Examples of women representations in Hi-tech ads (”Conseil Général des Yvelines” website and Linux Journal)
I wish to relay here two actions undertaken on LinuxChix mailing lists .org and .fr, links to websites are in right panel.
Both ads share the same visual support for Hi-tech, women body parts, in a French “Département” website or in a Linux paper mag. No need to remind me that yogurt or cars get the same type of ads. This is no proof of being adequate or that it will never change.
- An image, in the “Conseil Régional des Yvelines” ad campagne for new technologies. You can note that this young woman, supposed to represent Hi-tech in “Yvelines”, does not even have a head… Well, she’s got a mouth and a chest, basic requirements. And this ad aims at attracting local and international corporations. *Sigh*…
- A Linux Journal ad, already discussed some years ago and published this month again. In this one, there is only a mouth. QSOL servers, such as this mouth, “Will not go down on you”, “To avoid the heartbreak of lost expectations”. *Sigh* again…
If you think, as I do, that Hi-tech can be sold to prospective customers without supposing that they are men (yes, they are women within these customers) who need to be comforted suggesting that the product, such as the women body, will always be available (*Ahem-cough-cough*, gentlemen, you’re worth much better than this), you could send an email (link « Nous écrire » or « Contact Us » on each websites). Thanks.
août 27th, 2007 at 19:34
I totally agree with your comment on the first picture. That one is just plain rude.
I don’t really mind about the second one. Sexuality is used a lot in advertisement and this add is just a play on words.
The first one is the worst to me because they pretend to show a female technician, and then cut of the bits that “don’t matter”. In other words it is as if they are saying: female technicians only need a good body. We don’t care about the skills.