You’ve heard of the male gaze; well, when that’s commodified on a global scale, you have the ‘capitalist’s gaze.’ It’s holding women back, argues Marks’ Jennifer Murtell, who offers a better way.
From wine brands with absurd names like ‘Skinnygirl’ to menstrual products that wrap women’s bodies in euphemisms, brands are still entrenched in the outdated sexist frameworks that reduce women to mere stereotypes.
How is it that women, despite our access to technology, data, and global communities, are still faced with marketing that disregards and dehumanizes their lived experiences?
The issue runs deeper than offensive imagery or stupid jokes; it points to a fundamental flaw in how capitalism views and commodifies women.
To quote a great horror trope, “the call is coming from inside the house”.
The problem: women as a commodity
At the heart of this issue lies the capitalist tendency to commodify women’s insecurities. While products for men tend to focus on strength, …