This is an ad for Allstate’s retirement programs; it appeared on the back cover page of The New Yorker. What struck me is that the ad is using the fact that women leave the workforce to care for children as a tactic to scare families into buying their product:

The average woman spends 11 years out of the workforce taking care of family. Leaving her without enough retirement money to take care of herself. Those 11 years are spent doing important work, caring for children or elderly parents. But then can also hurt her ability to retire. Fact is, women are still earning less than men do, and they live longer…Women care for America. It’s time we showed that America cares about their future.

Notice the picture: it’s a woman with a small child and a stroller, all about to fall off into the large crevice in the $20 bill.

I’m really not sure quite what to make of this or what my take on it is.

I took a picture of this bikini at a children’s clothing store in L.A. It is size 12-18 months:

NEW! (May ’10): Reagan B., Tara C., and Ma. Elí C.L. told us about a children’s bikini for sale at the chain Primark in the U.K. The bikini came complete with a top sufficiently padded to make girls look as though they have breasts:

The chain quickly pulled the bikinis after a public outcry about the sexualization of children.

NEW! (July ’10): Naomi sent us a link to Babi-kini, a website that sells string bikinis for little girls. Not only is the girl on the homepage in a bikini, but she’s in a typical swimsuit-model pose, too:

They sell a variety of styles, including one similar to the zebra-print one I originally posted above.

I went to the “one-piece swimsuits” section, but an error message came up saying there were no items matching my search. Sigh.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaPcBwmCtiM[/youtube]

Sexism in commercials is sadly just so, well, typical. But every once in a while a commercial comes along that goes above and beyond, like this one from Hungry Man. Take note of the ending where the Hungry Man meal crushes the feminized fruit drinks.

This commercial has multiple layers of sexism. One is obviously gendering food choices. Why are healthy foods (fruit and yogurt) feminized and unhealthy meat and potatoes in large quantities (sans green vegetables) associated with masculinity and being tough? And what kind of prescriptions about class and work are made as well? Why are these blue collar “working men” when drinking fruit shakes and health drinks are typically associated with white collar, upper class women (and men)?

As the commercial says… you are what you eat.

I wonder why a recent study found that “the gender divide starts over dinner.”

If not, why the martini?

Found here.

This commercial (found at multicultclassics) makes fun of large women, small men, and couples that defy “proper” pairing:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63O7aIHcfmA[/youtube]

From a recent article on men’s increasing comfort with wives who make more than them:

The cartoon summarizes the article nicely – it’s fine for women to make more as long as it doesn’t cause them to slack off in other domains and expect men to pitch in on “domestic responsibilities.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n10XeJv4xwc[/youtube]

Osborn Tramain posted this on youtube.