Stereotypes...

Blondes are dumb. Nerds wear glasses. Tall people are good at basketball. Stereotypes are everywhere. Whether we want too or not, we hear these things been told by so many people. We can even be a victim of stereotypes, and be told something about ourselves that is assumed only because of our race or physical appearance. This means that people actually believe stereotypes to be true. This is a major problem, and people who think that it should be taken lightly are wrong. 

Many advertisements use stereotypes to attract viewers and for humor. Some people laugh. But most people are offended by such messages. They can even lower the self-confidence of young children. Often times, the writers apologize after they put out an offensive ad, and their advertisements are banned for good. However, there are still many commercials being shown that offend people. In this truck commercial, people are asked about the personalities of the men based on the kind of car they have. This already is a terrible message. The car someone has, or even the way they look, is not who someone is. And why is it so important for men to be "manly"? Many stereotypes in commercials are directed towards women, and the fact that men are more stronger than them. Women are believed to be weak and need a man for support.

But let's focus on the positive. A commercial by Always, shown below, shows how they want to spread a positive message. They are trying their best to change the phrase "like a girl", that is an insult to everyone. Instead, they redefined this phrase so that nobody will use this phrase in a negative way. They want to empower girls all over the world and educate adolescents. This campaign has gotten a very positive feedback. 

Personally, any advertisement that has offensive stereotypes will not attract me to their products. Humor is not insulting! Why give such bad messages when you can influence everyone through positivity?

-Stephanie