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And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

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Have you noticed this strange trend in TV commercial recently?

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It's been bothering me for awhile but I haven't quite been able to put a name to it.

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It's this kinda twisted combination of cynicism and humour

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with these over the top caricatures and it always ends up being racist and/or sexist.

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It's really the normalizations of sexism through the use of irony.

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It's the 'they know that I know that they know that their being sexist'

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Some terms people have used to describe this is ironic sexism or retro sexism.

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Retro Sexism is modern attitudes and behaviors that mimic or glorify sexist aspects

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of the past, often in an ironic way.

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Let's see an example from Carl's Jr.

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I know it's over the top and ridiculous to see women marching in American flags to

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Liberty, Cheeseburgers and the American Dream, and they know that they are

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over the top and ridiculous and objectifying women but because we all know

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doesn't mean that it's not sexist.

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Take for example this new marketing campaign by Mike's Hard Lemonade,

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where they are attempting to rebrand their product as a more

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"manly" drink and a less "girly" drink.

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"Can you believe some guys have never tried Mike's Hard Lemonade because

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they've seen women drink it?"

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"We don't have those kinds of issues"

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"Thank you"

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"No we don't"

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"Mike's is a refreshing change of pace to beer but you should enjoy it responsibly"

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"For example, do you have a designated driver? I could take you home"

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"Or I could"

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"Or I could take you both home... Lots of options"

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See how he's not even pretending to fool us? Like we're all in on this big joke,

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look how funny it is that he's incompetently and obviously trying to take advantage

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of these women. We're all supposed to know that he's acting like a scum bag

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and ha ha isn't it funny.

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Really, they know that I know that they know that their being sexist.

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Or what about the good old wandering eyed lying husband and naive wife tropes?

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"Do you have the extra pacifier?" "Yes"

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"Do we have enough formula?" "Yes"

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"Okay here ya go honey... honey... honey"

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"What are you looking at?"

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"Need a moment, try the chocolate caramel and fresh cookie crunch of Twix."

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"I'm looking at potential babysitters so we could spend more time together"

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"Aw that's so sweet"

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"When you need a moment, chew it over with Twix"

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See how obviously and transparently he's lying to his wife. We all recognize that this is

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ridiculous. This guy is clearly being a jerk and we get to laugh at that

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but we have the added bonus of being able to laugh at his naive wife who is clearly

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not seeing his transparent behaviour.

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Additionally, the advertisers get to use pseudo porn stars in a male fantasy

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sequence so the audience gets to join the man in oogling the women.

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And for another example of the naive girlfriend.

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"Who could that be?"

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"Oh wow, I'm there for you buddy. That was Brad. He really wants to... vent."

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"You should go."

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"Ready to vent?" "Let's vent" "Let's vent!" "Let's vent!!"

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"Introducing the vented widemouth can from Coor's Light.

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It let's in air for a smooth refreshing pour."

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"Is he okay?" "I think we'll be venting a little longer."

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So you see they know that I know that they know.

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Women are supposed to laugh at how stupid this girlfriend is while being secure in the

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knowledge that they'll never make the same mistake. This commercial is set up so that

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women are laughing at caricatured sexist representations of other women.

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Ariel Levy describes in her fantastic book "Female Chauvinist Pigs" how women are

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being trained to be just as raunchy and objectify women just like "one of the guys".

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We're coerced into doing this instead of aligning ourselves with one another.

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One of the reasons might be to impress men and I'm gonna guess that

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pointing out sexism isn't exactly popular with the guys.

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This next one not only manages to be sexist but also racist at the same time.

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Is there a CLIO award for that?

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“When a guy can’t get his wanine to put some hallakahiki all over his morabo

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then he’s gotta go some place else.”

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Not only is this exotifying and sexualizing Hawaiian culture but she's literally a thing.

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This brings a whole new meaning to objectifying.

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Carl's Jr. is infamous for uber ironic sexism in their commercials. Remember this one?

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“...in the winter when it drizzles, I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.”

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Yet somehow women aren't up in arms, they aren't organizing protests

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and boycotts and online campaigns.

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Some people might try to defend these ads by saying they are "making fun of sexism"

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ironically... somehow...

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Advertisers must believe that the use of irony distances themselves from

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male chauvinism but that isn't the case.

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While we think we are in on the joke, the reality is they aren't making fun of

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or pointing out sexism, they're DOING it.

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Remember advertisers have one goal and one goal only and that's to sell you a product.

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Everything else, all the jokes and humour and imagery and everything else

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is to get you to buy it. The easiest way to do this is to use sexist representations

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that replicate the status quo and doesn't challenge anything.

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Marketers love the uber ironic sexist style of advertising because they can use all the

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racist, sexist, misogynist imagery they want and simultaneously distance

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themselves from it with a little wink and a nod.

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So how many examples of retro sexism have you already seen today?

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And isn't it ironic, don't you think?