In an effort to tout Samsung’s new Evolution Kit, some kind of device that makes your tired, old TV awesome and new, the brand has dipped its toe into the anti-objectification of women waters with Evolutionary Husband.
In the ad, a wife, tired of her slovenly husband’s burping, farting, Neanderthal ways, plugs the Samsung Evolution Kit into his back and, poof, he instantly becomes…a stereotypically 1950’s housewife who effortlessly cooks, cleans, babysits and generally serves his wife’s every need…much like the stereotypical 1950’s housewife did for her husband.
It’s no surprise ads over the last 20 years or so have turned the tables on men painting them as idiotic imbeciles who can’t figure out how to use the internet (Verizon!), sackless wimps who don’t have the balls to drink beer whenever they feel like it (Bud Light!) or socially inept buffoons with an IQ of 2 (Holiday Inn!)
Is this trend sexist against men? Is it just payback for all those years marketers portrayed women as bimbo-esque decor to be placed in front of a refrigerator or draped over the hood of a car?
We think it’s a little bit of both with a dollop of schadenfruede tossed in. It’s a well known fact many people find joy in the mockery of others and this fact is exponentially true with men. Men love to taunt and one-up each other.
Acknowledging this joy, this ad will likely be very effective with men in the sense that they can feel superior to this epic couch potato because they are already awesome in the kitchen, awesome in the bedroom and awesome at work. This kind of ad just makes men feel all that much better about themselves knowing there are plenty of other men out there who, in comparison to themselves, are submissive, idiotic imbeciles with no cajones.
And for women, the ad delivers chuckles and inspiration as well. Because as we all know, many men ARE occasional couch potatoes who shirk their household responsibilities in favor of a beer, some beef jerky and a good sporting event. All of which allows a woman to A) feel better that her husband isn’t, in comparison, a complete slouch, B) feel better that she’s not alone and that there are other women out there dealing with slobbish types and C) feel empowered to get her lazy ass husband off the couch because, well, the guy in the Samsung ad did.
So is the ad sexist or just endemic of today’s interpersonal relationship between men and women? We’re going with not sexist on this one. What about you?
