I won’t be posting much this month, as I’m finishing a proposal for a book I’ve been working on for…seems like forever.

But I am working on a couple of special features for this blog: one, a piece for the No Marriage, No Womb web protest against out of wedlock births in the African-American community that will be posted on this blog on September 22nd, and the other, a long piece about female emcees.

Today I just want to call attention to something I saw in doing some research for my book the other day: a list of horribly disgusting and sexist advertisements.

Ad for Mr. Leggs slacks says, "Though she was a tiger lady, our hero didn't have to fire one shot to floor her. After one look at his Mr. Leggs slacks, she was ready to have him walk all over her...If you'd like your own doll to doll carpeting, hunt up a pair of these he-man slacks...

As a woman, and as a black woman especially, someone born carrying the weight of two isms — racism and classism — swatting away small, sly notions of discrimination from men and from people of other races like aggravating flies on a daily basis is nothing new.

I’m sure most people in this country, especially people who are a minority in their community have dealt with similar issues. From constantly seeing negative stereotypes of your ethnic group on TV — take Gypsies for example — to having to wait for a cab longer than others born with less melanin than you (an experience many black men and women can attest to), most Americans look at these slights like racial paper cuts — events that cause pain, yet are not painfully deep enough to be a cause for widespread alarm.

Until something like Katrina comes along.

Something so big, so forceful, it just takes your breath away.

I’m not comparing these images to a mega-disaster like Katrina by any means, but watching the harrowing events surrounding Katrina unfold on TV while simultaneously being assaulted with negative portrayals of New Orleans’ African-American population across all forms of media, filled me with feelings of rage. And looking at these ads gives me some similar feelings.

They are infuriating.

ad for Chase & Sanborn warning women to not buy stale coffee -- or else!

Advertising influences people. That’s why ads exist. And numerous studies validate the fact that children and adults readily absorb influences from their media environment.

When these influences, or images are seen often enough, they can normalize the often harmful ideas contained within them, ie, beating your wife is OK if she buys the wrong coffee, women are sluts who you can walk all over with the right slacks, etc.

In looking over these ads, most of which were printed in the 50s, 60s and 70s, I have to wonder how much of a stand did women take against these ads when they were published? I know that part of the feminist movement agenda is fighting cultural sexism, but these types of ads were in existence for decades.

Why weren’t more women up in arms over these images? Why weren’t all American women?

Did most women of past generations merely view these images as sexist “paper cuts” that weren’t enough of an offense to raise a fuss over?

Were they so complacent with the male dominated power structure that they felt it better to not “make waves” and just be “good girls” happy with the right to vote? Or were so many women still so dependent on men that complicity with the “system” equaled stability and financial security for those who depended on their husbands for income?

ad for Del Monte ketchup

There are a multitude of reasons why so many women of the past — and present — generations have not taken up the banner of feminism.

In considering why more women haven’t engaged in the feminist struggle, I have to wonder if women of the future will ask the same questions about us?

Because sexism in advertising still exists today in our world where all the cool kids rock skinny jeans and bulimia is at an all time high. And in some ads, where sexism and racism color their content, dark-skinned girls are told that lightening their skin will lead to a world of glamour and better opportunity.

Will they cringe at the fact that, in some ways we have taken the message of mid-century feminists too far by allowing a sort of reverse sexism to rule daytime commercial airwaves?

I mean, if you were an alien from a genderless planet and you wanted to learn about men on earth by watching commercials, you’d think that men’s favorite pastimes were shaving and avoiding mother-in-laws, and the official male uniform consists of underwear and socks.

You might even think men eat off the floor and swill beer from dirty glasses. After all, when have you ever seen a man besides Mr. Clean (word to Billy Mays RIP, but infomercials not withstanding) in a household cleanser commercial?

Check out the sexist advertisements for yourself here, and let me know what you think of them. They certainly provide a lot of food for thought.