Pantene ad on sexism: Women pushy, men persuasive

In a commercial that has generated nearly 6 million YouTube hits, Pantene Hair Care takes a swing at double standards working women face.

The stylized, 60 seconds Pantene Philippines spot almost — almost — makes you forget the goal is to get you to buy conditioner, shampoo and such.

Where women are seen as ‘bossy,’ men are seen as the ‘boss.’ Where men are ‘persuasive,’ women are “pushy.” When a woman cares about her appearance she is labeled ‘vain.’ A man who washes his face and keeps things tidy is considered ‘neat.’

A man burning the midnight oil is seen as ‘dedicated’ while his female counterpart is ‘selfish.’

A dude with awesome hair walking across the street is seen as ‘smooth.’ A gal with bouncy hair doing the same thing is called ‘showy.’

Did Pantene get it right? What do you think?

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