The Babble List: The 15 Most Sexist Daytime Commercials
Fifty years of Stepford moms and dumb dads.
by Cole Gamble
August 5, 2008
10. Safe Sex
You probably never got a chance to see this commercial on television because A) it's foreign and B) it was banned. Thanks to the internet you won't miss the important message behind this spot: every time a father looks at his child, he sees a condom he wishes he'd bought.
09. Folger's — Pretty Wife, Ugly Coffee
In the '60s, Folger's was the king of sexist commercials. In this one the dutiful wife waits on her man with skin-crawling obsequiousness. The man tells her she makes crappy coffee and she looks at him like he just snapped a kitten's neck. Luckily the wife has a vaguely foreign neighbor who turns her on to the the magic of Folger's. The next morning wifey serves it and daddy approves, sending her into such a paroxysm of delight she looks like a puppy who got into your meth drawer.
08. Pizza Hut — Dad's Dinner
Dad: "Who says I can't cook?" Apparently Pizza Hut.
07. National Airlines - Fly Maggie
Just a few decades ago, little girls only saw two career options in the movies and on TV: receptionist or stewardess (now known as the less gendered "flight attendant"). During the golden age of air travel, airlines used the attractiveness of their stewardesses as a selling point. This commercial just cuts to the quick and says, "If you fly National, you get to bang Maggie." You hear that? Reach for the sky, aspiring little girls!
06. Jif Peanut Butter
"Choosy Mothers Choose Jif." Yes, a woman's most vital role in today's society is selecting high quality peanut-based condiments. Lord knows you couldn't leave Dad up to the task. He'd make you spread your toast with motor oil or Nutella.
©2008 Babble
About the Author
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Cole Gamble is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. He's working on an evil self-help guide titled Improve Your Life or Die.
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