiar with the typical “woman-by-the-stove” image of the 20^thcentury, but who would have thought that this representation of women has casually slipped into modern advertising, especially in the realm of supermarkets. In ASDA’s broadcasted adverts, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3apKhUHn4oM for example, very often a fresh young mum is the main attraction, skipping up and down the aisles, shopping-trolley in tow, smiling smugly at the bargain prices. And, it seems this image is apparent everywhere; we only have to pass Iceland, and we automatically hear Kerry Katona’s famous “That’s why mums go to Iceland”. There is even an amateur song about this; http://www.4shared.com/audio/SDyyCOHg/Bennet–Mums_Gone_To_Iceland_E.htm, which advertises the opinion that Iceland is purely for mothers, and includes the lyrics “more cash Dada, give her more cash Dada”, as if we are still living in the dark ages and men are the classic bread-winners.

Admittedly, these offensive imageries will have stemmed from the 1980’s, where adverts such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKeEix_oPQk&feature=related featured simply women and children. It was almost unheard of that men could venture near supermarkets, as women’s roles in modern society had not yet been properly established due to significant male dominance. But –luckily, might I add­ – at the end of the day, views have moved on, so why can’t adverts.

In this current age of the newly-formed independent woman, men have set foot in supermarkets, which only makes these sexist adverts more confusing. Higher divorce rates, general equality, and an increase in popularity for women’s roles in the economic work force, have made man become more familiar with the concept of supermarket shopping, and so it is no longer seen as a place purely for females. Over time, the modern man has emerged, and there isn’t room in today’s society for the role of the traditional women, and we are not locked in the kitchen or chained to the stove.

Further more, Richard Hammond’s Christmas advert in 2009 for Morrison’s; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2DbXZIO2gY&feature=related is a great success. It manages to erase the wrongly perceived image of supermarkets which some held in the past, and lets men see that the old fashioned persona of women has long disappeared.

However, and very unfortunately, this is only one prime example in a sea of many. And, according to the majority of these supermarket adverts, it seems that it is not acceptable for a man to go grocery shopping. Are we not living in a day and age where men and women are equal? Looking at current advertisements, I would have to disagree. Sorry ladies, but it seems there is still a tendency towards male power.