Advertisements play a huge role in shaping societal perceptions by often relying on stereotypes to convey certain messages. Whether depicting gender roles, cultural norms, or societal expectations, these advertisements can reinforce biases and misconceptions. For example, we all know about the infamous Fair & Lovely ads and how they taught an entire generation that ‘fair’ is beautiful and ‘dark’ is not.
Similarly, a food brand called Indiras came up with a rather bizarre advertisement for a rasam paste that they’re trying to sell. The advertisement takes a dig at North Indian wives who don’t know how to cook rasam but have South Indian husbands.
In the advertisement, there’s a man who is apparently asking “Wife North Indianaaa?” (in a presumingly Kannada accent) and then there’s the Rasam paste product on the side.
A user on X @tdinkar shared a picture of the advertisement that was spotted on the back of a BMTC bus in Bengaluru and wrote, “Today in ads that manage to be sexist while also insulting both North and South India.”
Today in ads that manage to be sexist while also insulting both North and South India (from r/bangalore) pic.twitter.com/wuyOcoIazi
— Tejas Dinkar (blue tick here) (@tdinkar) January 4, 2024
In case you are confused, this ad perpetuates some pretty ridiculous stereotypes. Here’s some of them:
1) That women from northern Indian states do not know how to cook rasam.
2) That it is the wife’s duty to cook for her husband.
3) That the North Indian wife would not know how to cook rasam the conventional way and that she would need a shortcut.
And hence, people online weren’t having it. They called the advertisement out for not only being sexist but also trying to light a fire between North and South India. Here’s how some of them reacted:
equality is insulting everyone equally https://t.co/dKilm7ZbC2
— Sidu Ponnappa (@ponnappa) January 4, 2024
hOw iS iT seXiST?
1. Assumes men cant keep rasam
2. Assumes all south indian women know to keep rasam
3. Assumes women do the cooking in the houseIts 2024 get a grip ffs https://t.co/ebEuZts2DU
— Rini🏳️🌈 (@wokeakka) January 5, 2024
The north-south issue is nothing compared to the sexism in this ad. https://t.co/s3wKOd9z7y
— Freddie Mercury (@idontcareaatall) January 4, 2024
The creative team woke up and chose violence in every direction https://t.co/UUvAxSRy7j
— Anjan_UXD (@bhulani_anjan) January 4, 2024
This is the most bizarre advertisement ever, disgusting behaviour 🤮 https://t.co/KAjs9lvPw2
— Xfaraway (@Xfaraway28) January 4, 2024
Like, cook your own rasam, uncle ji. Your wife is making yummy rotis for herself. https://t.co/3iewww3hlO
— Sanjana ♡ (IA) (@Sanjuxtwt) January 4, 2024
First of all why do you need rasam paste to make rasam ? Frickin man child can’t even make rasam ? https://t.co/KjGg99dHW8
— . (@amorphousblob__) January 5, 2024
Ads like this keep the same old biases alive, making it tougher to break free from those outdated norms. They really need a chill pill on the stereotype obsession!