Pathos of "Throw like a girl"

A popular and modern example of "Take It Like a Man"

The author of “Throw like a girl” is unique in his ability to appeal so strongly to both men and women, and in such different ways too. Almost any boy, at some point in time, has heard the statement “You hit like a girl” or “Take it like a man” from a bully or insensitive friend. It’s the stereotypical attack on masculinity; to compare someone to a girl, how awful. While it shouldn’t be, these attacks hinge on a societally bred desire for strength and toughness from boys. Because of this, these statements can be very damaging to you men because it tells them two things: that they are not masculine, and that being feminine is bad. This implies that not only can boys not be themselves, but also that they aren't good enough as they are. This ad serves to dispel the underlying myth that feminine is not only good, but feminine can be strong too. Through text and actors themselves, it demonstrates the strength that is often taken away from women. Here, is where it appeals to women just as strongly, if not more. It is well known that while strides have been made in gender equality, there is much work to be done. Women still face discrimination on a variety of levels, but notably in what they are told they can do. True even more so in the 1960’s, but certainly today, women are often oppressed into certain roles: housekeepers, secretaries, etc. This ad opens the door and starts discussion on the current barriers in gender equality by portraying women and girls going against the stereotype. It visually and textually tears down the myth for each viewer. Because of this and it's incredibly strong appeal to all audiences, it is understandable why this ad sends a perfect message to younger audiences, and clearly it has found large success in its appeal emotion, for a study revealed that after watching the video, "76 percent of girls ages 16-24 no longer [saw] the phrase "like a girl" as an insult, and two out of three men who watched said they would stop or think twice before using "like a girl" as an insult. "


-Race Saunders

Audience of "Throw like a girl"

Feminism and women's rights have been growing lately in today's society, but many people don't see the reason.  This commercial was a groundbreaking piece that exposed many of these people that don't understand why feminism exists to a side of the comment "like a girl" they have never seen before.  The "like a girl" comment has always been seen as you are doing nothing wrong, that oh girls aren't as good at something as boys its fine, but it is very detrimental to the female youth population.  This comment has manly been used in sports but has also be used in everyday life. Coaches of almost every type of sport or parents telling their kid they can do better use it all the time.  Which is why when this commercial aired during the 2015 super bowl  was such an amazing thing to witness.  This sport (football) is a male dominated sport and so are its viewers, so when this feminist ad airs it opens the eyes of all the people watching that this comment actually hurts people and need to be stopped.  The director does a great job of showing the different age groups doing things "Like a girl" and how they change the younger girls get.  It conveys to the audience the damage that this term has done girls over their lifetime.

Ethos of "That's right boys... I'm on the pill"

During the 1960's the feminist movement was stronger than ever, with women entering the workforce and advocating for equal pay. Back then, just as we do now, everyday people looked to movie stars and TV actors to support various causes. Fame allows a person a larger platform to make a case from, naturally giving anything they say more power because they have what we call fans. One actress that had made a name for herself by the 1960s was Annette Funicello, who began her career as a Mousketeer on The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Ms. Funicello was in general most well liked above all the other cast members and kept a contract with Walt Disney even after he canceled the show; during the mid 1960s she was cast into many sand-and-surf films. Ms. Funicello is the women featured on the ad for birth control pills, and she plays a very important roll just by being pictured there. For women everywhere during the 1960s seeing a familiar face, in this case an actress, on the ad for birth control encourages them to buy even more. Celebrities are already awarded a sort of credibility because they are faces we see often in the news and on screen, therefore we are inclined to buy products they advertise for. Birth control was one way that women could even the playing field with men by taking control over their bodies and deciding when they wanted to have children. In this way Ms. Funicello's feature on the birth control ad prompted more women to take it, furthering along the feminist movement.

Hailey Wilberger

Audience of "That's right boys... I'm on the pill"

When the FDA legalized birth control as a contraceptive in 1960, the attention of women was immediately drawn to emerging sexual freedoms. As such, the Yasmin poster appeals to women during this time through an air of popularity, attraction, and achievability. First, the author portrays one woman amidst several adoring men. This immediately highlights how birth control, by empowering women sexually, will make them popular among men. Second, by dressing the woman provocatively (for the 1960’s), the author associates attraction to sexual freedom and birth control. He implies that with the newfound sexual freedom born of birth control, consumers would suddenly be more desirable. Third, by highlighting the ease with which women may start birth control, simply “Ask[ing] [their] doctor about yasmin on [their] next visit”, the author promotes accessibility to this new freedom. With these three points, the author is aware of and reliant on many sentiments that women may have held during the 1960’s, and he uses this knowledge advantageously to promote the product.

-Race Saunders

Kairos of "That's right boys... I'm on the pill"

The 1960’s were a time of civil unrest and revolution. This period is often studied under the context of racial equality; however, many other movements were born and furthered during this time. In particular, the presence of feminism skyrocketed during the 1960's, following the trail of an already booming racial equality movement. A key motivation of feminism is to uphold an individual's right to their own body, so when the FDA legalized birth control pills for contraceptive use in 1960, a nationwide rhetoric ensued. For the first time, women were encouraged to choose for themselves whether or not to bear children. Too long had they been relegated to subservient positions, but the husbands opinion was no longer the only opinion. This is incredibly important because having the ability to make and influence familial decisions was the first step towards abandoning the housekeeper stereotype that plagued America. As a result of this rhetoric, propaganda and advertisements such as the Yasmin poster were created to influence a maturing generation towards the widespread use of oral contraceptives, yet they often built upon or furthered the sexism that feminism was fighting.


-Race Saunders