Gender And Stereotypes

Assignment #7

First, briefly define sex, gender, and stereotypes.
Sex is the biological characteristics that society associates with being either male or female, while gender is the cultural and social meanings attached to being masculine and feminine that, in turn, influence personal identities. On the other hand, stereotypes are exaggerated and often untrue beliefs about a certain group of people that are applied to individuals members of that group.
Describe what media example you chose.
The media example I chose was TV advert for Campbell’s Star Wars soups. The commercial opens up with a father imitating the Star War’s theme song while holding a spoon of soup for his son. While placing the spoon in his son’s mouth, the father impersonates

Darth Vader and proclaims “Cooper, I am your father.” The camera then pans to the left to reveal another man who says in the same impression as the first man, “No no, I am your father” while placing another spoon of soup into their son’s mouth. The commercial then pans out to show the two fathers happily conversing with their son in between them about how the second father could instead be Chewbacca. The advert then ends with the cap card: Campbell’s - Made for Real Real Life.
How does your example illustrate stereotypes relating to food and gender? Or, conversely, does it challenge widely held stereotypes?
My particular advert challenged the widely held stereotype that a happy and thriving family must consist of two parents, a mother and a father, and their children. Instead, the commercial presents two homosexual fathers feeding their son a bowl of soup while simultaneously telling jokes by making impressions of famous pop culture characters. The TV advert also disputes the stigma that females are better equipped to raise children compared to males by displaying the two fathers feeding their son soup, who happily consumes it, while also telling jokes and entertaining their son.
Is sexuality used in your example? Does your example reinforce heteronormativity? Explain.
Sexuality is heavily utilized in my example to object heteronormativity. Instead of showcasing a mother and a father feeding their son, which they easily could’ve done, the commercial alternately presents two homosexual fathers giving their adopted son spoonfuls of soup.