Well, not really, but look we now at some gay ads, fa la la la la, la la la la. Radar’s feature, Gay for Pay, provides proof positive that gay-targeted ads rely heavily on stereotypes of effeminacy/drag, phallic symbols and the assumption that lesbians don’t exist. Part of me is offended by the clumsy use of trite gay characterizations, while part of me is offended that there’s only one ad explicitly targeted at women [the beer ad], although I suppose you could make a case for the Subaru ad [suits/sparkly dress] being for a woman as well.
Speaking of the Subaru ad, it puzzles me. Clearly the Subaru is analogous to the sparkly dress; therefore, it is connoted as an attractive, attention-getting device that imparts to the owner renown, high class, accolades and a facility for preparedness for “any occasion.” I personally object to the analogy of a Subaru as a sparkly dress because I don’t associate a sparkly dress with being prepared for anything. I think it makes more sense to associate a Subaru with a suit, an outfit which is truly versatile for many business and entertainment occasions, in contrast to a sparkly dress, which is useful only for certain types of glitzy party. So, instead of associating itself with a fashion that is truly versatile, durable and applicable, Subaru instead associates itself with a highly specialized garment that the wearer would probably use twice a year, at most. Sparkly dresses are pretty much the opposite of something that “take[s] you anywhere,” to slightly requote the ad copy about the Subaru’s engine.
Furthermore, this ad is confused about its target demographic. Though there are women who wear suits for work and sparkly dresses when they go out, women are much more likely to wear more colorful, varied styles of suit than those in the photo. Though there are men who wear suits for work, most of them don’t wear sparkly dresses when they go out. There are men who wear suits for work and then wear sparkly dresses when they go out, but it’s a very, very, very small number. Is this ad aimed at them? Or just people who want to laugh at them?
2 Comments
No no, I think the Subaru is analogous to the closet as a whole: being functional and useful in everyday life AND yet also having the option to dash all that and go all sparkly for a night on the town. They’re fighting against the stereotype of it being all boring and practical, aren’t they?
Ie, My Other Car Is Also A Subaru.
Oh yeah, and if it’s read as targeted towards men, then it’s like: “ready for EVERYTHING. From work to–well, who knows?”