Apparently, I care a lot about commercials ♥7 February 8, 2010
I didn’t think I cared so much! I wasn’t going to blog about how smitten I am with Google’s ad, but a Folgers coffee commercial has put in perspective how great Google’s ad is. I must share it.
HOLY CRAP. CUTE, RIGHT? ADORABLE. SIMPLE. POWERFUL.
Now, the Folgers commercial I saw ten minutes ago.
What the fuck?
The woman gets home late, and when her dad points it out, she reminds him that she’s not 16. Because a good teenage girl must answer to daddy.
But he’s not gonna have to worry about her living her own life anymore! A man is gonna straighten her out.
She flashes a wedding ring at her dad. She is getting married to Todd! And Todd’s a lucky guy. Yep, lucky, lucky Todd. He gets the girl. Marriage being an equal partnership between two people who love each other? No, Todd is lucky.
And it turns out that before he even proposed to her, he talked to her dad about it. I don’t know about you, but if I’m getting married to someone, I’d prefer they ask me for my permission to marry me, not my father for his permission. My father does not own me. No one owns me. No one can hand me over.
Also, drink coffee.
In addition to being disgusted at Folgers sexist commercial, I’m thinking I’m gonna try to appreciate it when people do or say something progressive. Because obviously, the concept doesn’t even enter some minds.
Filed under Feminist, Random, Thoughts, Web / Tagged with commercials, folger's, google, media, sexism
I’m SO sad I missed those on TV! I love the Google one!!!! And that Folgers one is cute too. Teehee I love great commercials. Thanks for posting!
Kristin said this on February 9, 2010
That Google commercial was SO CUTE.
It actually made me smile.
The Folger’s one was, although I can see how it’s sexist, not all that bad really. I didn’t see the father as a man who is oppressing his grown daughter because she’s a female; I saw it as a father who worries about his child. Most people get asked about it when they get home late. And as for asking a father’s permission to marry someone – I see that as more of a tradition than anything. And the way I view it (although it IS the original context) isn’t property exchange; I see it as respect for the family. I’d ask a person’s mother and father.
I think the Folger’s commercial would have been a LOT better if it was a mother and daughter, though, because that could avoid any of the subtle sexism.
Josh said this on February 9, 2010
I’ve been hearing that side of it too. It *is* really subtle, and the father clearly cares about his daughter. I can see that aspect. I’m still uncomfortable with it, though. I think it’s the part where Todd talks to the father before he talks to his presumed girlfriend. It reminds me of the idea of fairy tale weddings, of which the extreme is purity balls. But then again, maybe it was just Todd talking about being nervous to a friend who happened to be her father. It’s tricky. A mother as the concerned parent would have been better, I agree.
Diana said this on February 9, 2010
I liked the Google ad, too. I hadn’t seen the Folger’s commercial but yeah it really is not “with the times.” I agree with Josh it would have been so much better with mother and daughter.
Caity said this on February 10, 2010
Thank you for your fine example of how feminist women like to blow things out of portion all the time, and turn a situation into a “sexist instance”.
First off, I am a woman, and disagree with your post entirely.
When viewing the commercial, you obviously had your overly feminist stick wedged up your ass. Pull it out for a minute so you can understand the real message of the commercial.
Having a close relationship with my Dad, I can relate to the commercial, and it made me smile. Being away at college, I understand what it’s like for a Father to worry about and miss his daughter, and vice versa. Ever consider that maybe the girl isn’t living at home? Maybe she’s on break from college, maybe she came home to visit for the weekend. You don’t know, so stop trying to turn that part into your radical feminist scheme.
Second, the dad mentions that his daughter was out late last night, not because he is trying to confront her, but because he cares. My dad says the same thing to me when I’m home on break and come in late. The commercial never gives the viewer a time frame that this “morning” is taking place either, ie.) maybe it was close to noon, so the Father mentions his daughter coming in late because it is relevant to the fact that she got up late. It’s also a conversation starter for seeing someone in the morning, so calm down.
And lastly, the part about the ring and the daughter assuring her father that he won’t have to worry anymore. You have no idea what that line means. It could mean a million things. Maybe by showing her father the ring, the daughter assures her father that he won’t have to worry about where she’ll be from now on. Maybe knowing his daughter will be married to a guy that he obviously likes and approves of will make his worrying cease knowing that she is in good care.
By showing her dad the ring she is proving to him that she wasn’t being wild and out partying last night and that he can stop worrying because she was clearly out late because she got engaged.
And the part about her fiance asking her father for permission? It’s cute, and shows respect for the family of his wife-to-be, not “ownership” like you tried so hard to make it look like. I want my future husband to ask my Father for permission to marry me because it’s respectful, and I like that old-fashioned traditon aspect of it. It also shows me that my parents approve of my future husband and decision, and if nothing else if the parents say “no” maybe it will make the daughter think twice about her decision. Not for everyone, true, but it’s cute the way they portray it in this commercial, not sexist.
Guess you didn’t take the time to analyze the true meaning of the commercial, I see. Stop looking at everything in the world through the small lens you currently are looking through. Folgers has a knack for creating family-oriented commercials that people can relate to. Believe it or not, the world is not out to get all women and make them feel “less” than men.
Good luck to you in your future endeavors, and I hope this won’t enter in one ear and out the other for you.
Jennifer said this on March 11, 2010
Although I don’t blow things out of proportion all the time, and although you made it seem like your being a woman automatically makes you a feminist voice (I don’t know you, but it’s plain that not all women are feminist), I did write this post as soon as I saw that commercial, so the post was reactionary. Since then, I do agree with you that I made it a bigger deal than it should have been. Thanks for your comment!
Diana said this on March 11, 2010
I did not mean to say that being a woman automatically makes you a feminist voice, my apologies that it was taken that way.
Fair enough, that the post was reactionary. My response to reading your post was reactionary, which is why I was so harsh in it, my apologies for that, as well.
Anyway, glad to see you are open-minded enough to change your opinion or initial reaction to something by thinking through it– I like that. Keep up the good work.
Jennifer said this on March 11, 2010