Tide Is Not So Very Comfortable With Butch Tomboys

[regan]

http://www.queerty.com/tide-is-not-so-very-comfortable-with-butch-tomboys-20110809/

Some folks are calling out this Tide commercial for re-enforcing lesbophobic gender norms. In it, an uptight mom wishes her little girl wore pink dresses instead of camouflage hoodies and cargo shorts. But is Tide lampooning the tomboy or the mom's prissy attitude? After all, the commercial's ultimate message seems to be that Tide washes everyone's clothes. And at the end the mom encourages her daughter. Hmmm... You may now feel free to praise this commercial or threaten a boycott

[tekla]

Come on, we know, just like Tide knows (because they paid a ->-bleeped-<-load of money to make sure) what girls are wearing, and what mothers want.

[MarinaM]

Camo can be cute. Heck, I rarely wear anything pink, I don't look good in reds; plus the frilly paper thin garbage that they put out there for most of us to wear just doesn't hold up like many "boy" articles of clothing do. I have a daughter, and I refuse to put her in something that I think will take more care than stain stick and a standard wash and dry.

I can't see anything wrong with this ad, maybe they're attacking neurotic moms.

[Padma]

Probably (as with every advert that exists) they're playing on people's insecurity. Is mum getting it right as a mum? Nailbite, nailbite, buy this product.

[regan]

I'm just curious when they'll do a crossgender commerical with a boy who likes pink, etc. 

Overall I agree that in the end the mom shows her love for her daughter and her willingness to let her daughter choose for herself.  Though I do wonder if Tide will do a commerical that shows a mom as eager to talk about washing her "son's" pink shirts and frilly skirts.

[Padma]

Doubt it, because advertisers are all over appearing to empower women (whilst subtly making them insecure) but really don't care much about men outside of very narrow stereotypes.

[regan]

Probably (as with every advert that exists) they're playing on people's insecurity. Is mum getting it right as a mum? Nailbite, nailbite, buy this product.

Oh yeah...

"Choosy moms choose Jif!"

There's tons more out there that play on a mom's insecurities as well.  That's just advertising 101.

[regan]

Doubt it, because advertisers are all over appearing to empower women (whilst subtly making them insecure) but really don't care much about men outside of very narrow stereotypes.

Not so.

There again, basic marketing says to convince someone that your product is the means to gaining what they aspire to, even if it's just "status".

"Gilette, the best a man can get!"
The mark of a man. ~ Old Spice
It's not your father's Oldsmobile anymore. ~ Oldsmobile
The first network for men. ~ Spike TV

[oops, sorry, I accidentally edited this instead of quoting it, it's more or less back as it was - Padma]

[Padma]

"Gilette, the best a man can get!"
The mark of a man. ~ Old Spice
It's not your father's Oldsmobile anymore. ~ Oldsmobile
The first network for men. ~ Spike TV

ACME Very Narrow Stereotypes™ - Amaze Your Friends!

Sorry, I'm just rather cynical when it comes to adverts - I've always felt left out because they were never targeting me .

[JungianZoe]

Camo can be cute. Heck, I rarely wear anything pink,

How about pink camo?

[tekla]

When I see people in camo who are not fighting a war I just want to run over them and tell the cop "Hey, I didn't see them."

[Joelene9]

  A rant that's a non issue.  It is just like the firestorm and brought out the phony experts a few months ago about a fashion company CEO painting her 5 year old boy's toenails pink and wearing a top from her girls' line.  This commercial does bring up unreal expectations from some of the parents onto their children.  I looked at that little girl in the commercial and said "So?", even though she is an actor and might like pink in real life. 
  Camo has been a chic product on and off since the 70's when the Italian government try to ban a textile manufacturer to print camo patterns for several fashion designers.  Camo is used by hunters as well, including a bright orange pattern.  The animals see that color as a dark gray and for humans, hunting safety. 
  The old workmen's service equipment has become chic as well by the fashion designers that one of our young female clerks went into uncontrollable laughter when she saw one of my fellow techs had an old leather telephone service bag, in excellent condition, and she thought it was a purse!  It did look like a modern purse, but the inside had compartments for the special tools that a telephone lineman carries.  I recently saw a purse that looked like it was made out of worn duct tape!  It had the same silver-gray color and has the same kind of creases that duct tape forms when you put it on something that flexes. 
  Joelene