A popular theme in advertising is of the male as a decision-maker and the female as a passive, uninvolved body. Even in mainstream magazines, advertising rarely depicts women in other roles. Women are also frequently objectified and they are often reduced to merely body parts in advertising. Dehumanized and devalued, this occurs as women's subjectivities are linked to their bodies and, by extension, specific parts of their bodies.
There is also a common trope of men being in control and portrayed in positions of authority, dominance, having power over women. The varied dimensions of posture, position of bodies, location of body parts, height and depth of figures present in many ads, all suggest that women are inferior, and men are superior. Men have symbolic capital, intelligence and power, while women are often passive observers to the men’s active presence in ads.
Although this was extremely prevalent in historical ads, it is sadly still common to see such tropes in today’s world, such as with the Burger King ad above.
For more information, visit The Gender Ads Project