# Men Aren't Necessarily Stupid (mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 30, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695 "2007-12-30T13:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/1 "2007-12-30T13:54:48Z")
I’m a woman, and another rant, [Women Aren’t Necessarily Whores](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=449260), has inspired this mild rant. I’m annoyed that many commercials depict men as dunces. Does any woman actually buy any product because the woman in the commercial is portrayed as smarter that her mate? I don’t understand why the average guy isn’t up in arms based on his portrayal in television commercials. In most commercials either the children or mom have to save the day since dad is just too \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (naive, gullible, stupid, lazy, ignorant, rash, silly, inept or goofy) to handle the situation. Example: Most of the Sonic burger commercials - the wife knows all - the husband is just stupid. Buy our product. When did the male of our species become this sad sack? Why do we allow this? Our impressionable children are learning that men are just plain dumb. We have enough goofy guys in real life (eg: GWB) and we don’t need commercial breaks adding to the poor impression of men. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/2 "2007-12-30T14:12:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Our impressionable children are learning that men are just plain dumb. I’m afraid that train has already left the station. About the only books I can remember my mother refusing to buy for me as a young child were the [Berenstain Bears](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Berenstain_Bears) stories. She objected to Papa Bear’s being a useless idiot (in stark contrast to Mama Bear, who was always wise and virtuous). Besides, in just about every family sitcom since the 80’s – hell, since _The Honeymooners_ – the wife is smarter and more rational than the husband, often by a huge amount. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/3 "2007-12-30T14:18:59Z")
I agree–I don’t like the way that men are being portrayed as lovable, but stupid. Let Dad have his say, smile and pat him on the head, and then go to Mom to get the GOOD advice. This is not to say that women aren’t smart or can’t give good advice. But the television trend of humoring goofy ol’ Dad, who couldn’t find his arse with both hands and a flashlight, is getting old. My husband is a fine and intelligent man, completely respectable and responsible. This does not threaten me or my view of my own worth. But ad writers and script writers–the trend is not limited to commercials–seem to think that the only way to build up a woman is to tear down her male counterpart. Ridiculous, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/4 "2007-12-30T14:26:22Z")
While **Varloz** may be right about the train, I can at least boycot Subway (cathe the pun) over that idiotic comercail where the father throws a tantrum over a sandwich and the mother and kid both tell him to grow up. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/5 "2007-12-30T15:07:26Z")
We guys should burn our bras in protest! ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/6 "2007-12-30T15:11:25Z")
[QUOTE=jali] Does any woman actually buy any product because the woman in the commercial is portrayed as smarter that her mate? [/quote] They must. After all, advertising agencies have only 1 goal – to sell product for their customers. I too really dislike those commercials. I would never buy a good or service that is advertised in this way. However, my wife makes all the minor purchasing decisions except for alcoholic beverages and hardware (computer and otherwise). Watched any beer commercials lately? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/7 "2007-12-30T15:23:30Z")
[QUOTE=jali] Does any woman actually buy any product because the woman in the commercial is portrayed as smarter that her mate? [/QUOTE] I think the answer is: Yes, definitely. Those commercials are expensive to produce and broadcast; a great deal of marketing research goes into them. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/8 "2007-12-30T15:41:46Z")
In all likelihood, these ads were made by creative teams which included, if they weren’t made up entirely by, men. It doesn’t come up all that often in the ads I work on, but when it does, we (and all the writers at my office are male) know that if we make the dumb character male, it will sail through every stage of oversight without being questioned. I suppose I should also mention Bill Cosby’s “chocolate cake” routine, about him making breakfast for the kids and completely botching it, which ends with “we are dumb… but we are not so dumb.” ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/9 "2007-12-30T15:45:43Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] I think the answer is: Yes, definitely. Those commercials are expensive to produce and broadcast; a great deal of marketing research goes into them. [/QUOTE] I would guess that the little “Man dumb, Woman smart” vignettes are supposed to be humorous enough to get the attention of the decision maker, so she (apparently) doesn’t do what she’d normally do and go to the bathroom, channel-surf, read or engage in conversation during the commercial. As an added bonus, if the decision maker actually laughs at one of these idiotic commercials, the man on the couch next to her may become sullen and withdrawn, meaning that they’re less likely to engage in conversation during any of the other commercial breaks. They may have research to back up the effectiveness of these ads, but I’ll bet it’s pretty old, and comes from a time when treating women as decision makers was new and interesting. At this point, I think it’s more a reflection of a lack of creativity. I could be wrong, though. In any case, the truly awful examples of these ads probably have the advantage of having people discuss them, so there may be a “race to the bottom” effect going on. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/10 "2007-12-30T16:21:00Z")
