OLIVIA JONES
Boss ≠ Bossy: Modern Gender Stereotypes
Olivia Jones (2015)
The 21st century is clearly on the path to becoming the most progressive and forward thinking century yet. We must look back and see where we’re coming from and how far we’ve come. Only 95 years ago--ninety-five--women were granted the right to vote. Since then, we have slowly gained momentum within our cause, first to secure our fundamental, political rights and then to transition from the private sphere to the public sphere. Slowly but surely, we have undertaken the task of rewiring society’s ideas of what it means to be a woman. The feminist cause has grown considerably within the last decade, and with the expansion of mass communication, the opportunity for continued momentum is even larger. The idea of “gender equality” is widely accepted and generally practiced. However, there are still traces of misogyny in society, and advertisements such as Pantene’s “A Man’s a Boss, a Woman’s Bossy” work to skillfully shed light on the internalized oppression that is still quite prevalent today.
The advertisement begins with the sharp clicking of heels down an office corridor. A well-dressed woman is shown, and then the image flashes to a male in a similar outfit. With these sharp, short, cuts, the video begins what will be a concise, biting criticism of the all-too-common labels thrown onto women in the workplace.
The image cuts to the man in an office who is clearly leading a meeting. He’s backdropped by a large window, providing a wide view of the surrounding city. On the building directly adjacent to the one he’s in, there’s a large business logo reading “BOSS.” He looks out the window, and the reflection of the word is splayed across his face, effectively labeling him as a boss of a company. He is suddenly replaced with the woman from the beginning of the advertisement. There is nothing different about the scene, other than the fact that the name on the building contains the letter “Y” appended to the end. The woman turns back to the meeting and conducts it just as the man did, but the word “BOSSY” glares in the background, insinuating something much more malicious. This ad clearly communicates the sentiment that women, especially working women, often have labels unjustly placed upon them solely because of the fact that they're women. With its sharp cuts and contrasts, Pantene is not subtle in their beliefs-- that women are unfairly judged and placed into boxes that are rarely applied to men. This piece suggests that to be a woman is to be bossy. That when placed in a leadership role, if the woman takes charge in a confident, cool manner, she is automatically a stuck up b*tch who bosses people around. On the other end of the spectrum, men are expected to be macho and forceful with their decisions. And exuding this self-confidence in the office is expected of them. Within just a few seconds, Pantene acknowledges the often overlooked micro oppressions that women face, especially in the workforce.
The scene changes to a man behind a podium, possibly a political candidate or an advocate for a cause. He is in front of a large crowd, and the label on his podium reads, “PERSUASIVE.” Again, in a seamless transition, he is replaced with a woman and, of course, the word changes also. She continues her speech to the audience, just as passionate as the former man, but the podium now reads, “PUSHY.” With this transition, this advertisement clearly displays Pantene’s point of view: When male politicians deliver energetic, heated debates, they are seen as powerful pioneers of their cause, brave and ruthless. On the other hand, women often come off as preachy, irrational, and too emotional.
Another shot is shown, and this time it’s in a house. It appears to be late at night, and there’s a man sitting at his desk, hunched over a laptop. Surrounding him are bottles of baby formula and diapers. Lights flash, and the shadow of a baby cradle is projected on the wall behind him. The shadow of the mobile spins around until it clearly reads: “DEDICATED.” All implications are that the man in this scene must be a father, working hard late into the night. Lights flash again, and he’s now replaced with a woman. She continues working as hard as he had, but the baby’s mobile on the back wall now reads “SELFISH.” Pantene believes that in today’s world, if a woman ever puts work before her family life, she will be labeled as heartlessly self-centered. Of course, family should be the first priority in her mind, and if she is working hard on anything but her family, it clearly indicates that she is not being a proper mother. Parents are parents, and there is a give and take when it comes to raising a child. However, Pantene is attempting to illustrate how women may experience far different social consequences than men should they be perceived as neglecting their parental responsibilities. Excuses will be made for the father such as: “He is working so hard,” “He is so dedicated to his work to provide for his family,” “He must be so tired.” Blame and shame will be directed at the mother with sentiments such as: “Family comes first--she needs to put her work down,” “She’s an unreasonable workaholic,” “Her baby needs her full attention!” Even though parenting involves 50% effort on both ends, if women decide that something may be a little more pressing than her family at that moment, she will automatically be shamed for being “self-centered.” When men do this, however, they will most likely be praised or even supported with a lame excuse and a shake of one’s head: “Men and their work...”
The advertisement continues, and this time we’re presented with a scene in which both a man and a woman are present. They’re both getting ready for the day, and both stare in the mirror to wash up and get themselves looking presentable. Moving almost identically, nothing seems out of the ordinary. However, as they both bend down over the sink, there are words written in the steam on the glass of their respective mirrors. On the man’s you see “NEAT”and on the woman’s you see “VAIN.” The message is clear that men who spend a lot of time on their appearance are admirable, and women who do so are rarely thought of as such. They only care about their looks. They think they’re hot. They want to look hot. Women are thought of very differently when it comes to appearances. Doing the same task, this man and woman will be met with completely different reactions and judgments.
For the final scene, we’re outside. A man is strutting across a sidewalk. He adjusts his blazer, and glances to his side with a confident look on his face. He is evidently feeling good about himself. As the camera pans, the lines of the sidewalk arrange themselves into a word: “SMOOTH.” For looking good and recognizing it too, this man will be met with words of approval and admiration. Expectedly, a woman then walks across the sidewalk. She is wearing a pretty dress and has beautiful, flowing hair (product placement). She smiles confidently, but the word on the sidewalk now reads “SHOW-OFF.” Akin to the bathroom shot, this scene shows that women are easily judged as being vain or egocentric. If they’re looking good and they know it, they’re quickly cast aside and frowned upon. This scene shines a light on a glaring double standard: women should look good, but they shouldn’t be vain about it. They should be humble. Men, however, aren’t required to look dashing, but when they do, it’s met with applause and respect. She smiles and looks up, and the scene goes to white. The ad ends with a simple phrase, “Don’t let labels hold you back.”