We’ve been talking about the Earth Charter in this class for several weeks now and I can’t help but reflect on that first day of discussion. When we were divided into groups I must admit I did not feel like we even began to get as far into analysis of the Earth Charter as we wanted to. One of the most prominent principles that came up in our discussion was “Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.” It struck my group that men were not even mentioned in the “gender equality” section of this document. Even in the subsections that outline how to accomplish this equality only women are mentioned with one reference to men only under the pretext of “families.” But that doesn’t really make sense. If we are seeking to “affirm gender equality” then we need to talk about genders, not just women. So just how is food marketed to different genders and what does that say about the way we view men and women in our society?
In order to help us determine just where we currently stand on gender issues, scholars often turn to the world around us and media provides sociologists with a lens to view society. In order to see the way food is marketed differently to men and women, there are two video’s currently broadcast on YouTube that I would like to analyze. The first is "Target Women: Yogurt" and the Second is "Baby Carrots, Eat 'Em Like Junk Food: Extreme". The first video critically examines how yogurt is marketed to women. Yogurt was once simply a snack food, stocked with nutrients and marketed as a healthy and of course fast alternative to other breakfast foods. Now yogurt is the food for women, because “clearly” they are the largest part of society that needs to focus “dieting.” Women are told that yogurt is not only convenient but its also only natural as a woman to be drawn to this food. Much like “shoe shopping and burning your bridesmaid dress”, yogurt is a staple to life if you’re female. Personally I do not find anything innate about eating yogurt. In addition, in recent years yogurt has become strongly tied to dieting. Its nearly impossible to find a yogurt that isn’t “99% fat free” or “Lite and Fit.” These companies are targeting a very specific audience and it’s working. Many women are concerned with their weight and body image. It’s important to keep in mind that these marketing techniques are used because they are effective. So really these commercials are simply a reflection of our societies pressure on women about their body image.
So again, is gender all about women? Sure its easier to focus on the disadvantages facing women in our society but that isn’t to say men don’t suffer under societal pressures in a variety of ways as well. The second video is a parody of how many foods and products in our society are marketed as “Extreme.” I’ve noticed that often times these commercials are stocked with men, many hyper-masculine. These men are often enjoying activities such as videogames, driving cars, playing sports, etc. Again socially accepted activities for the appropriate gender are used to make a connection with their target audience. But are sports and video games really all it means to be a man? And honestly with that mentality what can we expect from young boys in the future?
Both of these video’s may be fun and amusing to watch, and I encourage you to watch more videos produced by these groups. But next time you do watch these or any other form of advertising that focuses on food, really watch it. Think about the messages we are receiving on a daily basis and what it means about the world around us.
