The artifact that I chose was an advertisement
for the emergency contraceptive, Plan B.
I selected this artifact because of its relevance to my age group and
also because of the growing need for contraceptives in our modern society. One
of the arguments in my analysis is that Plan B is attempting to add casualness
to the process of obtaining an emergency contraceptive which in turn works to
normalize the issue of intercourse without another method of
contraception. The normalization of
intercourse without contraception might invite consumers of Plan B to return
for repeated use. Another argument that
I make is that Plan B defines the consumers of the drug to be young white
middle class women as shown through the commercial. There is a lack of male interaction
in the video which puts forth the idea to the consumer that males should not be
involved in the decision to take an emergency contraceptive. In reality, males have every opportunity to
purchase Plan B on their own but according to my research most men do not know
that it is available to them. I believe
this analysis matters in our current society because of the growing need for
emergency contraceptives and also, because of the ever changing roles between
men and women.
A few discussion questions on
this topic might be:
How involved should a male be
when it comes to taking an emergency contraceptive?
What are some issues that could
arise from the narrowing of the intended audience by Plan B?
I also find it interesting that no males were used in the ad nor does the company try very hard to get the word out that any gender can purchase it. I think putting this information out there would make men feel more obligated, or at least more informed, about their ability to help their partner when those uh-oh nights happen (as the commercial explains). Not only are men absent from the ad, but so are women of variety. There appears to be one woman who isn't totally white, but it's definitely an arguable point that only white women are represented in this ad. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteI think a male should be equally as involved as a woman when making the decision on buying Plan B. I agree that the ad should have included a male in this advertisement to create a voice showing that is not only the woman's decision. Sex obviously involves both a female and a male and some issues that can arise by narrowing the audience of Plan B to specifically women is that the father of the baby could have wanted to keep the child. Also, this artifact is creating a message that actually puts more pressure on the women because even though it is her body, having a male to help her buy Plan B will make the process less emotional.
ReplyDeleteThe more I watch this commercial, the more disturbing it is. In the beginning, it shows all of the women in bed-- alone. Where are their partners? Or should we assume their one-night stands quickly got out of their trendy lofts never to see them again? And the entire commercial seems so urgent to me. They repeatedly say that it is the woman's responsibility to act fast. It shows a woman frantically getting dressed to go to the drug store and get the pill. It then shows how she is embarrassed for having to buy the pill when she is slowly walking through the store aisles. I think this ad shows post-feminist ideals in that it places all of the responsibility on the female. The man involved is no where to be seen. In response to your first question, I don't think anyone can say how involved men "should" be when it comes to taking emergency contraceptives. But, I can say that it shouldn't just avoid men's involvement altogether as shown in this commercial. Overall this commercial shows women as irresponsible for letting something like this happen to them, therefore it is entirely their responsibility to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting (and awful...) that this commercial has no men involved implying that it's the woman's job to make sure a pregnancy doesn't happen. Considering getting pregnant through intercourse involves two people, both a man and a woman, I personally believe it is just as much the man's job to be active in preventing pregnancy as it is the woman's. I also found it interesting that at the start of the commercial, all of the women were alone and visibly upset that their birth control failed. This implies that when something unexpected happens with your method of birth control, it's completely the woman's fault and should be her burden, while the man just continues on with his day as if nothing happened. It also showed the woman in the drug store looking ashamed of herself, once again implying that birth control failure is on the woman and it's her problem.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this commercial demonstrates the ideals of a patriarchal society. The men in these situations are not pictured and their absence suggests that they have deemed the pregnancy their partner's fault and responsibility to deal with. Because they are not at fault nor are they responsible, their presence is not needed in the process of obtaining the Plan B pill. This emphasizes the concept that the woman is always responsible for the children and homemaking, right from the start, as early as conception, or in this case prevention of conception. Creating such a narrow audience with this ad will only further engrain into society the notion that men are not as responsible as women for pregnancy prevention, something that I don't personally view as fair. As most posts have mentioned before me, it takes both male and female, equally, to become pregnant, so therefore the decisions and consequences following should be shared as well.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I noticed an ironic connection to the literature we read and the videos we watched in class surrounding the sperm and egg. These discourses presented pregnancy as an accomplishment of the sperm as it forged on a great journey to fertilize the egg. The egg was presented as a harsh environment that did basically nothing to help in the fertilization process. How can the man's sperm be the hero in fertilization, yet not be responsible for the pregnancy?
The use of this group of females in this ad is dangerous due to the fact it makes buying Plan B look casual for young females. It also places all the responsibility of purchasing the emergency contraceptive in the hands of females due to the lack of male involvement. A male should definitely be involved in the process of buying the Plan B contraceptive as well as a part of the ad for the product. If a male were included in the commercial, males would see that and realize they should take part of the responsibility too. Males in this situation must be aware they can purchase the emergency contraceptive, too.
