Great Site - Gender Ads

In my search for images to use for the VisComm Issues class, I ran across a website (Gender Ads) maintained by Dr. Scott Lukas. There are literally hundreds of images that are primarily related to how gender (and sex) is used in advertising. The site is a little rough in design, but Scott provides some interesting commentary on the images including background and his thoughts on how such images perpetuate stereotypes about gender. While I do not always agree with his analyses, I respect his interpretations, and hold these differences up as examples of how individual interpretations differ - we all make meaning in slightly different ways.

I also found it interesting to read the page that contains copies of the emails he has received. One person was quite explicit that the site did not use proper research methods. This points to how some people have no conception of research outside of the scientific method. In essence, unless you use a positivistic, quantitative methodology and distance yourself (allegedly to remove bias, which I believe to be impossible), you cannot be doing research. Of course this is an old argument that completely ignores the value of conducting research from a humanistic standpoint. It reminds me of a statement by one of my fellow grad students who had interviewed James McCroskey from the University of Alabama-Birmingham for our class. McCroskey was quoted as saying, "You can do quantitative, or you can do crap." Wow! Let's just invalidate half the research being conducted by other academics with nine little words.

Here is my perspective. Distance isn't everything. Bias is normal and ubiquitous. Getting to know human beings on a more intimate level provides insights that cold statistics cannot provide. Is it the same? No. Is it valuable? In my opinion, yes. To me, the idea that you can fully know something or someone by being a distant observer fully flies in the face of common sense.

Another person was upset that Dr. Lukas even suggested that these images carried any negative connotations. It's just advertising. It doesn't mean anything. Right. These types of responses just go to show how these ideas are naturalized as ideology. If it's just advertising and there are no effects, then why do so many of our youth have body image issues (yes, both male and female) that tie directly to the idealized images used by the media. And for those who care, there are plenty of quantitative studies to back this up. Do your own research and check it out.

That's my rant for now. When you get a chance, check out the images and make your own judgments. Till then...