The complex problem of how advertising affects young people’s gender identity has drawn a lot of attention recently. Children are subjected to a lot of advertising, including ads that promote toys and goods that are specific to certain genders. Children’s exposure to ads has a significant influence on how they come to define their gender. It affects how they act, their views toward others, and their perception of what is acceptable for boys and girls. With an unambiguous contrast between boy and girl commercials, three cartoon commercials will be examined in this exercise to scrutinize how gender is constructed in advertising.
The first advertisement, Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike Blaster, is a typical promotion for a boy’s product. A bunch of boys are shown in the advertisement running around, shooting at targets, and playing with the toy (Toys Television, 2013). The commercial’s main hue is blue, frequently connected to boys. The advertisement features boys playing competitively in an outdoor playground, highlighting boys’ aggressive and energetic characters. This toy is for competitive and busy boys, further supported by the narrator’s deep, animated, and positive voice.
The Barbie Dreamhouse commercial, in contrast, is a traditional girl’s toy commercial. A girl is shown in the advertisement using the toy, having playful moments, and sprucing up her figurines (Mattel, 2019). Pink—usually associated with girls—is often used in the advertisement. The setting of the advertisement, a sizable, lavish home, highlights the concepts of luxury and attractiveness. The girl is seen playing happily, highlighting how compassionate and social girls are. The narrator’s soft, jolly, and supportive voice reinforces the notion that this toy is for imaginative and artistic females.
Two young boys are seen playing with Transformers toys in the BKKIDSMEALS Transformers Twins commercial as their parents dine at a Burger King restaurant. By highlighting conventional masculine principles, behaviors, and hobbies, the advertisement constructs gender. The lads are presented as being competitive, risk-takers, and intrigued by technology and action (Two Brown Girls, 2009). Toys called Transformers, which are usually marketed toward boys, are advertised in the ad. The toys emphasize action and excitement by including robots that can change into vehicles.
The advertisement also highlights the blue hue, which is typically linked with boys. In the advertisement, the adults are depicted as uninvolved and unconcerned in the boys’ games. The girls are seen eating at a table while the boys are seen playing with their Transformers figures and running around. The advertisement is filmed in a Burger King restaurant, a setting that is typically associated with men (Two Brown Girls, 2009). The advertisement also highlights the boys’ outdoor play in parks and on beaches, highlighting their active and adventurous character. A deep, authoritative male voiceover emphasizes the action and intensity of the Transformers toys in the ad. The notion that the boys are in control and have the ability to change the toys into various forms is emphasized by the narrator. The BKKIDSMEALS Transformers Twins commercial promotes traditional masculine tenets behaviors, and passions, which overall create gender (Two Brown Girls, 2009). It highlights technology, action, and exploration while portraying the lads as dynamic and athletic. This gender construction is not unique to this advertisement; rather, it is a recurring motif in American media that feeds into negative gender stereotypes.
The messages in the advertisements imply that boys and girls have distinct interests, talents, and social roles. The adults are typically not present in the ads, allowing the kids to take the lead role. Girls are deemed creative, nurturing, and attractive, whereas boys are predicted to be aggressive, active, and competitive. The promoted toys, the colors used, the locations, and the narration all support these gender roles. As an illustration, boy commercials for toys like Nerf guns emphasize rivalry and aggression, while female commercials for Barbie dolls emphasize imagination and attractiveness.
The analyzed advertisements show how media specifically constructs gender, portraying boys and girls as having distinct interests, talents, and social roles. For instance, the Nerf gun and BKKIDSMEALS Transformers Twins commercials for boys correspondingly stress competition, aggressiveness, and excitement for action. The Barbie Dreamhouse Party ad, in contrast, places a strong emphasis on girls’ beauty and fashion (Mattel, 2019). These gender constructions are prevalent in American society because the media labels particular conduct, pursuits, and principles as masculine or feminine. Not just through advertising but also through movies, TV programs, books, and other forms of media, these gender constructions are reinforced. The media reinforces gender stereotypes and conventional roles of gender by using the hues mentioned above.
In conclusion, gender identity is significantly influenced by children’s ads. Each year, children are subjected to many commercials, many of which reinforce stereotypical ideas about gender. Stereotypes regarding gender are perpetuated and impact children’s views of gender because boys and girls are depicted as having different hobbies, aptitudes, and social roles. It is crucial to produce media that questions conventional gender roles and represents society’s various perspectives and identities to advance gender fairness. It can help people build an impartial and accepting community where they can define themselves freely by encouraging more inclusive and diverse portrayals of gender in media.
References
Mattel. (2019). Barbie® DreamHouse™ Commercial | Barbie [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Toys Television. (2013). Hasbro – NERF N Strike Elite RapidStrike -The Waterfall [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Two Brown Girls. (2009). BKKIDSMEALS Transformers Twins [Video]. YouTube. Web.