Masculinity In Dads Who Play Barbie

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The recent sexual misconduct awakening has become an eye-opening public shaming of sexual criminals hidden in plain sight, but as the public becomes more aware of physical violence, it still remains oblivious to the banal sexism that haunts western society. Although there won't be greeting cards that endorse rape, there will remain greeting cards that reinforce the feminine image of the talkative, delicate, domestic lady. This is concerning because the public view of gender is largely influenced by such things as greeting cards, coffee cup designs, and TV advertisements. Last year, during the AFC championship game, Mattel presented Dads Who Play Barbie, a unique ad that encouraged fathers to play Barbie with their daughters because "time spend …show more content…

A source of humor in the ad is the way the dads defend their masculinity. The first thing we hear in the video is the men establishing their manly image. They say things like "I'm a typical man's man" and "We would do mainly boy things" reinforcing the idea that there are things that men/boys are expected to do, and women/girls are not. Furthermore, the men seem ashamed of admitting that they play Barbie with their daughters. The first moment where viewers are expected to find particular surprise is when the music stops for a moment (as does the dad speaking) before he admits that he interrupts watching football for "Barbie time." This moment where it seems viewers are expected to laugh based on the dad's refusal of his gender role. Additionally, one of the dads lies that he "only plays with Ken," yet in the next scene, he is playing with a female Barbie. Of course, this adds to the humor of the ad, but it also reinforces the dad's need to protect his masculine …show more content…

The argument rests in whether the effects of encouraging dads to play Barbie or reinforcing gender roles have more effect. It would be admirable if this video shows dads that playing with Barbie doesn't make them less of a man, but it doesn't. Instead, it tells dads that they should stoop to their daughter's level for a moment to indulge them in childish play. For Mattel to send a tweetable message - one that no one could discount without seeming like a bigot - at the expense of making gender roles laughable is only natural as long as a company values marketability over a meaningful position. It seems that to produce change in the public arena, it takes concessions. Hopefully, brave new companies will emerge with refined values, but unless the modern capitalist is awakened newly aware of his effects on gender expectations and willing to change, more companies will use banal sexism as a humor that keeps their ads

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