From Vintage Ads, another great example of the propagation of the stereotype that women are jealous of and hateful towards one another:
The ad reminded me of the Pantene commercials from the 1980s with the slogan “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful…” The real message not being “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful…” but, “Don’t hate me because you could be beautiful too, and if you can’t, well then I suppose you’re going to have to hate me”:
More examples of this meme here, here, here, and here.
I discuss the phenomenon, and how sexism (NOT estrogen) produces this situation, in a post about Battle of the Bods.
—————————
Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments 11
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist — September 15, 2009
hahahahahaha. I hate and despise this bullshit. awwww yeah shit, thousands of women, along with me, are SOOO jealous of these women! *rolls my eyes*
Matt K — September 15, 2009
Reminds me of Heidi Montag's recent comments in an interview: "As for other women, if they aren’t hating on you, then you’re not doing anything right."
Link here, but it's probably not safe for anyone with anything hard within reach of their forehead:
http://www.playboy.com/girls/celebrities/features/heidi-montag-playboy-pics.html
pg — September 15, 2009
I used the Pantene ads in a class I was teaching on advertising and semiotics. Although the students were too young to remember when it was originally on TV, it's still a great example of when the subtext IS the text. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful" breaks down like this:
"I am beautiful" (This is what beauty looks like.)
"You are not beautiful" (You are NOT what beauty looks like.)
"You are going to hate me because you are jealous of my beauty" (Women naturally constantly compete with each other for rewards based on who looks the best. The losers hate the winners and the winners pity the losers.)
and ultimately
"Buy this product you pathetic non-beautiful person in your ultimately vain attempt to look like me!"
PS - I love that the military-garbed, camouflage-make-up-wearing women in the vintage ad are wearing matching olive drab pumps.
rachel — September 15, 2009
check out that photo, seriously. Photoshop had not been invented yet, but paint had...
This ain't a photo, it's photo illustration...
pitseleh — September 15, 2009
Ok. If ANYONE can find a link to the commercials that said ... "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, I get constipated too" you'd have my undying love.
People think I made it up. I did not. It exists, regardless of whether I can find it.
Restructure! — September 15, 2009
Wow, that's where "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful" comes from? I didn't know it came from a commercial.
I laugh at the 80s hair and what was considered beautiful hair back then.
jess — September 18, 2009
Reminds me of all the stuff that comes out of Megan Fox, how unhappy she is becuase no one likes her, she has low self esteem. And women hate her becuase they are jealous of her.
Alessandra — September 19, 2009
I don't think it's a stereotype at all that women have problematic attitudes towards other women.
It happens in the same measure that racism and other problematic attitudes happen, that is, it's significant, while not applying to every single woman. There are so many crappy women out there.
Look at the audience of some of the grossest television shows and who's watching it? A good part of the audience is always women (Jerry Springer, these reality shows, MTV). Who loves to read the tabloids? So many women love to see the basest attitudes and behavior in others. Start asking people about every single problem they encounter in their work place and you will often hear multiple complaints about other women's attitudes and behaviors-- their pettiness, lack of professionalism, dirty tricks, and certainly, and not least of all, jealousy.
Furthermore, the hangups so many women have with their appearance is not trivial. Women are often loaded with stupid attitudes about beauty and appearance, they constantly compare themselves to others and compare others. So many young women hate their bodies, their selves.
And it's not to say men aren't jealous of other men either. Who would be so completely blind to say it's only a stereotype for men as well? There are so many men who are envious of other men, but it's usually an envy that is expressed much more along traditional male gender lines (money, power, the beautiful girlfriend, etc).
Anonymous — April 18, 2012
it's definitely double sided.. there are women who feel they are hated solely because of what they perceive to be good looks and then there are women who look at another woman and begin to dislike her just by looking at her because she appears to think she's better than then.. or thinks she's cute. Society almost demands modesty to low self-esteem. all these courage and confidence building programs seem like pure bullshit because at the end of the day when a woman actually does like herself. she can never say so. but guys can always say 'who's your daddy/the man?'.
Choriza May — October 13, 2021
...hate me because I'm an immigrant.