While the image of a working mother and wife doesn’t surprise anyone these days, back in the 1950’s it was an odd occurrence. Women more often than not tended to stay at home and look after the kids and the house. That is why it is not surprising that the ads back then were illustrating the family portrait that reflected the situation. What is surprising though, is that there are people these days that still believe that that is the ‘right’ family model.
These ads are as problematic as they come and in order to make sure that this point is driven home, one artist took extreme measures. He decided that he would re-do the ads and replace the women with men. Unfortunately, this is the only way that some men would actually be able to understand the plight that women have been forced to experience.
Turning all of the old school norms that are thought to be acceptable on their head is something that we should all strive for. In order to live in a less sexist society, we need to take certain steps. The most striking thing about many of these ads is the sense of isolation. All a woman is expected to do is take care of her family and she never even gets to enjoy their company.
When introducing the project, the creator Eli Rezkallah wrote: “Last Thanksgiving, I overheard my uncles talk about how women are better off cooking, taking care of the kitchen, and fulfilling “their womanly duties.” Although I know that not all men are like my uncles and think that way, I was surprised to learn that some still do, so I went on to imagine a parallel universe, where roles are inverted and men are given a taste of their own sexist poison.”
While the project might seem a little bold for some, we invite you not to take it directly. It is supposed to leave a bad taste in your mouth by showing that neither of the situations is desirable. Still, one of them used to be the norm, which makes it a little unsettling.
It’s a little hard to believe that back in the day those ads were considered normal. Makes one appreciate what we have at the moment. Scroll down to see the results of the project.
More info: elirezkallah.com (h/t)
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Image source: Eli Rezkalla
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Image source: Eli Rezkalla
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Image source: Eli Rezkalla
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Image source: Eli Rezkalla
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Image source: Eli Rezkalla
