Cultural stereotypes pushing women to the edge
By Rashmi Saksena
An advertisement has done it again. The latest ad for a men’s deodorant, after shave lotion and hair product, showing a headless pair of breasts mounted on legs, once again reveals advertisers as sexist and perpetrators of stereotyping. The tragic part of it all is that some advertisers choose to be so. The villainous sellers make it a conscious decision to remain insensitive to the changing times in which sexist remarks and stereotyping is akin to using abusive language. Their ‘dharma’ is to snare the consumer into buying, whatever be the cost. They merrily continue conforming to a general pattern and reinforce stereotypes that should have been brought down long back. Rogue advertisers refuse to do their bit to demolish gender barriers or crack stereotypes that inject discrimination and violence in society. They simply don’t care about anything but making some more dough.
The new ad for men’s products is proof of how the company plays along with stereotypes, encouraging the casting of people in straitjackets and giving further life to the very concept. The ad is based on the stereotype that men notice first the breasts of women. The ad for men’s hair product is also based on stereotyping that shows that women first notice a man’s mop of hair before anything else. The manufacturer has obviously put his faith in this stereotype. The message is that if women should know that all that matters to men is their breasts and if men want to attract women all they need to do is take care of their hair. Of course, with the advertised product. The ad is reinforcing this message, visual after visual, at the cost of youngsters growing up with distorted and flawed notions.
Recent happenings have highlighted the danger of stereotyping across gender lines. It has been the cause of killings and death, health emergencies, mental breakdowns and psychological crisis both for men and women. Let us take a look at the worst case scenario when stereotyping blurs the line and crosses over to racial profiling. A fallout of the recent Assam violence was the stabbing of a Tibetan youth because anyone with facial features like his was slotted as a person from the north-east region and therefore targeted by another community. It is sad to think that men and women were being stereotyped on the basis of their looks as targets of attacks. The assumption was that all from the north-east are responsible for violence against people from a certain religion. In America, Sikhs have been killed because they have been mistaken for Muslims. The stereotype that anyone with a beard and turban is enemy has come to stay. The attack on a gurdwara in US is a result of racial hatred in which the role of stereotyping cannot be ignored. Being slotted according to physical features, dress, religion and country of origin is common and sinister.
Often we hear comments that reflect stereotypes. All people from a certain religion are fundamentalists, people from a particular region are cheats, women who dress in western-wear are whores, blondes are dumb, glamorous women have no brains, women drive badly, and many, many more reveal the dangerous trend of stereotypes forming the basis of judging others. Those who form opinions about others on the basis of commonly accepted beliefs are undoubtedly not an enlightened lot but as much to blame are perpetrators of stereotyping. Amongst the significant ones are advertisers, who encourage beliefs like that only the fair skinned can be successful or only men with flashy cars can bag beautiful women, the macho man is the toast of the town and women big breasts march to big success. Take a look at ads for fairness creams, cars, men in tacky slippers rescuing damsels in distress, weight loss magic formulae and even cosmetic surgery. The foundation of all these messages is long entrenched stereotypes.
A recent report has pointed out concerns of health experts in Italy about the rising number of young girls opting for cosmetic surgery in order to fit old stereotypes. Girls still in their teens are going under the surgeons’ knife to get pouting lips, their breasts enhanced, buttock shaping, nose jobs and tummy tucks. According to stereotypes, the big-breasted are the beauties, and girls feel pressurised to conform to the notion. Three years ago, the Italian Health Ministry put a ban on breast enhancement in under 18 girls. According to the report, research showed that 14 percent of 16-17 year old Italian girls said they would opt for breast enhancement surgery and 30 percent felt dissatisfied with their bodies. Their self-perceptions are to a great extent governed by socio-cultural stereotypes.
Efforts have been made by authorities in India to end a negative portrayal of women in films and ads. This is a move to stop making of stereotypes. Stereotyping creates two catergories of people. One lot is the one that works to conform to the stereotype and the other that tries to break away from it. Both fall prey to the danger of stereotyping. Those who are scared of stereotypes work hard at being different to prove a point. Heard of women who dress down to be taken seriously at work or accept assignments to prove that they are as good as men? Stereotyping must end. Will its perpetrators give people a chance to be themselves and be accepted as they are, instead of pushing them into living their lives in accordance with the sellers’ whims and fancies? (IPA Service)