While reading the Sturken chapter about spectatorship, power, and knowledge, I remembered an ad from maybe five years ago that was part of a GE campaign for new appliances. While the text read "Intelligence marries beauty," the image represented a play on the words. There is an attractive woman in a tight-fitting dress symbolizing beauty and a man, smaller, but dressed in suspenders, hand poised in a pensive manner, symbolizing intelligence. Although the couple reflects the quotation, obviously the aim of the ad was to show that GE "married" beauty and intelligence in their new appliance line.

Clever in its own right, the ad also demonstrates the underlying power/knowledge structure inherent in advertising images. I notice some crossing of the typical roles in this ad, so my question to others is this: How does this ad challenge or support the cultural ideals we associate with these images? Are there other ads that play with these ideas that you've seen more recently? Just curious:)

p.s. When I searched for the image, I found this website with other ads if anyone is interested!

www.genderads.com