ReplyDeleteThe audience also makes purchasing Plan B seem like a normal, everyday activity for a young female. This isn't the right way to go about promoting the product. I think the statement made in the post hits the nail on the head. This ad just makes the purchase seem too casual, therefore more young women could become returning buyers of the product.
I found this commercial to be very ironic. It emphasized the need for women to hurry and act fast by quickly getting ready and fleeing out the door. Yet, at then end of the commercial it said be calm. Regardless of that, in my opinion responsibility should definitely be equally split between men and women. As stated above, it takes two. This commercial puts all the blame on the women from the failing birth control to shamefully purchasing (or at least looking like it) Plan B. Since the ad completely disregards men all together, Plan B is almost allowing men to be inactive in unwanted pregnancy.Even though this product is taken only by women, women did not solely cause the need to take the pill. Overall, this commercial has many flaws perceiving unwanted pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing how society continue to only blame the female if they get pregnant. It takes two and both are at fault. I think that the male should be just as involved when taking an emergency contraceptive as a female should. I do wish men would step up more and take the pressure of the female. A female cannot get pregnant by herself and men should take responsibility when needed.
ReplyDeleteThey can purchase the pill just as easily as female can.
Unfortunately I feel like there is no "right" way to narrow the intended audience. These days there are more people than normal who are using birth control and falling back on the Plan B pill. I feel like it should only be offered to a smaller audience so that it is not used as a fall back for younger kids who think they can partake in sexual activities because there is this pill, but then makes them unable to fix something if they got into a bind. It is a touchy subject and would be hard to narrow down the audience.
Plan B is a drug that is trying to "fix a problem" created by a man and woman. Men should have a say in this issue just as much as a woman should have. This advertisement influences women to believe that they are the decision maker and that it is up to them to fix their unexpected problem as soon as possible. The ad expresses urgency by saying that the sooner you get Plan B the better chance you have of not getting pregnant. The lack of men in this advertisement makes pregnancy appear to be a woman's decision and issue when it isn't just about the woman.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this advertisement stresses that Plan B is for UNPLANNED and UNEXPECTED as though because you (the woman) haven't planned or expected to get pregnant. The message the advertisement sends me is: YOU should be the one to take care of the problem right away instead of having a talk with your partner.
You mention how this ad emphasizes the casualness with which these woman obtain Plan B, how it seems risk- and stress- free for each one of them. The reality is far from the case. Especially in states like Georgia which are immersed in the 'Bible Belt' culture of abstinence, the experience of purchasing Plan B is filled with agonizing shame, with condescending looks and tones of moral superiority from friends and pharmacists alike. This experience only serves to perpetuate concepts of purity as the only option as well as the idea that a woman's sexuality is something to be kept private--or non-existent.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that the men only appear in the commercial once the "problem" has been solved and the women have already gotten and presumably taken Plan B. They are not there for consultative purposes, or for emotional support; this ad gives the impression that, since it is the women who will suffer most from not taking Plan B, it is their responsibility alone to do so. These men only want to be around the women after they are sure that they will be able to avoid the consequences of their risky sexual behavior.
I believe men should be involved in the decision making process when it comes to PlanB, the emergency contraceptive pill. Not to offend anyone but its not always the guy who wants to terminate the seed. The perception is that men always say, “Yes take the pill” but in real life it might not be that way all the time.
ReplyDeleteIssues that could arise are younger people taking the pill, which means that they are participating in sexual acts, makes it okay to have sex before marriage.
The ad begins by showing four women waking up in bed alone looking very anxious and disturbed. A male is nowhere in sight. The ad definitely plays into gender roles that say women are the ones responsible for getting pregnant. Media/Society gives men a free pass on pregnancy because they are not the ones physically carrying the child. A woman then walks to the drugstore and purchases Plan B looking very embarrassed. If someone is purchasing medicine, why should they ever be embarrassed about it? I understand that people want to keep their medical business to themselves but advertisements like these influence women to think and feel a certain way about their decisions.
ReplyDeleteI really like this artifact; I think it puts forth a very interesting rhetorical artifact. I agree that it is relevant to our age group and society as a whole. As you discuss, it is quite interesting how they encourage people to be casual. That is, how they encourage to be casual about potential pregnancy and intercourse.
ReplyDeleteAs you hint, I think it is very important for the male to be a part of the decision of whether or not to use an emergency contraceptive. I hate the idea of a male leaving the female to bear the burden of the decision all on her own.
With that, I think the narrowed audience does nothing to encourage males to be a part of that process. I think that they should. However, it is interesting to consider the other side of the spectrum. Males should be a part of the decision, there is no doubt. With that said, unfortunately females are often left on their own to make the decision. What about those women?