Fail Ad
This is a bit of a response to the recent ad campaign going on Europe that’s set on trying to get more women into the science, math, and engineering fields. I think this is a wonderful idea! I remember growing up and some kind of bogus statistic saying girls were bad at math, which is why they don’t make good scientists and etc… all BS. Then again, that was when blood was still blue and electrons orbited the nuclei like little planets. Though I’d wager it was more of a skewed statistic coming from the “boys club” type mentality. Quite a shame too.
So now there’s an attempt to push the demographic of your egg headed super heroes to include the ladies! Great… but there’s a catch. See, the ad agency running these endeavors seemed to have employed some folks that were a few chromosomes short of vegetable and thought the proper target audience for these ads were girls aspiring to be Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. And that’s fine if you’re a girly girl type who also likes to split atoms on the side, but it is not a proper demographic to target. Basically, the problem is that paints an idealized (and stereotyped) hyper-sexulized version of women on one hand while trying to break another stereotype with the other. “Come be a scientist! There’s like, pink unicorns and lipstick, and stickers, and stuff”… Really folks? Really? It’s kind of belittling if you ask me. It’s like trying to use the Benny Benassi video, Satisfaction, to get more women into construction work. Not saying there’s anything wrong with doing some pinup (over idealized) arts, but let’s not pretend it’s an acceptable genre for use in women’s rights. Similarly, it’s like using Gil Elvgren painting to get girls into library science.
Again, it’s fine if you’re the type of lady that likes to wear cherry red lipstick and high heels in the lab, but this isn’t the right way to portray women in science nor is it the right way of inviting the younger generation to join up. A real good way is to push science itself! Science is crazy interesting and loads of fun! It’s a lot of math and hard research, but if you want people to start joining in, then you need to show how diverse and wonderful the field is, not using stereotypes to lure young minds.
I think the greater issue starts from the very beginning of the chain. You can try to pass off some sort of invitation now to get more women interested, but you are also fighting a whole history of misogynistic marketing that has told them different. A very clear message gets sent out when on tv, little Billy is playing with his chemistry set and football while Sally plays with dolls. The initiative needs to start on this very basic level! Counter marketing needs to be in place (like Truth ads next to a cigarette one) that shows women in positions of higher learning, who split atoms and rearrange genes, who are not any weaker or stronger than their male counterparts, rather are peers. No more no less. If the goal is to have more diversity in the sciences, then we need to level the playing field at an early age.
It’s all pretty sad that we have to undo centuries of bad press, but at the same time, at least a basic level of tact needs to be applied. I’m not a fan of this ad campaign the EU tried to pass off, but I’m a fan of what they are trying to accomplish. The best solution would be for them to just fire their marketing staff and hire me! Buuuuut a more realistic approach would be to just be respectful and not use bad advertising techniques to draw in an audience. Hell, for all I know maybe this was all a ploy to piss off everybody with offensive ads to get people talking about it. In that case, good troll my good sirs… but that’s probably being a bit overly optimistic about it.
Anyways, I think my ad is much better! Shows a lady in science, not sexualized or stereotyped (except for glasses… but all us geeky peeps are a bit blind… I blame computers), nor in a position of helplessness, vulnerability, or survivor of assault (which seems to be a nice new trope they like to use now), rather an inventor and person in power. So there you go! Fixed! Share this with all the girls you know and remind them they can rule the world with their brain… and a labcoat.
Yup, so there you have it. Gals with goggles! Need more of em! So get to it! (And heck, I think everyone should get into science and math, no matter what you do! It’s good for the soul!)
Source: It’s A Girl Thing
ALSO! This nice lady, aka Dr. Meghan Grey, Astronomy, has a great rebuttal in THIS INTERVIEW! I suggest you watch it!
Uh come on, it will never work.
Genes do work here. I do not say that occasionaly get things messed up a bit more but “female” brain does work slightly different than ours. Sure both genders adhere to general “gauss probability distribution” so you get brilliant and really useless people out of it.
But those “gauss” have both different width, and different possition of peak.
It is all the same with so called “racist” intelligence distribution. Person from Asia is simply more likely to have greater intelect than you, me… it is somewhat compensated by his weaker physical dispositions. (And well “white” person is more likely to outshine someone from Africa) it is millenia of “evolution” of people in some enviroment… it can be changed… but definitely NOT overnight and even centuries are too short term. (unless someone actively starts with genetic engeniering on much greater scale than nature “trial and error” aproach)
To put it simply- all those “programs” are predoomed to failure. (And well I wouldn´t mind having more girls on my faculty in my country (I am european-Czech) but I do not think this can work at all, those who come willingly and are not busted out during exams are all we can get… I study physical engeniering and nuclear sciences, survivability after first term 50 percent of studens are busted out, another 20 vanish after first year… ratio is more or less same every year… so “more girls” isn´t likely to last anyway…)
Unless some form of “discrimination” like “give them bonus points” in maths is going to work… and I somehow do not think out calculus proffesor would like that…
there was an argument for this by some statistics lady, I forget the name, but she showed how those curves were different for different ethnic groups. however, it should also be said that her biggest critical response was also that in various groups tested, the demographics were also different… so point being, an “asian person” might show a different testing curve, but you also have to factor in the educational system is way different and well, much more intense than it is here stateside. I know there are many difference between peoples, but the vast majority of it tends to be superficial. statistics are a funny thing because of the way the numbers are handled and how the variables play into it… I still choose to see the best in humanity and anyone can strive to be what they want, only problem is that some have better resources and heck, maybe some just have a knack, but I don’t really think gender or race have much to do with it.
