Well, who knew that there weren’t a lot of women who imbibed beer in the 1970s? That is, if we believe Michelob.
There are important questions that must be answered:
1. Who determined that “a lot of women” didn’t like beer? (And this stereotype, despite some progress, has remained a problem in recent years.)
2. How did they decide upon the seven ounce bottle? (And why seven? I mean, if these domestic women drinkers were ostensibly dainty, why not settle for four or five?)
3. Considering that the first shot is very careful to include a gesture of this woman putting down her purse, was this beer an attempt to market to the professional woman? Or the more civilized housewife trying to create a more level gender playing field? (Sentence in this commercial to support the latter rhetorical question: “And he likes it too!” So is the husband the one here making the compromise? Or is MICH VII intended to be the compromise to maintain happy marriages?)
I can find no trace of what happened to MICH VII, although several vintage mirrors seem to be available on eBay.
That is no husband. Husbands don’t ring the doorbell in order to be let in.
(bowchickabow…)
I used to travel often to London and spent a fair amount of time shmoozing in pubs. Hopefully times have changed, but in those days men drank pints and ladies drank half pints–a ridiculously small portion of beer. Despite the custom, this lady always ordered a full pint and was met with raised eyebrows, but I believe my ability to hang with the boys always resulted in better sales.
As a woman who regularly drinks full size pints, I find it offensive that anyone would think women would accept Michelob as a proper beer in the first place. But that’s just me…