Gender in the Cereal Box

Apparently only women want/need to lose weight. Or at least that's what you might think after watching half a dozen food ads.

Food ads that try to sell products based on their health or weight loss benefits are almost exclusively geared towards women. Special K is a notable example. The ads always feature women trying to squeeze into jeans, then being delighted at their slimmer frames after eating nothing by cereal for two weeks, and often concludes with inviting viewers to take on the Special K Challenge. Since when is eating a low calorie cereal a feminine activity? I know a lot of men who should think about cutting their caloric intake. But I never see men trying to squeeze into low rise hip huggers or even their high school varsity jackets in cereal ads.

Also, I don't think I've ever seen a man eating yogurt on TV. It's all women dreaming about fitting into yellow polka dot bikinis and making orgasmic faces as they discover real fruit on the bottom. Rice cakes and cookies are other food offenders, along with light cream cheese and instant rice. Instant rice ads almost always feature busy moms and magical instant rice dishes. Though occasionally we see a bizarre combination of women, instant rice and implied sexual tension. But that's another post....

When I see men in food ads it usually has something to do with grilling, barbecue sauce, or Slim Jims. There's the somewhat infamous Burger King ad that features men dancing around with hamburgers, throwing off the manacles of mini vans and of "girlie" salads, and singing about how masculine they are. But there's also more subtle ads. Quizno's has a spot where men are asked to compare two meat sandwiches. Quizno's may not be explictitly stating that only real men know real meat with an elaborate dance number, but it's strongly implied.

These ads seem to say, "Watch out guys. The Penis Patrol may revoke your Man Membership if caught with a box of Special K Red Berries."

The labeling of "health food" as feminine is not new. But I find it irritating. Especially when we could all stand to be a little healthier, and the health benefits of food products geared for women are often weight related.

That's why two recent Kashi ads stood out to me. There's one wtih a man and one with a woman who both work for Kashi. They are regular looking people. In the ads the man surf boards, the woman mountain climbs and snow boards. The text is basically the same in each, "We like working for Kashi because we like making tasty health food that lets people have active bodies and attempt new things" then they land on their ass. It's not about losing weight, it's about being active. If you eat this cereal you will not gain magical powers or be more attractive, but you might feel better and lower your cholesterol.

The only other health foods I can think of that feature men and women equally are fiber and prune juice ads. They typically feature older heterosexual couples talking about how the wife convinced her husband to start taking health more seriously. However, these ads are still problematic because once again health/food matters are the women's purview, and it's her job as care giver to convince her mate to start eating right.

All I have to say is this: if your dude thinks vegetables are too feminine to eat, maybe he deserves to get scurvy.

Just saying.....