This letter is in response to Carly Hallam's piece about anti-male advertising. Having worked in the advertising industry for nearly a decade, I've got a possible paradigm shift for Ms. Hallam to consider. Imagine networks have been airing a female-centric show. The show appeals to stereotypical aspects of females. Women will watch this show. It allows them to satisfy their instinctual urges without fear of being judged. Now, after all these weeks, comes the finale of this show. Women around the nation gather, laughing and de-stressing all at once. Advertisers fill the show with inside jokes for those who have made the season a regular entertainment event.Women take a step back and chuckle at just how fun it can be to give in and admit that sometimes, you really like fulfilling the more silly of the stereotypical traits for which your gender is known.
That sounds like a fun time to me, but what do I know? I'm just a guy who wants to be silly sometimes and enjoy being a guy.
So what's got me tugging on my chest hair about Friday's article is that I'm aware of the depiction of men in our ads and can have a sense of humor about that.
To assume that we can't laugh at ourselves and recognize our silly traditions while taking part in them, well, that's a bigger swat at our intelligence than advertisers ever make.
