Ah, yes. The good ole days when it was OK to use funny jokes about wife-hating and spousal abuse in advertisements for alarm systems. Thank goodness the times when companies used violence against women to sell stuff are over. Oh wait … they’re not! Especially if you’re selling stuff that’s really, really expensive. This ad [...]
This charming little notice from UC San Diego appeared in the June 1974 No Comment section of Ms. It’s outrageous to think that just 36 years ago non-virgins were banned from becoming homecoming queen. But have we really come that far? Just last month a Michigan trans boy was stripped of his homecoming king crown. [...]
This ad for Newsweek appeared in the pages of the April 1984 issue of Ms.: a roundup of “leaders of the world” without a woman in sight. It seems an unusual ad for a feminist magazine to take, but Ms. was going through a struggle concerning whether to accept paid advertisement (see Gloria Steinem’s article “Sex, [...]
Want “More Miles per Gal?” Look no further than this brilliant cart, “designed to allow your housekeeping system maximum efficiency and service.” Your two-legged housekeeping system, that is. This ridiculously offensive ad manages to demean and dehumanize women and people who provide cleaning services at the same time! It was reprinted in the No Comment [...]
“In a typical operating environment,” reads this 1983 organizational chart, “the system accepts data and inquiries from work stations…” And apparently, a “typical operating environment” meant that every “management” or “operator” position was held by a man. Leave it to the “girls” to deal with order entry, invoicing and accounts receivable. This ad was reprinted [...]
“She’s rich, she’s beautiful, she’s smart. She has everything…but does she have everything? Not if she doesn’t have a Rusco American Bidet!” This ad was reprinted in the June 1978 No Comment section of Ms. It goes on to explain that “a woman’s femininity comes from the assurance that she’s always fresh.” Apparently you’re not [...]
This gem was reprinted in the No Comment section of the June 1978 issue of Ms. Seriously?! Oh, for those good ol’ days of the Depression, when maids were humble, washed windows, scrubbed floors, wore such cute outfits and loved their jobs! And this particular maid service was licensed by New York City–which makes us [...]
While we’re not exactly sure what this was advertisement was for, (some sort of construction equipment?) but it’s still ridiculously offensive no matter what you’re selling. Featured in the No Comment section of the March 1975 issue of Ms. Caption reads “from an advertisement in Construction News, submitted by Anita Schnee, London, England.”
This Ann Landers column was featured in the No Comment section of Ms. in December 1974. It may be OK for girls to act outside of their stereotypical gender roles, but boys who do need psychological help. Gee, thanks, Ann. Fun Fact: Ann Landers (Esther Lederer) believed in 1973 that homosexual behavior was unnatural: “I [...]
Feminist Backlash, Then and Now
In August 1982, the No Comment section of Ms. magazine decried a decade of premature media eulogies for feminism and the women’s liberation movement. But the women’s movement wasn’t dead, it was under attack. In the 1980′s, feminist gains of the previous decade were turned upside down, shaken by the ankles and mutilated by conservatives [...]