Text:
Wine doesn’t just come with cheese. For women it’s also accompanied by hair loss, wrinkles, and obesity, plus the other problems like breast cancer, early menopause and memory loss.
This ad rests on women’s fear of looking like men (whatever that means)
(1) Interestingly, none of the side-effects of alcoholism listed seem, to me, to be masculinizing. I can only imagine that the creators of this ad thought that straying from the norms of youthful femininity makes a woman seem masculine, thereby conflating aging with masculinization in women.
(2) Also, notice the excessive make-up. The ad is relying on the viewer being disgusted at the idea of a masculine face covered in make-up. That is part of what is supposed to create a negative reaction. But make-up and masculinity are not intrinsically or naturally at odds. We only believe this to be so.
(By the way, the fact that most men do not wear make-up, I think, is a beautiful example of the triumph of gender ideology over capitalism. For example. But see here.)
(3) Finally, what’s “drink like a man” all about? I guess men can have all the wine and cheese that they want without getting wrinkles because, gosh darn it, it’s just how men drink! Maybe they even get more masculine! (Hmmmm… as someone who loves her liquor, suddenly I do have penis envy.)
Thanks to Julie C. for the link!
NEW! This vintage ad (found here) uses the same logic:
Comments 22
nix — January 31, 2009
omfg, this can't be serious?
Michelle — January 31, 2009
This organization seems to be raising awareness for alcohol "misuse" and by extension alcoholism ... so is alcoholism more "manly," then?
Also, on a practical note, failing to specify how much wine turns you into a wrinkly, masculine woman makes this ad completely pointless. It seems to be urging a boycott of wine rather than sensible moderation.
Toni — January 31, 2009
It's interesting that things like wrinkles and hair loss - how shockingly awful! - are listed before 'other problems' like breast cancer. Nice to know that keeping one's appearance acceptable to the makers of this ad is more important than avoiding cancer (assuming that connection is actually scientifically valid).
thewhatifgirl — February 1, 2009
I find the connection between wine and women interesting as well. This seems to be an emerging gendered activity in some ways - I've seen a lot of women in movies enjoying a glass of wine and a lot of the women I know who identify as refined, middle class women drink very little besides wine.
missdk — February 1, 2009
The "drink like a man" part gets me the most. How many times have I heard that it's unladylike to drink like my male peers in the media through ads and articles giving their "advice" as rates of female drinking, esp binging, go on the rise? What they're really doing is separating me as something different, not teaching moderation. And the moderation they so often preach is to "protect us" from molestation or sluttish reputations, asking the victim to change rather than speak out against the perpetrators.
Amy — February 2, 2009
Don't men also risk adverse affects from drinking too much?
Leon — February 3, 2009
Now, just to clarify:
As a rule ,men need to drink more than women to have the same effects, ( beneficial or otherwise). This is why women shouldnt drink as much as men, because what for men might be ok, woulc come with serious consequences for women!
hypatia — February 4, 2009
Well as far as a masculinizing effect I know my own mother had her "I'm not a women anymore!" freak out the first time she thought she was going through menopause.
And unfortunately there is a large cultural pressure that breasts=woman. Then of course many breast cancer charities capitalize on this pressure a la "Save the Ta tas" or "Save Second Base" campaigns. 'Cause it's not enough to save the woman, just the anatomy that men care about. Yeah, bitter breast cancer finance raiser here. But the emotional wreckage thrown on women who must undergo a mastectomy is immense.
Of course these both these points make me hate this ad more.
Heather — February 5, 2009
God forbid, somebody challenges the gender binary! gender-queer and trans-gender people shouldn't be used as a proxy for "unattractive." They probably look better than the heteronormative assholes who made this ad anyway.
Teal Cuttlefish — February 24, 2009
I have lost one breast to breast cancer, and elected not to reconstruct. I have also just had a hysterectomy. Neither has made me uglier, less attractive, or less desirable to those I love, and the implications of such an ad are highly insulting.
