Contest Entry: Camel cigarettes ad, 1942

[pythiaprophet.livejournal.com]

Comments

Ugh

[seamonkey-mags.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

Incredibly condescending, yes, but at the same time, it's acknowledging and kind of celebrating women in non-traditional roles. I'm on the fence with this one.

No

[amiga500.livejournal.com]

It's outdated, but it looks like it was trying to challenge sexist attitudes more than reinforce them.

[carriepika.livejournal.com]

I dunno... somehow I think this is far more an indication of -challenging- stereotypes and sexist thoughts. Promoting a popular brand of cigarettes with a woman doing 'non-traditional' things and being good at it? And going on about just how good she actually -is- at doing them?

Sounds more like it was encouraging girls to take a look at the things they could be doing, rather than trying to keep them in the kitchen and well douched.

[tvini.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of the history of the WASP program during WWII (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123773525). Those women finally got their due - 65 years later.

YES

[crabofdoom.livejournal.com]

Because that's a woman and a professional in her field, not a "girl" to be patted on the head and pinched on the cheek. They're not praising her for her nerves or skill or experience - they're praising her for smoking their cigarettes.

And "doing a man-sized job"? How is that not sexist?