Representation Of Femininity In Tide

Question 1

How does the Tide advertisement represent women?

Answer 1

• Through the iconography of commercial adverts, demonstrative action is used in adverts to show what the product is used for, how it is used. This links to the social context of the time of women doing the housework/ chores. Shows women represented as the stereotypical gender representation of the time (1950s) as she is represented as being very domestic.
• The dress codes and make- up that she is wearing is also very important in how women are represented on the Tide advert. She is quite glamorous in her attire, which is suggesting and represting women as being based around shallow views and being focused on looks and appearances. Intertextual link to the glamorous 50s film stars/ idols such as; Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake and Betty Grable, links to the view/ imagery of the ‘perfect housewife’.
  This point also links to her shallow views on the appearance of her clothes being the ‘Cleanest’ and the ‘Whitest’ (superlatives) and that her wash is ‘as clean as Tide!’ (simile).
  Both of these points also representing women as being very image- conscious.

Question 2

How does the Tide advertisement represent women? (Cont.)

Answer 2

• In the language of the Tide advertisement there is no mention of a male character or a male user of Tide, for example ‘Tide’s Got What Women Want!’. This links to the social context of the time and shows that it was stereotypically represented as just women who bought washday products and used them. Hence, again representing women as being the ones who do all the washing and being domestic.

Question 3

How can Stuart Hall’s Theories be applied to the representation of women/ femininity in the Tide ad?

Answer 3

• This advert reinforces Hall’s theory on stereotyping and representation, because it reduces women to a few basic qualities, eg. Domestic, Appearance Focused/ Image Conscious and a Housewife.

Question 4

What views does this text cultivate about femininity?

Answer 4

• The view of the ‘perfect housewife’ along with the other points I’ve mentioned cultivates views and opinions about the representation of women as being; domestic and the audience in the 50s would cultivate views that women SHOULD be the perfect, glamorous, perfect housewife, wife and mother- and that anything less than perfect is not good enough and that she is failing as a wife and mother.

Question 5

How does the social, historical and cultural context of the Tide advert link to the representation of femininity?

Answer 5

• In the post-war boom of the 1950s, particularly in America, new technologies developed rapidly, especially those within the domestic sphere. These became desirable products and a symbol of status related to the American Dream. Amongst these new innovative products came washing powder.
• Also, the role of housewives were more prominent in the 1950s, than in more modern times, with many women returning to the domestic role after taking on many male roles during the war. With the role of housewives and the role of women being reestablished and the ‘swinging sixties’ leading to a sexual revolution for women and an end of oppression, from throughout the 50s and prior, for women. However, in the 1950s the more old- fashioned and traditional role of women as a housewife was still preferred and typical.
• The 50s was the advertiser’s dream decade. Rationing ended finally in 1954, and as a result the post-war economy rebounded. Inflation was low, giving more people disposable income, which they were then encouraged, through advertising, to spend on consumable products.