Sexist advertising

From Geek Feminism Wiki

Industry advertising doesn't shy away from sexist imagery and allusions. It may include:

• sexualized advertisements, using images of conventionally attractive women to sell geek products to an audience of heterosexual men;
• advertisements aimed at women which are condescending or pigeonholing, assuming that women are interested in household chores, children, beauty or socialising.

[edit] Examples

The most notorious example of this is the Linux Journal blowjob ad, but other examples abound.

• Mediatemple.net ran a full-age color ad in a 2008 Web Host Magazine prominently featuring a nightclubbing woman's breasts and rouged lips (eyes are cropped out of the picture) with the legend "Serious Support."

• Lacie ran a back-cover ad on a 2008 Mac Life showing a jean-clad woman's backside with the legend, "Does this make my aspect ratio look wide?"

• The expression "So simple, even your (grand)mother could do it" crops up frequently. This phrase is common and damaging enough to warrant its own entry.

• Della computers is a (sexist) attempt by Dell to market to women.
• "Ladies' corner" with pink products for women at Norwegian retailer PS.no.
• Go Daddy's advertising
• Advertisements for the medieval-setting online computer game Evony changed from featuring a soldier in armour to increasingly undressed women to, finally, a pair of breasts in a bra: [1]
  • After Evony advertising became ubiquitous, game company PopCap developed parody ads featuring female zombies dressed in lingerie

[edit] Responses

• Market appeal is frequently cited as a reason for this kind of advertising.