Rebecca sent in an ad she saw in an Australian women’s magazine that explicitly reinforces the idea that women are in perpetual competition with one another. The ad declares an anti-aging product a weapon to be used “in the war against other women,” reminding women that we should consider ourselves to be in a battle with one another over who is most physically attractive — and thus, presumably, most likely to win the ultimate prize of remaining sexually attractive to men:
Check out our earlier posts on the discourse of women-as-competitors, how objectification divides women, the “don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” advertising trope, and an Israeli Bacardi ad campaign that told women to get an ugly friend to make themselves look better.
Comments 16
Xiao Mao — June 14, 2012
If they can ONLY keep women "competing" against each other. That way women will never get together en masse and discuss how most men are violent, narcissistic scumbags. And decide that they want to live together without any male presence.
Must... maintain... male... dominance...
Philip Petrunak — June 14, 2012
Conspiracy implies conspiring.
Gilbert Pinfold — June 14, 2012
I admire your political imagination. Living in exclusivity with those you trust is usually considered beyond the pale these days... but who knows. (And don't bother giving me your normal greeting: I've already fucked off.)
Aitch Slavic — June 14, 2012
Wow. This one is blatant.
Flora Poste — June 15, 2012
This ad really has me puzzled. I would have taken it for a wearily ironic dig at all the "war on terror" propaganda and that vacuous-pseudo journalism about supposed trends such as "mommy wars". The star on either side of the words "the war against" reinforces that impression.
But it's a real advertisement? For a real product? Perhaps it's the result of a collaboration between a very naïve rose-hip oil manufacturer and a very jaded advertising team.
Runbotrun — June 15, 2012
Honestly, I think that this is not gender-specific at all.
The following was a very widely distributed and well-known advertisement from a bank here in Germany in the late 90s.
It's about two guys who know each other from school, who show of their possessions to each other when they meet accidentally:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0MU-2_MuUE
Men are supposed to compete with each other just in the same way.
What is interesting here is how these two ads actually show how they are supposed to compete: Looks on the one side, money on the other.
Tusconian — June 15, 2012
Regardless of what this ad may be referencing (and yes, it is vague), there's a point to the analysis. Like I said in the last similar post, at least SOME women see all or most other women as a threat. Of course, this isn't universal to women. My group of friends tends to be the opposite, and I find that at least a subtle majority of women are the same. But I know quite a few women do see other women as a threat, because it isn't enough for an individual woman to simply be pretty, thin, successful, smart, or have a cute boyfriend/husband. Some women have to be the prettiest, thinnest, most successful, and smartest, with the cutest boyfriend/husband. Any woman who is perceived to surpass her in any category is "the enemy" and must be hated or distrusted. Any woman perceived to be less successful in any category still needs to be shown their place, and is also hated if they seem content with themselves or get something they "don't deserve" (such as, "why does that uglier girl have a boyfriend when I don't"). Women they perceive to be direct competition (are considered similarly pretty, thin, smart, etc) are usually the main targets. I rarely hear thin women going on about how fat overweight women are, but do often hear thin women talk about how fat other thin women are. I hear a lot more high school aged girls in high level classes calling the girl next to them who got a B+ on an AP bio test "stupid" than the same girls calling failing students stupid.
I do wonder what it is that makes it so that being simply socially acceptable, attractive, or successful is usually enough for men, but rarely enough for women.
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