Entry 6: Housewife

KFC "Old Couple"

Laundry Detergent in Japan

(If you want to watch the full set of this advertising, please click on this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2425001/Victorias-Secret-model-Miranda-Kerr-stars-Japanese-detergent-advert.html )

Kirei Kirei advertisement in Singapore.

After scrolling through the above video and advertisement, did you realize something? Any similar ideas or concept they used in the work? Any similar ways of communicating and presenting information in the work?

Yes, there are.

All of them are using the family value to project their commercial advertising especially women portrayed as housewife.

In the first video, KFC "Old couple", at the beginning, it shows a old lady put her hardship in cooking while, his husband is resting outside and helping his wife to go out buy food. In the end of the video, the speaker said that "give a chance to have a relaxing and comforting Chinese new eve for your mother." Besides, it also shows how the important of family value in Chinese culture especially during the reunion dinner.

In the second video, it is not really show the family value, but it shows the relationship between household products and women (housewife).

In the third example, this advertisement poster is shows women is full of love as supervisors and caretakers  of children. Even though it does't show and state the relationship between the female and kid in the poster, we will automatically related them as a family which a mother is incubating her kid how to wash their hand properly.

Usually, the housewife is portrayed as being pretty, the house maker, busy organizer of the whole family, mother and loyal wife. From our memory, we might always have an imagery of mother awakes earlier than us, prepares every meal for us, washes the clothes and purchases household products. In any mass media or even our education, they also still portray this kind of stereotypes imagery of not only mother, but also family role (nuclear family).

Why this kind of housewife image still persisted, even though nowadays extended family is gradually increasing especially dual-earner family?

I think one of the reasons is the conservative minded and abide by the cultural expectation of men or women especially in Asian. In Chinese proverb, “男主外，女主内”， which mean men are outside the home for earning money and pursuing careers, whereas female have the role to take care and run or manage well the home properly. Because of this cultural expectation, we will automatic related and recognize the information.

For examples: When we think of detergents, we will automatically associate the cleaning product to women. When we see a baby there, we will assume his/her mother is nearby. When we think of buying extra food or fruit for today dinner, we will directly call and conform to mother. These all actions can be under-cognizance.

Besides, although we might aware of this unfair role or injustice between the reality and mass media, nobody ever raised their voice on the stereotype role of housewife related to women. We especially women might conform to the housewife image. Women might also think of becoming a housewife is their dream and desire which correspond to one of the technique of advertising: which is advertising always the mirror of how we dreaming and desiring instead of the reality and how people are acting in real life. 

References
Castrojas, A. (2012) Ads displaying women's role in the nuclear family. [Online] Available at: http://angelliecastrojas.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/ads-displaying-womens-role-as-in-the-nuclear-family/ [Accessed at: 24 January, 2014]