"I'm late- but dinner won't be!"
Advertisements from the 1950s all share the theme that women belong in the kitchen. Almost every ad promoting food products includes a woman smiling while slaving over the stove, as if she is thrilled to have such a wonderful product to prepare for her impatient husband. Although it is not uncommon in today’s society, the sexist views shown through this advertisement depict the lifestyle of women in the 50s and their struggle to gain equality and respect in a man’s world.
Women were, and are, for the most part responsible for raising their children, pleasing their husbands, and being the ultimate homemaker. As presented in this 1950s Swanson TV dinner’s advertisement, women were also expected to wear a grand smile and a flattering outfit just to please the very people that they spent their entire day cooking for and picking up after. The ad’s caption, “I’m late -but dinner won’t be!” makes it clear that preparing food for hungry husbands is a higher priority than anything else that women could have been doing during their day. Not only does the ad imply that cooking is women’s work, it puts emphasis on “what” you cook, not just that you cook. The ad’s description of the nutritious ingredients and the picture of the hearty portions of meat and vegetables add to the idea that women must take care of their families by providing a balanced diet.
The Swanson TV dinner advertisement sparks women’s desire to please everyone by being perfect mothers, wives, and cooks, a desire that has been apart of almost every woman since childhood. I remember making my Barbie doll spend the day in the kitchen, pretending her imaginary Ken was off at work. I’d dress her up in a fancy ball gown, and put a cake in her plastic oven, hoping that one day I would be able to cook dinner in a fancy dress too. The gender roles that are enforced by societies through advertising make it complicated for women to pursue their own interests and goals. The women portrayed in advertisements in the 1950s, including the woman in the Swanson TV dinner ad, are the “domestic goddesses” that make it difficult for hard-working women to escape the stereotypes today. In current times, society has the misguided point of view that gender roles have been broken down and stereotypes about women are in the past. But the next time your watching commercials or flipping through advertisements, I challenge you to look closer at the similarities between them and the 1950s Swanson TV dinner ad. It might surprise you how far from equal our society is.
Women were, and are, for the most part responsible for raising their children, pleasing their husbands, and being the ultimate homemaker. As presented in this 1950s Swanson TV dinner’s advertisement, women were also expected to wear a grand smile and a flattering outfit just to please the very people that they spent their entire day cooking for and picking up after. The ad’s caption, “I’m late -but dinner won’t be!” makes it clear that preparing food for hungry husbands is a higher priority than anything else that women could have been doing during their day. Not only does the ad imply that cooking is women’s work, it puts emphasis on “what” you cook, not just that you cook. The ad’s description of the nutritious ingredients and the picture of the hearty portions of meat and vegetables add to the idea that women must take care of their families by providing a balanced diet.
The Swanson TV dinner advertisement sparks women’s desire to please everyone by being perfect mothers, wives, and cooks, a desire that has been apart of almost every woman since childhood. I remember making my Barbie doll spend the day in the kitchen, pretending her imaginary Ken was off at work. I’d dress her up in a fancy ball gown, and put a cake in her plastic oven, hoping that one day I would be able to cook dinner in a fancy dress too. The gender roles that are enforced by societies through advertising make it complicated for women to pursue their own interests and goals. The women portrayed in advertisements in the 1950s, including the woman in the Swanson TV dinner ad, are the “domestic goddesses” that make it difficult for hard-working women to escape the stereotypes today. In current times, society has the misguided point of view that gender roles have been broken down and stereotypes about women are in the past. But the next time your watching commercials or flipping through advertisements, I challenge you to look closer at the similarities between them and the 1950s Swanson TV dinner ad. It might surprise you how far from equal our society is.