Antifeminism in Pakistani Advertisements

Abstract

The projection of certain ideas, presented as facts can bring a change in one’s world view. The distinction between how we perceive reality and how it ought to be perceived is often blurred when we see the world through the lens of media. Being a strong force in formulating ideologies, media can also perform the task of reformulating some of the existing beliefs, while playing an active role in the process of ideological deconstruction. As far as Pakistani media (electronic and print) are concerned, they have a very strong impact on the minds of their viewers and readers influencing their thought patterns. In fact, the influence of electronic media is far more powerful than print media, as because of the low literacy rate of the country, majority of the people are exposed to the world outside through the medium of TV. However, the role of both electronic and print media is crucial with regard to the portrayal of male and female gender. The focus of this paper is particularly on the antifeminist element that is promoted through these advertisements. It aims to analyze those advertisements which reflect gender bias through the language employed, especially, in the tag lines along with the pictorial images, which leave a long-lasting impression on the audience, resulting in a shift in their way of thinking