"MEN get the Madison Avenue Shaft"

This is what Gatz has to say:
Most of you don't pay all that much attention to TV commercials but I do. I suppose it's because I once taught a course in Mass Media or maybe it's because they reflect where America's mind set is at at any given time. Of course, in general commercials are : stupid, misleading, fantasy fulfillment oriented, or they appeal to fear and guilt. Only on a rare occasion will the commercial appeal to the viewer's intelligence and rational thinking. The company Ameritrade does this with Sam Waterston, the quintessential successful looking businessman, as their spokesperson. He speaks in a calm, measured voice, appealing to a man's desire to have a place where he can trust his money will make money. He appeals to educated men that work, make a good income and prefer a smart approach to things. Nevertheless, most commercials are dumb in the first degree. What I want to focus on here is how badly men are portrayed in most commercials.

Take a good look at how many times men are portrayed as idiots, immature kids and / or helpless. Usually this is done in commercials that portray a family. Mom is in charge, the kids are smart ass whipper snappers usually smarter than either of their parents. Mom puts up with the bumbling, clueless husband and in many of these commercials after dad has done or said something stupid she looks at the kids and they smile at each other or roll their eyes in a mutual acknowledgement that Dad is a complete moron. What do the dads or married but with no children men do that makes them "suspect"? They can't find places, they are slobs (dripping soda, beer and pizza on their clothes) they get their buddies over and act like 10 year olds they look sheepish when caught ordering 10 pizzas for 3 guys. My point is this: in these commercials men can make money (breadwinners) but outside of work they are like fish out of water, unable to do even the simplest things.

I used to tell my friends to watch TV for a couple of nights and count the number of times men are portrayed as being dumb-asses. They were appalled as well. As for single men well, they are horn dogs scamming women in bars doing double entrende jokes and yucking it up like they are in Jr. High. Of course they fantasize they are cool but usually they are the one guy in the group that isn't. Often they are inept, unable to be cool or pick up a woman or they are fools because they try to pick them up but they soon become the laughingstock of the bar. The really cool guys (the ones Madison Avenue deem cool)always laugh at them or make them the butt of jokes and the cute girls will make eye contact with the cool guys in a mutual "he's not cool is he, at least not like us." look. Why have this long running relentless portrayal of stupid men in commercials? Because Madison Avenue knows the husbands in many households are whipped. The wives, or girl friends make the decisions especially about money. The only one more in control of the pocketbook that the women are the kids. Since kids are the center of the family universe in commercaials they are cute, 15 years too hip and smart for their age, and capable of manipulating their parents. Kids you see have helicopter mommy and daddy wrapped around their finger and getting them to buy them something isn't that hard to do. Men do make most of the family money so they aren't cut out altogether but in these commercials they are hanging on by their fingernails to a family that laughs behind their backs. Wives and kids tolerate him but don't respect him.

Like I said, if the commercial is about money - making or spending money on things like a Mercedes or a Jaguar, men are portrayed as smart, in control, and they don't like being talked down to.. Those commercials show a man that wouldn't put up with smart ass, know it all kids or manipulating, sneaky wives. Sadly the vast majority of TV commercials continue to portray men as goof balls, nerds, effeminate, candy ass losers. Don't believe me? Just watch nighttime TV for about a week and notice commercials with men in them. I'm not saying every last one is distorted but look how many are.

That's my opinion....what's yours?