Meh, I have no problem with men being portrayed as dumb. In my experience, we ARE pretty dumb. So are women, for that matter (but it’s now politically incorrect to portray them as such). To paraphrase George Carlin: “Look how dumb the people around you are; then remember that 50% of the people are dumber that THAT!” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/11 "2007-12-30T16:35:44Z")
Men are almost always portrayed in commercials and in sitcoms as children looking for toys to play with. That’s pretty much me, except for when unfortunate circumstances force me to act like a grownup. AND I DON’T LIKE THOSE TIMES! SO THERE! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/12 "2007-12-30T16:47:43Z")
[QUOTE=VarlosZ] Besides, in just about every family sitcom since the 80’s – hell, since _The Honeymooners_ – the wife is smarter and more rational than the husband, often by a huge amount. [/QUOTE] I have some _Li’l Abner_ books with reprints of strips from the '30s. Mammy Yokum is certainly portrayed as being smarter than Lucifer Yokum. As Harry Belafonte said: _And not me but the people they say That de man are leading de women astray But I say, that the women of today Smarter than the man in every way That’s right de woman is uh smarter That’s right de woman is uh smarter That’s right de woman is uh smarter, that’s right, that’s right_ ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/13 "2007-12-30T16:55:59Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] We guys should burn our bras in protest! [/QUOTE] :dubious: There’s a lotta guys out there who _should_ be wearing bras, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weaver_of_Nightmares)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/14 "2007-12-30T17:07:50Z")
Those commercials annoy me too _also a female._ I don’t see the added value in dumbing down one of the genders in order to a) sell things or b) make people laugh. (Hence why I avoid most sitcoms.) Sometimes the men in them don’t have the sense God gave rocks. I like to think I’ve got some smart men in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/15 "2007-12-30T17:12:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] In all likelihood, these ads were made by creative teams which included, if they weren’t made up entirely by, men. [/QUOTE] So now the two threads meet: _Men_ are necessarily the whores? I’m looking forward to when ads catch up with society and start portraying interrracial couples, and we see the fallout of smart _white_ wife with stupid _black_ husband. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/16 "2007-12-30T17:17:56Z")
I hate those commercials, but not because they make the men look bad. I hate the way the women are portrayed as serious, non-senses-of-humor-having harpies who get their rocks off using the Swifter or the Windex or Pinesol while the men sit in front of the TV or slumber in the recliner. That this is reflected in reality at my parent’s house doesn’t make me feel better. For once, I’d like for a non-ironic commercial showing the husband washing the dishes or making the Hamburger Helper while the woman is watching TV or goofing off in the yard. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/17 "2007-12-30T17:21:12Z")
That’s probably it. Frequently you’d come up with an ad involving a dunce for humorous effect, and if you make the idiot anything other than a white (usually) male, you just _know_ that someone is going to get up in arms about it. So having a dumb man is the path of least resistance. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/18 "2007-12-30T17:27:11Z")
I agree with just about everything in this thread. Men are routinely portrayed as idiots, and there’s money to be made by doing so. But there’s one subtlety that’s worth pointing out. [QUOTE=VarlosZ] Besides, in just about every family sitcom since the 80’s – hell, since _The Honeymooners_ – the wife is smarter and more rational than the husband, often by a huge amount. [/QUOTE] Strangely, I think this is an indication of how much authority men still have in making television shows. In almost every American sitcom, the star is a goofball, with a supporting cast of wise and caring characters who can help the star learn the errors of his ways[sup]\*[/sup]. And men are still usually the stars. Think of the shows with female stars, like _Designing Women_ or _The Golden Girls_, with female characters who weren’t paragons of enlightenment. The trend goes back to _I Love Lucy_; a show completely driven by its leading lady, where she played a ditzy, ridiculous wife with a smart, rational husband. - About the only exceptions I can think of were the shows of Bob Newhart, where he was the calm center amid the wacky antics of the rest of the cast. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/19 "2007-12-30T17:38:53Z")
What about those beer commercials where men choose beer over beautiful women? I find those extraordinarily idiotic, but I can’t decide who’s being more gravely insulted-- the men, who are so desperate for beer that they ignore a pretty and available woman, or the woman, being ignored in favor of a beer. What do you guys think? ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695/20 "2007-12-30T17:39:42Z")
[rant]Without wishing in the least to appear stridently feminist, I think that if women were “the power structure” and men were not, the commercials would be the exact opposite. It is safe and profitable to make fun of the powers-that-be in such a relatively harmless way. And the powers-that-be are perfectly aware of it. Why should men care? They still run the world. And they still make money from the products advertised and that’s more important than stating the obvious: men are smart enough to let women think they’re dumb. [/rant] On the other hand, it could be some kind of subversive plot by feminists to reduce real men to idiocy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-arent-necessarily-stupid-mild/431695.md?page=2)