# Are Women Ever Portrayed as Really Moronic in Commercials? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209 "2009-12-31T18:29:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/81 "2010-01-03T17:15:22Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > There’s those commercials for As Seen on TV stuff that have dumb women as well as dumb men. That pasta thing with the strainer lid for your pot comes to mind. Ha! Thanks for making me laugh. I hate that commercial _ **so much** _. > [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > The dad was not a “buffoon.” Hal was a very warm, very caring, even intelligent person who had poor impulse control–you know, so funny shit would happen. Hal is great. The episode where he quits his job because the elementary school students at career day made him feel bad was key. _Kid: Your job sounds awful. Hal: (Laughter) Of course it’s awful; it’s a job. See, you kids have to realize that all jobs are awful, and there is nothing you can do about that. They’re tedious and boring. Kid: Being a fireman isn’t boring. Hal: True, but you have to take in consideration the high mortality rate. It’s real easy to get killed in a fire. Kid: My daddy’s a fireman. Hal: Oh, and I’m sure he’s probably gonna be fine. Other Kid: So the only reason you like your job is 'cause you won’t get killed in a fire? Hal: Yes._ Hahaha! Okay, hijack over. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/82 "2010-01-04T15:27:18Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I was going to say the Grey Power commercial. Someone already did, and was basically ignored. That would be me … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/83 "2010-01-04T15:41:52Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I was going to say the Grey Power commercial. Someone already did, and was basically ignored. I always assumed this was an _SNL_ parody ad. Plus I hate that guy telling me who I do or do not drive like. Makes me want to run him over. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/84 "2010-01-12T17:24:24Z")
I hjust realized there’s two different versions of TurboTax commercials. On the History Channel and Discovery channel, an intelligent-sounding man calmly explains how TurboTax is like a GPS. On network television, a woman starts off the commercial by saying “My husband can’t follow directions, so that’s why I got him a GPS. ‘HONEY, I DON’T KNOW WHERE I I AM!’ What’s why I got TurboTax, because it’s just like a GPS.” Interesting how the History Channel/Discovery Channel version doesn’t have some dumb wife. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/85 "2010-01-12T18:21:43Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > Pretty much the same concept as the Taco Bell commercial, but female: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7oqXewyCE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7oqXewyCE) > > A minority being portrayed as comically stupid: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXXALgMSJVM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXXALgMSJVM) > [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I don’t see that as comically stupid as I do “Illustrating the point”. It’s making the massive number of Verizon users a concept that’s easier to grasp. If anything, the dolt is the one behind the counter. Yes,the white male behind the counter is the dolt ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/86 "2010-01-13T01:36:15Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > Where’s the smart/normal man who comes and corrects these moronic women and demonstrates how stupid they truly are? Nowhere to be found in this ad, or any ad I can think of. > [@Polerius](#): > > To be fair, though, the women being made fun of are not representatives of the average woman. They are representatives of the ditzy valley girl, as you mention. It’s funny how you keep coming up with reasons why commercials that do actually feature dumb women somehow don’t count. The OP asked for commercials with “a woman being made to look idiotic”, not “a representative of the average woman being made to look idiotic and then being corrected by an intelligent man”. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I’ll say one thing though, you sure as hell won’t ever see a minority of any kind being portrayed as stupid, even comically stupid in a light hearted way. It seems to be only middle-aged white males who are the default dolt for TV advertising. > [@levdrakon](#): > > Ah, but this follows the rules perfectly. The husbaffoon is stupid, while the woman and little girl are obviously smarter. That trumps minority. What about the character Orlando Jones played in the 7-Up ads? (1999-2002 according to Wikipedia, so not that recent but not from the Jim Crow era or anything.) I’d say he was “comically stupid in a light hearted way”, and he definitely wasn’t playing the “husbuffoon” to a smarter female partner. His character was apparently in charge of 7-Up marketing and kept coming up with terrible ideas for promotions. He’s the one who cluelessly made t-shirts with the slogan “[Make 7-Up Yours](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsMFZBDIcFs)” that said “Make 7” on the front and “Up Yours” on the back. Here he is [failing to say Merry Christmas in several languages](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89aCKT7cuDc). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/87 "2010-01-13T02:34:18Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > There is that one where the woman tries to pass off the Glade candle to her friends as some expensive fancy imported candle (is that really a thing?) but gets busted because the label is stuck to her ass. Just saw a new one with her. It’s for a new air-freshener spray that’s motion activated. Of course, you wouldn’t want it spraying all the time, so there’s a 30-minute reset time when the motion sensor is deactivated. How is this demonstrated? The husbuffoon is waving his hands in front of the thing like he’s trying to guide a 737 to a parking space. Label-on-her-ass woman comes to his rescue by pressing the button. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/88 "2010-01-13T02:43:02Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I was actually surprised to see a commercial recently where the husband was right! > > The Cute Commercial Couple is on a ski lift and hubby decides to call the credit card company on his cellphone to trade in more points to extend their vacation. Naturally, the wife does not believe the husband could possibly be talking to a human so quickly, and grabs the phone and says something stupid, and is surprised to hear a human on the other end. > > Ho ho ho, those hilarious credit card commercial writers are the epitome of comedy. Sarc noted. But what this writer really was, was _sneaky_. Sneaky-ironic, maybe. The name of the live person hubby is talking to is “Julie.” “Julie” is the voice recognition system used to book tickets on Amtrak. The credit card lady could have been Sarah or Jenny or Annie or Meg or anything with two syllables or less. But no. She’s Julie. A note of honest cynicism perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/89 "2010-01-13T02:54:18Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I dispute this idea. Name the sitcoms that adhere to the format you assert is common. They have to be current sitcoms to count. King of Queens (Sorry for the lame list, but I don’t watch sitcoms all that often. The three episodes I saw this past week had this (largely) as the theme.) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209/90 "2010-01-15T14:11:17Z")
King of Queens is not on the air, and thus cannot be pointed to as an example of the current zeitgeist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-women-ever-portrayed-as-really-moronic-in-commercials/523209.md?page=4)