Lynne Preston offers an objective view John Waters, in a recent Irish Times article, argued that men were being sexually stereotyped and discriminated against in advertising. Some ads sketch men as Waters described, as the 'chumps' against which the joke is made. However, males are portrayed in many ways, such as sex object, scientist, authoritarian figure and father.
Many stereotypes are apparent in advertising about men, and of course, women.
The type of advertising that John Waters describes, is cheap and lazy. It aims to win over the female audience in a base and easy way. But for me at least, and many women talked to, it just doesn't work. The 'Pot Noodle' ads for instance, have to rate amongst the most annoying 'anti-male' ads. A recent TV ad showed a male prisoner unable to resist a Pot Noodle, and being punished by a female prison guard.