Kelebek sent in an Australian commercial for Brut deodorant. In it, a male robot transforms various objects (a motorcycle, a drink) into “better” versions, more fitting of a super macho robot. One of the improved items is a Barbie doll/woman:
The woman is, quite literally, an object, to be “modified,” and then posed with his other belongings. And as we see, being “brutally male” is associated with drinking a lot, driving powerful vehicles, having hot women, and probably engaging in the type of risky behaviors that partially explain why men in many industrialized nations live shorter lives than women.
The commercial was pulled from TV by the Advertising Standards Bureau after they determined it was offensive to women. The commercial had to be recut…so that the woman isn’t one of the “objects” in the back of his vehicle at the end. The scene where he modifies the Barbie to be a live woman, and the phrase “reject, modify object,” weren’t removed. And:
Brut brand manager Deane De Villiers defended the ad, saying the robot carried the woman with the utmost of respect “as one would carry one’s bride”.
Yes. If your bride were an object you created to your very own specifications.
And for fun, read the comments to that Sun-Herald article.
Comments 24
thewhatifgirl — September 7, 2009
Ha ha, I misread the title as "Butt Deodorant Ad".
Rob — September 7, 2009
Obviously this is a horrible way to treat women, and a horrible way to represent masculinity. However, like any other mass media product, it reflects the wants and desires of a lot of people. There's a whole chicken or egg construct with advertising and cultural mores, but I'm more interested in the fact that these attitudes are being used to sell men this cologne, because they actually want to be like the guy in the commercial. The underlying cultural assumptions are more worrisome to me; advertising is just a mirror held to those assumptions, rather than an evil in and of itself, IMO.
md — September 7, 2009
This earlier post regarding an Australian bourbon ad is releveant here:
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/07/03/the-ideal-woman-for-the-shallow-immature-man/
The Amazing Kim — September 7, 2009
And for fun, read the comments to that Sun-Herald article.
One of the odder definitions of "fun" I've come across...
Delta — September 7, 2009
There's actually another Australian deoderant tv ad running at the moment that you might find interesting. I don't have the time to find it right now (using someone else's computer) but basically the man sprays himself with the deoderant, and it turns him into chocolate.
Chocolate man walks about town and women go absolutely crazy for him and just about lose all self control, as we all know us women do when we encounter chocolate... apparently. I think the point of the ad was that using Lynx brand deoderant makes you irresistable to women which is such an old, crusty trope when it comes to men's deoderant ads (can we move on please? As long as a guy doesn't smell BAD, I don't notice what he smells like).
Hebitch — September 7, 2009
I see nothing wrong with this, people need a sense of humor
Kevin — September 8, 2009
Jesus, even if it didn't blatantly treat women as objects it should have been pulled for being ungodly cheesy and uncreative. Even anti-creative, this ad being played actually destroys creativity around it, it's that terrible.
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Ava Avane Dawn — September 14, 2009
I do wonder if they have a female equivalant. I think they should have changed it so that it shows that there is a woman underneath the "storm troopers" helmet. But that would be reinforcing butch/femme stereotypes I guess...
Anonymous — October 20, 2009
what a great add! me and my girlfriend didnt get offend by this at all! we just had a laugh at it, stuff like this you shouldnt take too seriously,
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