Two-Ford Freedom
[Multimodal reading/multimedia piece followed by questions (on the same page):]
Ford Motor Company
[documentary film clip]
Anyone who has watched Mad Men has probably noticed that the show has had a lot to say about how popular culture depicted women in the 1960s. In this 1956 ad for the Ford Victoria, a stereotypical 1950s housewife talks about the newfound freedom she’s experienced now that she and her husband have purchased a second car. As you watch, think about how the ad portrays women. For most of us, this image of women is clearly dated—the wife has felt like “a prisoner in her own home” without access to a car, and her needs are subservient to her husband’s, who needs the car “for business.” How does this portrayal contrast with the way advertisers try to appeal to today’s women?
Source: Ford Motor Company
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Reading the Signs
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