Culture
Background: In television commercials it is very common to find men portrayed in positions of authority, dominance and control (Craig 1992). The trope of Woman is Nature is clearly related to its opposite—the male as culture (Ortner 1974). In the case of advertising we can find many portrayals of males in control—their have symbolic capital, intelligence and power. Women are often passive observers to the men’s active presence in ads. The Ads: Ads such as 5 present the image of an elevated male, powerful and high class, while many others show clear distinctions between the Nature/Culture divide (6, 7, 10). Ads 11 and 39 seem to summarize the problems associated with this trope. Discussion Questions: (1) What cultural issues or ideals do the ads below reflect? (2) Why are men associated with the registered that they are depicted with in the ads? (3) Are there examples of ads or popular culture representations that connect women to forms of culture, not nature?