Avoid Sexist Advertising

Lisa Miller

Cavalier Daily

Cavalier Daily

1986-09-08

Avoid Sexist Advertising
A recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine contained a surprisingly sexist advertisement for the Army National Guard. Much to my disappointment, the same ad appeared in the Fall 1986 Course Offering Directory.
The ad covered a full two pages and showed two men dressed for combat and carrying rifles. On the right were the words “Irresistible Force” and in the left hand corner the ad explained that, though duty in the Guard won’t be the easiest way to spend a Saturday afternoon, “it’ll make your momma proud she raised a man.” Not only does this ad exclude all the women who serve our country through the military, but it implies that being a man involves handling guns and using force against others.
By creating such ads, the Army National Guard sends a dangerous message that violence is masculine and that this characteristic is a positive one. The Guard, like many military programs, seems fond of promoting the idea of women as the child-raisers and their sons as going on to more important activities. This type of sexist stereotyping, however, has now place in our changing society, and those who allow such ads to be printed are guilty of promoting these harmful messages.
It is likely that even if the University had been aware that this ad was to be included in the directory, no effort would have been made to refuse it. This ad and ads like it, however, encourage sexist ideals that are aimed at keeping men in dominant positions and excluding women.
I would urge the University and all institutions that re in apposition to refuse such ads to do so unconditionally. It is in the interest of both men and women to put an end to this kind of advertising, and the University should have the awareness to recognize it and the decency to refuse it.
Lisa Miller
CLAS IV