In a Yoplait commercial, a young, slim girl is shown dancing as she says, “Good news everybody. There is now 25% less sugar!” On the other hand, in an Arby’s commercial, in a big and bold male voice you hear “Arby’s. We Have the Meats”. Over time, the food industry has taken its toll on gender inequality. Feminine foods are things like pasta, yogurt, and salads. In contrast, masculine foods are considered to be beef, hamburgers, and beer. Think about it- have you ever seen a yogurt advertisement with a man? Chances are that you haven’t. The advertisements above imply two things. First, women like dieting and are concerned over the way they look. Yogurt has been traditionally marketed as a sweet treat, which is why it’s normally targeted towards women. Second, men are strong and like working out, which is why they are used in most meat commercials.
The mentality that women must keep an eye on what they eat creates a greater divide between the two genders. While women should be restricting their diet to look good, men are supposed to keep eating so they can build a strong body. In a way, this creates a contradiction between how women act towards food and how society thinks their bodies should look like. We see women as being weak when controlling their wants, but also seeing a typical woman as being skinny, healthy, and fit. In order to meet these standards woman spend hours scrutinizing themselves and working out, but spending a very small amount nourishing themselves. This trend will ultimately lead to society taking complete control over a girl’s life. Not only is this affecting females, but it’s also hurting males. Food commercials convey the message of an ideal man as being strong and athletic and this is what their commercials reflect. Not having these three qualities puts a lot of pressure onto them.
With bad comes good. Companies are attempting to change current markets where some foods are targeted towards a particular gender. The yogurt company Dannon was the official yogurt sponsor of the NFL for a few years, which is a great step to end gender stereotyping in the food industry. They released a new yogurt called Oikos triple zero. Its ad campaign featured Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. This is just one example of how we are reaching a turning point. With more support and mixing of genders in the food industry, we can continue to see success.
You’ve probably heard the term “you are what you eat,” and it’s literally true. We’re letting society label us by what we eat. Eating fruits and vegetable means a girl wants to look good and feel accepted. Drinking beer and eating meat makes a boy feel more manly and powerful. Ultimately, all the food industry wants is to make a couple of bucks. Just eat what you want and make yourself happy and healthy.
And don’t forget, bon appétit!