I now believe that ad agencies in Lebanon are trying to piss us off on purpose. Week after week, billboards with such strong gender stereotypes come out displaying women as petty and stupid. Using women as sex objects doesn’t piss me off nearly as much as portraying women as idiots. The latest example is Le Charcutier Aoun, a supermarket chain in Lebanon running a lottery contest for its customers to win millions of Lebanese Pounds. I myself am a customer of the Jisr El Bacha branch. The billboards portray characters explaining what they would do with the millions if they won them. One dude says “I would buy an electricity generator for my neighborhood” (cute). Another little boy says “I would buy a school bus” (also cute). And the young woman says… *drum roll* “I would definitely be able to find a husband” (where did the cuteness go??) Is that all she can think of? Really? Finding a husband with her new wealth? No cute, intelligent uses she can find for the money? Come on, people, khalsoona min hal stereotypes!

Here is the original billboard, photo taken by @NaLoves:

"If I win, I'll surely find a husband!" WTF!?!?!?!?! on Twitpic

And here’s my remake of the ad:

“If I win millions, I’ll open an ad agency that doesn’t take women for fools.”