Dodge Charger Superbowl Commercial: Women's Response

I cannot imagine I was the only one insulted by the array of Superbowl commercials this year, and frankly the insult was not limited to one single sex. Most commercials managed to insult men and women at the same time, by using very simple stereotypes and no creativity. The Dodge Charger ad: Man's Last Stand, was one of the most memorable. (For those who have not seen it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyPamyWotM&feature=related).

I love the response video above. Script below via http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/02/11/if-the-dodge-charger-made-ads-for-oppressed-women/

I will get up and pack your lunch at 6:30 a.m. I will eat half a grapefruit for breakfast. I will get the kids ready for school. I will ignore your smelly loser friend who is crashing on our couch. I will make 75 cents for every dollar you make doing the same job. I will assert myself and get called a bitch. I will catch you staring at my breasts but pretend not to notice. I will put my career on hold to raise your children. I will diet, Botox, and wax. Everything. I will assure you that size doesn’t matter. I will be a lady in the street but a freak in the bed. I will turn a blind eye to your ever-encroaching baldness. I will humor your Fantasy Baseball obsession. I will pretend not to notice when you cry at the end of Rudy. I will watch TV shows where fat, stupid, unattractive men have beautiful wives. I will allow you to cheat on me with other women. I will see Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Twice. I will elect male politicians who will make a decision about my body. I will listen to Rush and tell you, yes, if there were a gold metal for air-drumming, you would win it. I will get angry, and you will ask if it’s that time of the month. I will watch Superbowl commercials that depict men as emasculated and depressed, and I will feel so fucking sorry for you.

So, the response video uses stereotypes and may be perpetuating the problem, but unlike the original ad which complains about a percieved emasculization of men, this one addresses real cultural problems, such as the wage gap and beauty standards and brings up some interesting political issues. Its a very smart response to a larger issue of sexism and the need to sort everyone into their perceived gender roles.