The Gender Ads Project

Advertising, Education, Activism

Dolls
Background: This set of ads emphasizes the theme of the doll in popular culture. In short, the woman is presented as a lifeless object—a thing that cannot act in any way whatsoever. As you glance at the ads below, you will note that women are portrayed in different ways but, thematically, there is a clear foundation. Here, the real woman is trapped in a package and is given the accouterments of a doll. The Ads: Ads numbers 2 and 5 illustrate how real-life women are portrayed with doll kits. The theme of the women becoming a doll (as in numbers 8, 12) is reminiscent of the David Lee Roth "California Girls" video. In that video, it is David Lee Roth who has subjectivity and the women who are merely objects, brought to life when the singer desires (thanks to Sut Jhally for making this point in his important Dreamworlds films). In some cases (40, 41, 46), the tope is played out as a robot, not a doll. Discussion Questions: (1) Culturally, what does the "doll" connote? (2) If a person is represented as a doll, can she have any subjectivity? (3) Are there differences in the ways in which the women as dolls are presented?
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