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What Liquor Ads Teach Us About Guys

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    Don't sell daddy any more whisky, I know it will take him away.
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    I often talk about women's representations in popular culture but I think it's important
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    that we talk about men and masculinity as well.
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    To paraphrase bell hooks, men aren't oppressed or exploited by sexism
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    but they do suffer as a result of it.
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    Advertisers spend billions of dollars annually to make sure that audiences
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    consciously and unconsciously feel an emotional desire to buy their products.
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    This means that male representations are often of sexist jerks and
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    liquor ads are a great example of this.
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    Hey men, according to television all you have to do to get the ladies is pretend
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    to be emotional, you know, instead of actually expressing honest emotion.
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    "I am so sorry, is he bothering you?" "Aw no, no no, awwwwww."
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    "Is he yours?" "Ya, he's my first mate" "Aw"
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    "Where'd you get them?" "I rescued them from a shelter." "Aw, you did that?"
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    "Get the lab"
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    And for you married men, here's a tip on how you can trick your oblivious wife into
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    doing what you want instead of, you know, actually telling her how you feel.
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    "What is she thinking?" "Oh wow, that looks great, I love it. Ya."
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    "I love it too but look at the hole I just found right here." "Oh no I didn't see that, that's awful"
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    "I guess we're not going to match again, this keeps happening" "Such a huge hole"
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    "Good try, I guess I'll go with this."
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    "Welcome to the society of uncompromising men. Welcome to the Wiserhood."
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    Advertisers attempt to convince men that manipulation is the only way to engage
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    with women. And this leaves women represented as oblivious and totally
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    unaware of the deceit. I mean, it would be totally ridiculous to, maybe, like...
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    communicate honestly?
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    These ads are clearly telling men that it's okay to manipulate women in order to get what they want.
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    If men aren't learning how to manipulate women, they're learning that women exist
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    to be displayed, judged and evaluated.
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    "ca va? oui, ca va."
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    "Some perfection is debateable, some is not. Patron."
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    And objectifying women is just another amusing past time because
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    you know when we're walking down the street, we're just there for your visual pleasure.
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    "So, the Dawson file, tell me about it." "Ya the closings in Bo-- ston, so put your game face on" "It's on."
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    "Happy Birth-- day! Alright!"
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    "Guys never change, neither do we. Jim Beam, the Bourbon since 1795."
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    Guys never change and neither does the offensive advertising.
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    Liquor ads take the worst possible masculine traits, repackage it and sell it right back
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    to them, continuing this cycle of sexist socialization.
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    It is a control mythology: a story which assumes this behaviour is natural and will never change.
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    It promotes and encourages men to continue this behaviour and creates an
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    environment where women have no choice but to accept it.
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    Showing groups of men engaging in this behaviour repeatedly over many
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    advertising campaigns creates a space in which patriarchal norms
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    are encouraged and promoted.
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    We have to rewrite the narrative and change the story to one
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    where men can, do and are changing.
Title:
What Liquor Ads Teach Us About Guys
Video Language:
English
Duration:
03:55

English subtitles

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