The Changing Role of Women in Automobile Advertisements Essay -- Compa

Side-by-side are 2 advertisements, each showing a picture of a car and ii family members. The ads demonstrate the amount of power allotted to women in the times they were made. The differences in these ads far outweigh the similarities. The ad from a 1954 right Housekeeping shows a woman be reprimanded by her husband for ruination their car. The separatefrom a 2003 Redbookshows a wife and mother holding her daughter with one fleet and an umbrella with the other. One woman is ignorant, irresponsible, incapable, and not in control the other is competent, responsible, and in control. The evolution of advertising reflects the changes that have taken place in the way American society views women. The ads use body image, body language, and school textbook to encapsulate the stereotypical women of each era in the 50s, women needed to be controlled, just now now women can be in control.The 1954 ad portrays the beau ideal woman of that era. This ideal was incredibly unrea listic. She has a tiny waist but large birthing hips. Her feet are small and shes vesture super-high heels. Her hands are petite and feminine, yet shes not holding anythingher purse has fallen to the ground. But, not a hair is out of place, and the elegant skirt and top she is wearing look unharmed, putting even more emphasis on the feature that the man is wearing the pants. The 1950s society viewed women as incompetent. They needed their husbands to be in control because they could not fend for themselves when they tried, they crumpled fenders. Still, the woman in the ad is the ideal womanBarbie. She is only good for looking pretty and having children, otherwise, she cant do anything right. No wonder she is not able to drive the car without wreckingthat in... ...rn society sees women as real people with intellect. Instead of not being allowed or perceived as capable of controlling their own lives and situation, todays women are expected to control their own lives witho ut interference or constant dependence on others, or more specifically, their husbands. These advertisements demonstrate just what a forceful change has taken place in the last fifty years. make up though both ads are about cars, the body image, body language, and text portray a striking difference in the view of women. maybe this change was brought about by the Womens Liberation Movement, maybe such oppressiveness just cannot last forever. But whatever the cause, the change has definitely taken place. Works Cited Dodge Caravan. Advertisement. Redbook June 2003 75. Safety Power Steering by Saginaw. Advertisement. Good Houskeeping Feb. 1954 40.