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Ian Aguilar

Professor Hugetz

ENGL 1301-05

December 2, 2020

Visual Rhetorical Analysis of Cheer Detergent Commercial

I will be reviewing and analyzing a 1960’s Cheer Detergent commercial that intrigues

women to not do simple tasks and make them seem like they are clueless, as it was normalized

for women to have a man with them to do these tasks. In the 1960’s it was very normalized that

women couldn’t do many simple things such as doing laundry. The Cheer Detergent commercial

makes the women seem like she does not know what she is doing and was given a new detergent

by a man. Sexism can happen to any gender to favor the other person. Women were often

objectified and were yoked to men economically, not just because they earned much less (1963-

beginning-feminist-movement). In the 1960’s Cheer Detergent commercial, the acting, word

choice, and attitude help build an argument against the sexist attitudes of the time period.

Sexism was so normalized in the 1960’s that women were often objectified in many

advertisements that made it seem that it was okay to make them clueless. In the commercial the

young woman named Judy was using a detergent that was made for only cold-water washes and

gets caught using it then was given a new detergent. She states that “what about the whites, will

those get cleaned in cold water?” to the man in the background that is making her seem clueless

about the difference in the detergent she is using and the one the man is explaining to her about.

This part of the commercial is not only making Judy confused on what detergent to use but what
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clothes to use also. This example helps brings evidence that men were sexist towards men in the

1960’s.

Besides the Cheer Detergent commercial making Judy clueless about the differences of

both detergents, they make it seem like every woman needs a man by their side in order to do

simple tasks. In the commercial Judy is not noticeably confident if she should use the new

detergent on the white clothes she needs to wash. The attitude she was given to speak to the man

was very off and sounded like it was a child talking. At the end of the video Judy is surprised and

says, “Oh look at these socks, they say I'm white I'm white, I'm so excited.” Then proceeds to

thank the man and give him the old detergent she was using before he introduced the Cheer

Detergent. The attitude she gave the audience watching this commercial was not very adult like

as she sounded like a kid because she was shocked on how the man was not lying to her about

the detergent. This also proves that back in the 1960’s women were often sexists by men.

The poor word choices Judy was given to speak to the man was not very adult like. As

soon as the man comes into the video talking about the detergent, he has to offer Judy’s talks as

if the man is her parent. Making it seem like she must listen to what the man is telling her. The

people who made the Cheer Detergent commercial made Judy like she was a clueless young lady

that does not know what to do or know any other detergents that are available till the man comes

in the picture to help her out about washing clothes. This is more of evidence that women were

incapable of doing things without a man near them in the 1960’s.

Although Judy was casually doing her laundry, the man made her think that the laundry

detergent was not going to work with the white clothes she was going to wash. She was

questioning herself and the man to see if he was honest about it. She then takes his word and

agrees that it does work. She could've simply not agree with him but Judy only took the man's
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detergent because back then women were often forced to listen was the man has to say to them.

Again, more evidence of sexism towards women back then.

The overall message the Cheer Detergent commercial is trying to tell the audience that

women needed to have a man near to know what detergent to use for washing clothes and this

helps bring an argument towards sexist to women in the 1960’s. The evidence of attitude, word

choice, and acting helps bring this argument even more. Through commercials, advertisements

or whatever else it could be, this can be found in them even in today times. Women are often

judge and objectified and people need to understand what causes and the effects from them.
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Works Cited

1963: The beginning of the feminist movement. (2013, May 07). Retrieved November 23,

2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/07/1963-beginning-feminist-

movement

zoombots. “Old 1960's Cheer Detergent Commercial.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 July

2006, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPrSpihatgM.