Domestic Violence in Advertising

Domestic abuse is a very important issue. Someone can be abused physically, mentally, and verbally. These 1950’s Ads show woman being abused mentally and physically. Even though the ads aren’t explicitly promoting abuse, they use abuse to help sell their product. The ads argue that women are inferior to men because one shows a woman basically slaving over her husband and in the other one the husband is beating his wife.
The image of the husband spanking his wife because she hadn’t been buying the fresh store-bought coffee is in black and white. The fact that is in black and white argues that it is an image that came out in the 50’s. During this time, women were only seen as being domesticated house wives, only to attend to their husbands. These were the time where there was no such thing as domestic abuse and hitting your wife was just your business. This image also indicates that women are only to be domesticated because ad is advertising fresh coffee and coffee is made typically in a kitchen. Therefore, a woman should always stay at her duty and do the house work or make sure her husband is getting fresh coffee. The ad is obviously aiming towards the female spouse because at the top of the image it says “If your husband ever finds out you’re not store testing for fresher coffee” indicating that if she doesn’t buy the right kind of coffee, which in this case is Chase and Sanborn Coffee, she will be spanked and humiliated. The ad is basically implying that woman need to be taught a lesson when they do something wrong, almost like they are children and they don’t know any better. The ad wants to get women to fear their husbands when the women don’t obey.
The second ad is advertising a tie by the company Van Heusen. In the picture there is a man lying in bed being served by his wife. The wife in this ad is on her knees looking up at her husband at the side of the bed. Her being on her knees makes her look weak and vulnerable. Her being in her robe also could symbolize that she is vulnerable because someone in their robe is typically at home. The husband on the other hand, is in a relaxed position with his hands behind his head. He is lying on a bed that is all white and white signify comfort. It appears as if he is oblivious to his wife serving him and more concerned about his new tie. At the top of the ad it says “show her it’s a man’s world” indicating that men are rulers and woman will never amount to a man.
In the 1950s, the role of women was supposed to be perfect. For example, when the man came home the wife was supposed to make sure that dinner was on the table and that the house is clean. Also she was supposed to be obedient to her husband and never disagree. These ads change the role of a woman into something totally different. They essentially give the idea that woman have no real purpose, but to be domesticated. In the second ad it shows the woman serving her husband like that’s her only purpose. This ad is showing domestic abuse because the woman is being hurt mentally.
Both of the ads are alike because they both show women being inferior to the man. The women in both ads seem to be only domesticated and victims from the male superior. These women look helpless, alone and weak. The distinction between the two ads is that the first ad actually shows a man beating his wife.
The first ad is worse because it actually shows a man putting his hands on a woman. This ad gives the idea that women are supposed to be so ideal, that when a woman messes up, she should be punished for it. No ad of any sort should show a man putting his hands on a woman. Domestic abuse is a very serious and shouldn’t be promoted in any shape or form. Women shouldn’t be shown being abused because young people will start believing its okay for someone to put their hands on a woman.
Domestic abuse is very serious; millions of women are being abused by their significant other every day. Statistically, a lot more women than men are being abused because of the mentality of a man being superior. According to Domestic Violence Resource Center “One in four women (25%) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime” (dvrc-or.org). That’s too many women that are being abused every year and for them it’s not an advertisement. It is injustice for someone to lay their hands on another human being, especially a woman. For this ad to show domestic violence as being normal is not okay.