So I finally watched that video of construction workers saying nice/empowering things to women that’s been going around my dash, expecting it to be a positive experience. At first it was. It’s so refreshing and pleasant to hear these men say affirming things, and you can see how absolutely shocked and delighted the women are, as they’re clearly expecting harassment. However, at the end of the video, the text says, “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” and it displays an appetizing shot of a Snickers bar. As those of us familiar with popular Snickers ads know (and I have enjoyed those ads in the past), they usually focus on one person acting like someone completely different from their usual self, seen as a negative – and then after eating a Snickers bar, the person returns to normal, with a friend saying, “You’re a real _____ when you’re hungry.” At the beginning of this video, it states, “What happens when builders aren’t themselves? We thought we’d find out.” Within this framework, then it’s obvious that the anti-misogynistic, positive construction worker is meant to seen as laughable (despite how happy those women’s reactions are??) while cat-calling, street harassment, anti-feminist statements etc are the norm, and something you want these men to return to because it’s manly and right.
Here is a collection of youtube comments taken right from the first page after I watched the video. Now, I usually make it a cardinal rule not to read youtube comments unless I want to get angry – but I thought it would be really relevant to show the kind of attitudes that comes from ingrained misogyny. These are the types of attitudes that Snickers is presumably encouraging and thinks is the “proper” way for men to be. Those commenting, naturally, are all men. The majority of those speaking out against the ad were women. I saw a handful of men who were repulsed by the ad as well, and of course they were called slurs and had their masculinity mocked by their fellow men.
I’m rewatching this video and I really can’t see how it SHOULDN’T be uplifting. I’m wondering if someone on the marketing team didn’t mess up somewhere. Maybe they’re meant to be implying that the construction workers are hungry all the time and that makes them act crassly? (Still a hella problematic way of thinking, suggesting that men are animals that act purely on urge and instinct, but it does call out street harassment.) But right now, with the way it’s framed, that message doesn’t come across at all. That’s not just my read on it, or a feminist read on it, as you can see, some of the misogynists read it the same way as well.
Statement: These builders aren’t themselves. Let’s watch. Roll video men of shouting shouting affirming statements at women on the street. When you’re hungry you’re not yourself. Eat a Snickers. ????????
After re-evaluating this ad once again, maybe Snickers is actually saying ” WE SHOULD JUST LET MEN STARVE.” and you know what, I’m okay with that
REBLOGGING FOR MICHI’S LAST COMMENT.
