Anupa Lahkar Goswami pens down her observation on the stereotypical mindset of even the ad filmmakers in the advertisement industry when it comes to the issues of the women.

 

When the very smart and chic female boss orders her employee to work overtime and complete a pending work, it all looks very natural in a recent telecom ad. But when this ‘smart boss’ comes home from work and cooks a rather elaborate and restaurant quality food at home for her husband who was actually working for her (the same employee) has left many a feminist wincing with disdain.

 
They argue why is the men made to look like the boss at home and the wife after a hard day at work still dutifully performs kitchen chores. Ironical it may sound but we have come a long way from having a women who always cooks meals and does the cooking and promotes a floor cleaner.

 
The television ads still time and again promote stereotypes and hence we are tired of having the same notion. Can we recall an advertisement when we ever saw women own a fast paced car, or when was the last time when we saw women driving an SUV. Are women drivers still not popular for promoting cars in an ever expanding India?

 
When a daughter jumps at joy at her father’s lap talking about her big dreams of her future why is it that the father takes time to register about his insurance plans for the daughter. Working mothers across the country do more than just earn a salary. So why aren’t these insurance companies showing a women making financial decisions at home.

 
When years ago television was scandalised by a women promoting sanitary napkins, it bought about a cult phase that women can discuss their issues in the public and had the right to hygienic sanitation. But like a winding road that comes back to exactly to its point of beginning, women still are the one’s who can resist the smell of a cologne and foolishly sway after the so called ‘Macho Man’. Well mind over matter and the women have little resistance they show. Well an average women would rather think of intelligence, ability and the compatibility with her companion rather than go weak on her knees at a plastic looking boy’s perfume.

 
The fairness cream ads that have attracted criticism over the years for their emphasis on fair skin and the subsequent win of fair over the dusky, many women are still happily cleaning utensils and donning avatars cooking seven type of breakfast for seven members of the family simply with ready to eat meals.

 
It could be difficult to ad filmmakers to sell products through women oriented ads, but a little creativity could actually help change the way the society sees its women. It’s time that the people move out of the time zone where a women still feels that a clean floor is her ultimate destination or stupidly yells at delight at the delivery of online delivery paid with her husband’s money.

 
Women in real are earning money, insuring their children’s future, driving cars and not obsessed about getting fair skins. They are mothers and yet besides pampering their children they decide the finance of their house. It may sound just like another feminist article but media being a growing subject and a viable subject of study for the young ones should be reflective of the social change.

 
Perhaps such changes can stealthily bring in a ripple effect and can in turn change the way we see or expect the women around us to be. From planners, to working mothers, to investment bankers and tough cops, it’s time we change the way we perceive women. Perhaps that can actually bring in the effect which just fair skin fails to deliver or a women protection force fails to heavy handedly promote.