Tide

Question 1

what is the historical context of the poster (women)?

Answer 1

• was made in the 1950s, when women were expected to stay at home and be wives and mothers
• very few women went out to work, it was the men that would earn the money
• adverts typically portrayed women enjoying housework/motherhood
• previous to this (40s) during ww2 women had to work to replace the men who were fighting - gave women freedom they had never had before
• however when the war was over and the men returned, women had to go back to being housewives, but became dissatisfied and began to resent the chores they were expected to do
• therefore pos. representations of women in the household were created to encourage women to willingly return to the household

Question 2

Why is there a misrepresentation of women in the media, particularly with Tide?

Answer 2

Media companies are predominantly male owned, so women were not there to challenge these representations. Tide adverts therefore failed to show women who were dissatisfied with housework. The men were simply showing what they wanted their wives to be like.

Question 3

how is the main women presented (her appearance)?

Answer 3

• she is well-dressed, hair perfectly styled, full face of makeup
• ‘idealistic’ fashion
• women were often presented in this ‘perfect’ manner in adverts to create an aspirational image for audience to respond to
• her smiling facial expression, arms hugging the box, and symbolic hearts above her head signify her love for tide and therefore housework and cleaning

Question 4

How does Tide support Zoonens theory?

Answer 4

Women in Tide are being shown as ‘domestic’ which reinforces the stereotype that women are meant to be housewives.

Question 5

How does Tide challenge Zoonens theory?

Answer 5

Her theory states that women are sexualised in the media, but in Tide they are only shown to be domestic.
It was uncommon for women to be sexualised in the 50s, as women were represented to be more modest and respectful.

Question 6

How does bell hooks’ feminism and race theory relate to tide?

Answer 6

• all the women in the advert are white, which could suggest that that white women were more desirable than other ethnic groups at the time
• hooks says that white women are often idealised and less discriminated against

Question 7

How does tide relate to Gilroy’s post colonialism theory?

Answer 7

• lack of other ethnic minorities in the advert which conveys ideas that white people are superior and are often presented as more powerful, while ethnic minorities are marginalised

Question 8

How does Gauntlett’s identity theory relate to tide?

Answer 8

female audience would have looked at the poster and got a sense of their own identity, which is what the creators intended as they want to encourage the idea of women as housewives

Question 9

how does hall’s representation theory relate to tide?

Answer 9

the women are represented as being housewives, whose only job is to clean and raise children - stems from the lack of women in top positions in the media industry at the time

Question 10

how does hall’s reception theory relate to tide?

Answer 10

it depends on when you are looking at the advert
- someone from the 50s would be more likely to fully agree with this representation of women (preferred/dominant)
- however someone from modern times would completely disagree and would possibly be horrified by the stereotype of women (oppositional)

Question 11

how does Gerbner’s cultivation theory relate to tide?

Answer 11

the advert aims to cultivate the idea that tide is the best and most desirable product - the use of the repetition of this message causes the audience to align their ideologies with them, and therefore encourage them to buy the product