Sarah S. sent in these two commercials for am/pm:
Dear am/pm:
1. I am a customer and I have a vagina. To be more specific, I am not a 20-year-old, het, white dude who likes sports, video games, and top ramen. Also, my mom doesn’t still do my laundry. (I’m just guessin’.)
2. Women are not stuff. They should not be lumped in with Funyuns. Get a clue.
Here’s a couple similar posts: Women are precious belongings (bubblewrap them) and pieces of furniture.
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Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments 21
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist — July 29, 2009
That brings up something else in mind... I've always been bothered by suchstatement that goes something like, "drugs, rock n roll, and girls!" or how about "beer, fast cars, and girls!"
Like females are objects to be slumped in the same category with drugs/rock n roll/cars/beer.
Ugh.
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist — July 29, 2009
*such statements, my bad. Excuse my typo.
Lance — July 29, 2009
That's fairly awful. Kind of typical for advertising, but still fairly awful. (I haven't heard the particular formulation that DIMA gives above--I know "sex, drugs, and rock n roll", which is gender-neutral in terms of who gets it and what they're getting--but "beer, fast cars, and girls" is pretty typical of the advertising attitude in which Hot Chick is just another perk of getting every thing you want.)
Parapluie — July 29, 2009
Now that I think about it, I don't believe I've ever seen an AM/PM commercial that wasn't obviously targeting heterosexual 20-something males.
Nataly — July 29, 2009
Reminds me of the Burger King commercials where the Kings steal the guy's hamburger, then his girlfriend. Always creeped me out, on the assumption that it would lead to rape.
Gexx — July 29, 2009
This makes me scared to research just what AM/PM is...
Nique — July 29, 2009
I've never heard of AM/PM. These commercials don't give me any idea of what the product is. I can tell that I wouldn't be a welcome customer, since being female I'm only good to be eye candy.
Alyssa — July 29, 2009
@Gexx @Nique
AM/PM is the mini mart that is always attached to a gas station (ARCO I think).
Nique — July 29, 2009
Thanks Alyssa. I never knew that shopping at a certain convenience store would lead to relaxing in a pool and finally finding another roommate. I guess I learn a little more each day ;-).
Louche — July 29, 2009
Just the same as if there were a commercial calling dead chickens "juicy" and "mm, mm, good."
Captain Crab — July 29, 2009
Unfortunately, stupidity and sex sell.
Gil — July 29, 2009
Literally objectifying women is insulting. So is telling guys all they desire are women that can be treated like things. No one wins.
pharmacopaeia — July 30, 2009
This Vodafone ad, while more 'artful' and with better intentions I guess, always weirds me out in the same way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gP9xB3PZ5A
Annoyed — July 30, 2009
Actually Captain Crab, sex and stupidity are assumed to sell. There is some evidence that they don't really. It is the sign of a lazy marketer who does not do market research. And I think it is safe to assume there were no women working on the team that produced these to remind everyone that we buy from convenient stores as well.
It’s About Making Babies! » si: am/pm in the lives and fantasies of young men — July 30, 2009
[...] Lisa is irked. She posts on Sociological Images two am/pm (convenience store) ads – as ads, they nicely target their audience. As ads, they introduce a problem, in this case an unexpected addition to their group. As ads, they grant wishes-come-true moments as the possibly repulsive guy is revealed to be a congenial and attractive woman, sometimes with friends. [...]
Magnetic Crow — July 30, 2009
Umm Louche?
No. Because that would be talking about chickens, and this is talking about people.
20somethingwhitedude — August 6, 2009
I wanna be those guys!!!
Jackie — August 11, 2009
I thought I should remind you, that people who have a vagina, also play video games. I know you don't, but given the misogyny in the game industry that suggests women don't play video games, perhaps you could have not been so quick to dismiss the notion that women don't play video games.
The Klondike Bar: Now For Dudes Only » Sociological Images — November 25, 2009
[...] you bored of companies targeting their products at men with tired and insulting stereotypes? Well, too bad. Because ya’ll keep sendin’ them to us and [...]