In light of Alicia's recent goal to watch all of these movies, I started thinking about ones that feature the advertising industry.
I was watching What Women Want with the boy last weekend. For those of you that missed this one, (just turn on TBS any given night) the basic premise is about a big-headed ad exec that thinks he can get any woman he wants. It's only after he can read their minds that he realizes his macho behavior is seen as unattractive by the opposite sex. After stealing "the big idea" from a colleague he realizes his wrong doing and they kiss and make up.
Next up is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Another egotistical creative director thinks he can get any girl to fall in love with him. To win the "big campaign" he makes a bet with the two corporate ladder-climbing bitches that he can get any woman to fall in love with him. The movie ends with him and Kate Hudson kissing and making up.
Another ad-centric movie is Picture Perfect with Jennifer Aniston. Main character, Kate, is passed up for a promotion since she is still single and has no ties to the company. After her boss pressures her to get a man she convinces one to be her fiancee. She also grabs the attention of the hot shot creative (ahhh Kevin Bacon) she's always wanted. In the end, everyone kisses and makes up.
Along with stereotyping, these movies are all chick flicks. Are we all dying to fall in love with ad execs? Are there truths to these stereotypes? What are some other movies? I know I'm missing some.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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8 comments:
I've heard that lame comment about how ad people are "the rockstars of the business world," and I think that must be the perception...the dollas of a lawyer but edgier and sexier. And I love how all problems are solved in one meeting by one big insight that makes everyone go, "Ahhh, of course!" Like in How To Lose a Guy, "Frost yourself." Jesus Christ.
I can't wait for Eric McCormack's Trust Me to start!!!
a.) Just watched Picture Perfect a couple of days ago. (NOT on my movie quest, of course, but it was on Hulu, so I just felt like it.) The whole mustard "#2 and that ain't bad" thing made me think of Avis'"We're only No.2. We try harder."
b.) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is awesome, even if they make female advertising professionals looks like man-eating beasts.
c.) What Women Want is a terrible movie. Period.
d.) Here's a list of movies that have PR/Marketing/Advertising ties:
http://work.colum.edu/~amiller/movielist.htm
I, for one, do NOT want to fall for an ad exec (or anyone in advertising, for that matter,) however, it seems like you do, D. haha
Scarlett Johansson is all I have to say.
In Good Company (Dennis Quad's character) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385267
what about Darren Stevens? Or Derwood, Duspin, Dagwood, whatever his name was. Now that was an ad guy.
I was watching Lifetime the other day...go figure...and there were like four movies in a row that featured ad execs and the like. I wish I could recall the names of them.
there is a reason you can't recall the names of them, L... because they are LIFETIME MOVIES!!!
hahahaha
i can't believe that you just admitted to the webiverse that you watch that crap.
I was watching The First Wives Club, and one of the cheating husbands was an ad exec. Men in advertising really don't get the best reps in these movies! Is the common lesson to not date advertising men? Yikes...
I dunno - I kinda like dating an ad man. I've noticed some people who I tell that I am in advertising that they always thought that was such a "cool" career (to Libby's point). I'm not saying it's not, but like many jobs/relationships/day-to-day activities portrayed in movies, advertising is over sexualized, romanced, dramatized, and simplified. Many movie-goers may be bored to tears if they had to watch me go over Excel spreadsheets all day. I think ad jobs are easy to give a character high creativity and energy. It's fast paced. Just think about how many lawyers, chefs, and cops there are out there too in movie-land. Bored Accountant (think the Producers) just doesn't have the same ring as fast paced, sexy Ad Exec.
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