When we are young children, advertisements show us what little girls should play with and what little boys should play with. Girls play with Barbie and other types of dolls, while boys play with guns, swords and other warlike objects. While the toys themselves have been the target of many of feminist debate, I think the fact that there is a difference in what girls and boys are shown playing with in advertisements is an issue. The problem is not that some children are playing house while others are fighting wars, it is that only one gender is shown doing each thing. From the beginning, advertisers teach us that girls and boys are different and that they do not enjoy doing the same things.
Advertisements aimed at adults play the same role.
According to the media, only men like to drive fast cars and be adventurous, and only women like a little peace and quiet and a bubble bath after a long day at work. Again, only the differences are portrayed as advertisers try to specialize their products toward a specific gender. The qualities that each gender shares with the other are forgotten. The similarities shared between the genders are being forgotten, while the differences are becoming more real. While it is easy to see that advertisers are only trying to be more effective in their agendas of reaching a target audience, I have to wonder where all this will lead.