>)
Some people think about science some people think about humanities and some people think about very little. (sometimes they are the same person :P ) Its Gender, Race and Age irreleveant. This advert is just plain silly. I agree - Fail Ad.
But i do like the comic :D
lol, sounds like an average day for me. >)
Just min max for int, problem solved
bah! gonna take a lotta gold to reforge my wardrobe to keep up! >D
It is a valueable goal but the implamentation can be ,as you said, flawed. It is all fun and nice to have these ”ad campaigns” but there will be others who will take this as an insult and a joke. Personally, I am glad they are trying and I know all too well that girls mostly better at math ( at least it was in my school….top 5 grades….all girls >_> )
Women that desire to work on their own try to break the mold of ” show some skin, get the job ”. But sadly there are still those who actually use the ‘easy way’ to get the jobs.
In science, that won’T work…at all and thats why it won’t be an interesting subject for some . They need to be knowledgable , well informed and educated. Science is not something ” Well we need more WOMEN ! ” type of area. You need BRAINS more than the gender and the body.
All they can do is encourage those brilliant minds without diversifying them through gender and give them oppurtunities to prove themselves other than ” have a private chat with boss ”..
well said. basically, just push math and science for everyone, regardless, and idk, maybe we’ll start to get somewhere. (that and the countries need to be really pushing subsidies for science and labs… yeah, a few tax bucks, but hey, research is good for everyone)
“Basically, the problem is that paints an idealized (and stereotyped) hyper-sexulized version of women on one hand while trying to break another stereotype with the other.”
This is Europe, everything is hyper-sexualized.
“that and the countries need to be really pushing subsidies for science and labs… yeah, a few tax bucks, but hey, research is good for everyone”
I have seen the pure waste and stupidity that the federal government funds in the name of research. There’s no way in heck I can trust them to properly subsidize anything especially something that’s as complicated as what research can succeed and would be most beneficial to succeed. They can’t and won’t spend it right so they shouldn’t be taking it from us to spend at all. http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.serve&File_id=2dccf06d-65fe-4087-b58d-b43ff68987fa
As this is also government sponsored social engineering I have to protest simply on that basis. Let people do whatever the heck they want to do (as long as that action does not violate the liberty of others). Don’t take their money then waste it trying to get them to do something else. There is as much harm to be done in getting people to try something they aren’t suited and prepared for wasting their time and recourses as there is good to be done getting people to try something they are suited and prepared for.
“This is Europe, everything is hyper-sexualized.”
Somehow I do not really see it here… another wiev is that America is hyper-desexualized.
lol, god bless europe! XD
yeah sadly I don’t see any governments using tax money overly effectively, well, except for when it’s to help get their contributors rich(er). kind of a shame.
true, while I dislike social engineering, I kind of hypocritically like the idea of governments promoting certain things… for instance, pushing the space stuff more. or just giving the country a focus (don’t really like war, so like, lets go to mars or something. we can do anything if we work together!)… problem is, it’s basically, as you said, social engineering… so I’m kind of torn on the subject.
sigh, and PK, think you’re spot on with that. as much as I hate to say it, America can be pretty darn prudish. hell, my life drawing class made the models wear leotards! seriously! what next? censor bars in biology text books? and I’m not even in a bible belt state!
in terms of making science more like something you would want to join (if you said that then sorry I kinda skimmed) why don’t we do things with science that brings the attention. Like Explosions…
All kidding aside, I have no idea how to make it more entertaining, not really that big into science itself (though Thermal energy and Kinetic energy are things I really love when thinking of what I could use in a fiction setting for a power) but I know something we can do to not make it boring. Stop doing the videos that involve a guy with an incredibly boring voice explain the procedure…that made me want to sleep in my science class. Though to be fair we usually watched Bill Nye the science guy, which was always entertaining.
lol, well, explosions are always a good thing! and nothing like some cool science to catch the bug! but yeah, it’s independent of gender or race I think, so promoting science as a thing for everyone would be a good bet.
there are some pretty cool rock stars of science out now, like Brian Cox or Michio Kaku, who make learning really exciting and fun!