Sexist Snickers?
Written by Elaine Wilson, Posted on
A recent commercial for a popular candy bar suddenly has people seething.
When Snickers released it’s new ad for their product, they portrayed several Australian construction workers calling out to women walking by. It starts out with the words, “What happens when builders aren’t themselves? We thought we’d find out.” The men shout affirmations of true compliments: “That color really works on you. Have a productive day!” And start a chant of, “What do we want? EQUALITY! What don’t we want? MISOGYNY!” Most especially combined with Aussie accents, the entire experiment comes off as mostly charming—despite the fact that being yelled at by any man in any way from across the street can be a little unnerving. Still, the words were awesome, and then suddenly, more words flash across the screen:
“You’re not you when you’re hungry.”
Oh—I paused. So . . . the men were only advocating gender-based equality because they were too hungry to think straight?
What is Snickers Getting At?
While the commercial is clearly meant to be funny—and hey, I laughed, I promise—it seems more accurate to say that Snickers was more about promoting their product and didn’t care that they were sending a different and more disheartening message.
As one commenter on the YouTube video pointed out, “The reason I find it so very offense is because what was motivational and raised optimism in me turned out to be a joke at my expense. Thank you, crappy corporation, for reminding me that it is not empowering to think of men respecting women, that rather it is a sign of being hungry and not yourself.”
This was my reaction exactly, that all of the promoting for men to not objectify women was only a momentary lapse of judgment because of a lack of food—or Snickers, rather. So not only do I feel insulted all over again as a woman who has been treated with such belittlement in my lifetime, I find it equally appalling for the men.
As a feminist, mother, and lover, I do not ever believe that the female sex is the only one capable of true kindness and equality. This commercial also insinuates that men are inherently sexist, that it is impossible to be genuine about a woman unless they are hungry—and, as the commercial states, not themselves. Completely untrue. More men than the media would like us to believe are respectful and consistent in their ideas of treating their female counterparts equally. It is not always due to a lack of chocolate and peanuts.
Society needs more gender friendly messages, on both sides of the spectrum. While Snickers elicited a laugh, they also seemed to steer us right back into 1955. And that, in my opinion, hurts their product more than it helps it.
