Since time immemorial, it isn't uncommon to see blatant and in-your-face sexism in the advertisements floating around in the media. Most of these ads portrayed the 'picture-perfect' life of a woman who slaved around the house all day, taking care of the children, and making scrumptious meals for her hardworking husband - while all the time keeping the sunniest of smiles alive on her beaming face. And it was this image that was used by advertisers to sell a lot of commodities back in the 1950s - from ketchup, coffee, beer, men's ties, and even vacuum cleaners!
Inspired by these ads, Lebanon based photographer Eli Rezkallah created a series of photographs called “In A Parallel Universe” where he switched up the gender roles shown in those ads to expose the absurdity of such stereotypes with a hilarious take on them.
On his website, Rezkallah says: "In a parallel universe" is a series of fictional images, recreated from real ads in the mad men era, that question modern day sexism: showing it through a humorous light to spark a conversation through role play.
"Last Thanksgiving, I overheard my uncles talk about how women are better off cooking, taking care of the kitchen, and fulfilling 'their womanly duties'" said Rezkallah. "Although I know that not all men like my uncles think that way, I was surprised to learn that some still do, so I went on to imagine a parallel universe, where roles are inverted and men are given a taste of their own sexist poison."
Take a look at the ads below, and let us know which cracked you up the most!
Images: Eli Rezkallah