Super Bowl 44: Sexism and Misogyny in Society 101

Originally Posted at WomenUndefined.Com

Hey Women’s Studies majors, no need to take those extra sociology courses – If you watched last night’s Super Bowl and the accompanying advertisements, you’re an expert in sexism and misogyny!

You can now say with confidence and pride: “I aced Sexism and Misogyny in Society 101″. Well, you can only say that if you didn’t break your TV after the whole shibang was said and done, no doubt some of us failed the course, myself included.

If you haven’t taken this course or are interested in applying please see course features, prerequisite requirements and goals of the course below.

The cost of this course is monetarily free (cost upon society unquantifiable and unaccountably negative-for certain reverberating for generations, as the course will be reenacted every day.)

The Time and Date of Course: Super Bowl 44 – but if you missed it, there will be another Super Bowl next February!

Course Features : Reified notions of gender, race, class and sex. Dehumanization through sexualization of women to sell a product.  Reassurance of masculinity and power, perpetuated notions that these “values” have been lost in recent years. Objectification of minorities and women. Displaying the paternal complex between a hetero-normative couple  and even a scripted 30 second short film on how to be a heterosexual, hetero-normative , man and woman in our society! (Such a cute wedding and birth scene… )

Prerequisites for the course include owning a television (over 90% of America qualifies!) , being born (or having a mother like Tim Tebow’s , who chose life!) and possessing the ability to use all of ones senses (ie: hear, see, smell etc.) No further requirements are necessary, although most people will either be unaware of their presence in class or not care about the content.

Intended goals of the course are to display how sexist our society is and portray mass media’s (owned by a scant 8 corporations)  role in reifying notions of gender and class.

What you will gain : nothing

Okay, maybe not “nothing” (I am being dramatic again). Students will gain the reaffirmation that sexism, misogyny and gender constructs/norms are alive and well in society. That the content viewed in advertisements during the Super Bowl are deemed acceptable by mass media and society in general. That advertisements for Gay Dating Websites are denied for being too “scandalous”  while GoDaddy.Com can buy 6 spots all featuring a woman ripping her shirt off- literally. That it is okay to use lines such as “take your skirt off, man” to convey the reclaiming of one’s masculinity, even though dehumanizing women are completely trashed in the process.

Legal Disclaimer:  Participants in course may obtain a “passing grade” ,but if you are a Super Bowl ad buyer- you receive an automatic F.

Sophia | Twitter: @sophiabiabia | sophiabiabia@gmail.com