# Sexism/male chauvinism in television commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931 "2026-07-26T15:11:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/41 "2026-07-31T12:41:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It does seem like all the examples shared so far are decades old. Is this a problem that has largely been solved already? I definitely think there’s greatly reduced public tolerance for ads showing husbands “affectionately” mocking their wives for stupidity or irresponsibility (“isn’t she an adorable silly little girl?”). Much less actually threatening or spanking them for not having housewifed correctly or whatever. Come to think of it, ads don’t [treat spanking children as a funny relatable theme](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-0791-ref2263) anymore, either. But as other posters have noted, the modern ad industry is still excessively tolerant of portraying husbands and fathers as clueless doofuses. It used to be a striking gimmick because it subverted default ad stereotypes of male breadwinner-paterfamilias authority and judgement, but by now it’s just lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/42 "2026-07-31T14:31:23Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > definitely think there’s greatly reduced public tolerance for ads showing husbands “affectionately” mocking their wives for stupidity or irresponsibility (“isn’t she an adorable silly little girl?”). There is a recent commercial for Colonial Penn that is along the same lines for me. [Colonial Penn TV Spot, 'Recycle Bin' - iSpot](https://www.ispot.tv/ad/BhjX/colonial-penn-recycle-bin) (just the first 10 seconds or so). Maybe others see it differently. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/43 "2026-07-31T14:50:38Z")
Yeah dunno…. That seems to me more like a reasoned discussion with nobody being particularly silly or irrational about it. It’s quite reasonable for an elderly person to assume that a new life insurance purchase at their age isn’t going to be worth the premium costs, and any promotional materials about it are bound to be junk mail that belongs in the recycle bin. So okay, the husband is trying to persuade her otherwise, but I don’t get a superior or smug “silly little girl” vibe there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/44 "2026-07-31T14:56:45Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I definitely think there’s greatly reduced public tolerance for ads showing husbands “affectionately” mocking their wives for stupidity or irresponsibility (“isn’t she an adorable silly little girl?”). Much less actually threatening or spanking them for not having housewifed correctly or whatever. Absolutely true. 20 years ago ago, we in the ad industry already knew that about the only safe target for being the butt of a joke in an ad was a straight white man; any other sort of character would be seen as “punching down,” and discriminatory. (Yes, I’m sure that people can come up with recent examples which violate that “rule,” and that’s fine, but generally speaking, it’s still true.) > [@Author\_Balk](#): > > There is a recent commercial for Colonial Penn that is along the same lines for me. > > [Colonial Penn TV Spot, 'Recycle Bin' - iSpot](https://www.ispot.tv/ad/BhjX/colonial-penn-recycle-bin) (just the first 10 seconds or so). > > Maybe others see it differently. I know that ad well (I’ve seen it many times while watching TV with my dad), and I agree with @Kimstu : it’s not really an example of what we’re talking about. The female character isn’t being depicted as “just a silly woman.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/45 "2026-08-01T10:50:52Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > But as other posters have noted, the modern ad industry is still excessively tolerant of portraying husbands and fathers as clueless doofuses. It used to be a striking gimmick because it subverted default ad stereotypes of male breadwinner-paterfamilias authority and judgement, but by now it’s just lazy. I’ve said it before on this board, this meme is insulting to both genders and reinforces the stereotype that household and family are the exclusive realm of women. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/46 "2026-08-01T22:10:25Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I saw one from the late 60s or early 70s with a housewife poring herself a lite beer, saying you didn’t have to be one of those burly men from those commercial to enjoy the product. From off screen you hear her husband tell her to get her a beer, but this sweet housewife responds by snarling at him to “Get it yourself.” Here you go. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nayT7SL6C-I/hqdefault.jpg "Rainier Beer - Marlene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nayT7SL6C-I) I’m guessing you grew up in the northwest. Rainier Beer was known for its funny, creative commercials back in the '70s. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931/47 "2026-08-01T23:27:04Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m guessing you grew up in the northwest. Rainier Beer was known for its funny, creative commercials back in the '70s. The closest I ever came to the northwest before 2013 was California. I saw the ad on YouTube sometime within the last twelve months and thought it was hilarious. But that’s the ad! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-male-chauvinism-in-television-commercials/1031931.md?page=2)