Gender Differences and Gender Stereotyping

Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit has this pithy comment occasioned by a book he's just ordered:

IN THE MAIL: A copy of Leonard Sax's new book, Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences, a book that's sure to be controversial. Though it seems that it's okay to talk about sex differences, so long as it's done in a way that reflects badly on men.

Interesting Reynolds makes the comment I've italicized above. My wife, son, daughter, and I often note an ongoing theme in what Marshall McCluhan apparently labeled America's highest art form, advertising. That theme is the stupidity of men and the superiority of women in intelligence, wisdom, and worldliness.

Of course, it's probably only fair that this stereotyping has emerged. For decades and decades, the wise reasonable man keeping the ditzy, scatterbrained, weak woman under control was a staple of American popular culture.

It's just too bad we have to resort to weathered cliches in any case.

It's also about time that we acknowledged that while men and women should be afforded equal opportunities, there do seem to be differences that go beyond our respective plumbing.

Given the recent flap over comments on gender differences made by Harvard University president Lawrence Summers, it's easy to project that this issue is going to be with us for awhile.

I'd be interested in reading comments on what both female and male make of the Summers flap, Reynolds' post, and my family's observations about gender stereotyping in television ads.

By the way, it seems that many radio advertisements, as opposed to the predominating themes of TV ads, still promote the old "male is superior" stereotypes, especially on the sports radio stations I frequent.

One ad for a dandruff shampoo currently running does this in a rather sly, yet still egregious way. A gruff executive wants to know who among his subordinates had the temerity to leave dandruff shampoo among his things. Several males meekly say they weren't the ones. But a female with confidence says that she was the guilty party and the executive thanks her for providing him with something that works.

There is a brief announcer cut-away pitching the product. Then the executive tells the female that he appreciates her taking an interest. In her best Lauren Bacall, she replies, "Oh, I'm interested." Apparently, this female subordinate couldn't resist this newly-dandruff-free example of verile manly exec. This ad seems to promote the notion of male superiority and the one that all a woman really wants is a man. Sheesh!