Paradigm Shift in Gender Role Representation in Laundry Soap Commercials

Abstract

The Philippines is a patriarchal society because their former colonizers emphasized submission to the male gender. Throughout the years women struggled for their recognition and asserted their rights. However, the media portrayed them as dependent on men to reinforce their traditional roles as plain housewives who dutifully served their husbands and had to center their attention on household chores with utmost care. Using content and thematic analysis of commercials of leading laundry soap in the Philippines, namely Tide, Surf, and Champion, from 2015 to 2021, it was found that a paradigm shift has already occurred in gender roles and representation among women in the Philippines. They were initially portrayed as husband-pleasers, and eventually, they were represented as strong and independent women, which shows that they are now seen as capable of living their lives. Washing clothes was no longer shown as a way to please husbands but to make their children happy. Keywords: paradigm shift, gender roles, laundry soaps, content and thematic analysis, media representation