QUESTION

Using 5 or 6 examples explain how tv commercials or shows portray gender roles. Second part of assignment is in your opinon does televsion support the ″traditional″ gender roles.

ANSWER

How TV Commercials or Shows Portray Gender Roles

Introduction

It is also worth mentioning that television shows are gendered. Several programs are
geared at a single-gender. Advertisers have an excellent opportunity to promote their
products to their target demographic during these shows. The programs are created to aid in
the sale of the marketed items. This objective is accomplished by depicting characters in the
shows with characteristics that the target audience finds appealing. As a result, the target
audience craves such features and is more inclined to purchase things marketed at certain
times. Men, for example, are represented as powerful and independent; women, on the other
hand, are portrayed as caring, docile, or in domestic settings in prominent careers. As a result,
women will be featured in commercials for home items, whilst males will be featured in ads
for outdoor or business-related products. Television commercials and shows are inclined to
communicate about gender roles by using particular adverts. These adverts are discussed
below, where I finalize the explaining how traditional gender roles are still carried on through
TV commercials.
Part I: How TV Commercials and Shows Portrays Gender Roles
Gender stereotypes are promoted and maintained via voice-overs. The show's creators
or adverts utilize voice-overs that depict advertised things while also conforming to society's
gender roles stereotypes. Male voice-overs are employed in voice-overs when there is a need
for authority. Males do voice-overs for items with a manly theme. Male voice-overs are also
engaged in numerous product advertisements instead of their female counterparts, mainly
used for local items like cleaning chemicals, food, or feminine products. Feminine voice-
overs are frequently delicate, sympathetic, reliant, and even subservient (Chandler 1). When
males promote household items, they are commonly shown not to complete the work. For

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instance, a male cannot run a laundry appliance until a female walks over and effortlessly
demonstrate how.
Commercials for beer, autos, and real estate, on the other hand, are shown during
sports shows because the audience is predominantly male. Gender stereotyping in television
advertising has sparked heated controversy (Bradway 1). It is an essential issue to investigate
to determine how roles of gender in TV voice-overs commercials and the kind of things they
promote to the general community are connected. According to several reports, advertisers
exploit gender to different market items at different periods in broadcasting.
Promoters want to get the most out of their commercials, so they run them when their
target demographic is likely to be watching specific television shows. In soap operas, for
example, advertisers may air advertisements for diapers. This product is rarely featured on
shows primarily viewed by men, such as athletic events (Craig 89). While some advertisers
may disregard the audience's age and gender, others do so because it is more cost-efficient to
reach the majority of the target population with a single commercial.
When advertisers opt to air commercials on items marketed at women throughout the
day, gender roles stereotyping occurs (Chandler 1). This moment is thought to be the
optimum time to reach this demographic because many women are perceived to be at home
caring for their kids or doing housework at this time. Such women who are further probably
to purchase the offered items than elderly females are typically neglected by marketing since
they are not regarded as significant purchasers.
Part II: To Answer How TV Commercials Supports Traditional Gender Roles
In my opinion, TV commercials support traditional gender roles. This opinion is
attached to the fact that the gender roles themes are still communicated through the
commercials, where girls and women are frequently expected to dress in traditionally
feminine ways and be kind, helpful, and caring in their interactions with others. Men are

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often seen as being powerful, assertive, and courageous. Gender role expectations exist in
every civilization, ethnic group, and culture, although they may range significantly from one
group to the next depending on the context.
In conclusion, advertising altered during prime time and now target women who
generally work. Promoters run commercials that focus on a broader audience of men and
women to save money on advertising. As a result, things that appeal to both genders are more
likely to be promoted at this period. Most television stations broadcast athletic activities on
weekends, primarily geared toward males, and consequently, items geared toward men are
announced during these shows. Automobiles and beer are marketed.