Sociological Images » What We’ve Been Up To Behind Your Back (June 2009) — July 1, 2009
[...] We also added an anti-smoking advertisement threatening women with unattractiveness to a similar anti-drinking advertisement. [...]
Clara — August 20, 2009
I don't quite agree that the second ad fits the theme of the first. I know many people who sympathize and agree with the second ad - they don't like smokers, smelling or kissing them - and an ad like that is very real to them. To me, that is a viable ad, not one I really like, but it does work.
However, the first ad I agree with Heather - I think this just promotes fear of trans-gender people. People who are women and WANT to look like a man, and this is just saying it is a horrible thing! The whole aspect of the ad that wine makes you look ugly is just ridiculous. If they want a valid ad, show what wine REALLY does to you. There are people who staunchly believe in one glass a day improves your health - why don't they tackle that instead?
Coopers Premium Light Beer: Less Beer-Goggle Danger » Sociological Images — September 14, 2009
[...] this one about dealing with your girlfriend asking “does my butt look big?” And this anti-drinking PSAs tell women if they drink too much they’ll look like men. Leave a Comment Tags: [...]
canonball — September 15, 2009
Thirding the transphobic rhetoric
The Official A Gender Agenda Blog » Health Advertisment Relies on Transphobia — October 8, 2009
[...] was pointed out at the Sociological Images blog: The ad is relying on the viewer being disgusted at the idea of a masculine face covered in [...]
pacience — April 7, 2010
i guess lol funny
creatureofculture — December 13, 2010
This ad is clearly a message from a group of moral crusaders who are waging a campaign against alcohol consumption. What exactly motivates the author is unclear:
Does our culture drink to much?
Are women at risk by emulating men's drinking behavior? (concern for the lives of women)
Is femininity at risk from alcohol use? (concern for the cultural notion of gender)
Is alcohol itself morally wrong? Is this ad rooted in a religious belief in the evil alcohol?
Who knows what ideological imperative motivates this cautionary message. Regardless, I see this image and think about masculine culture. As a male, the ways I participated in heavy drinking culture, were implicit to my identity. In general, the larger the volume of alcohol consumed, and the more intense the taste or alcohol percentage consumed, the more masculine it is. Conversely, a more benign beverage such as Mikes Hard Lemonade, merits the label of "bitch" or "pussy" among males. To sum it up, this ad raises the issue of how heavy drinking is an important part of masculine culture in our society.
That said, its baffling that they say wine doesn't just come with cheese. Typically, i would not associate excessive or binge drinking with a wine and cheese party. The target audience of the ad, i think, are adolescents and young adults who attend keggers and house parties where they play flip cup and beer pong. I cant imagine their notion of drinking is one of sophisticated pallets sipping wine and eating Gouda cheese. Damn, I'm disappointed because the ads implicit commentary on the gendered politics of alcohol consumption is dampened by the annoyance of that statement: wine and cheese? really? be consistent people!
Michael Paul Goldenberg — February 11, 2012
Wow. How low! Trying to target women over something that might be bad for their health by appealing to their vanity. Why, next they'll be telling male drinkers that alcohol consumption makes their penises smaller and less able to, ahem, perform. And that would be grounded in Western male cultural stereotypes (regardless of sexual orientation). We can't have that.
Seems to me there are a lot more insidious instances of the sorts of things getting folks bent out of shape (no pun intended) here to worry and complain about. A LOT more.
Admin — December 28, 2012
As a former cosmetics counter manager I can attest to the fact that severe alcoholism can indeed make women look masculine. I had two regular customers who came in reeking of liquor and had skin that would shame a 40 yr old man - thick and dry from chronic dehydration. One was so bad that I thought she was a transexual who had stopped taking her hormones. (Of course that didn't make sense because she would drop hundreds of dollars a month at my counter.)
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