Over the past few weeks, I've had some pretty rad opportunities to talk to the media about feminist issues. This week, that issue was the 2015 Calgary Stampede ad.
One thing that I've learned about these interviews is that there is a lot more to say on a matter than the news hour or article can fit in their time limit or word count. Global TV shone the spotlight on the fact that the ad was problematic, but our short clip here did not capture the depth of analysis discussed during filming. The Calgary Herald ran a similar article that featured one of my previous professors, Dr. Rebecca Sullivan, commenting on the lack of diversity in the ad.
In this blog post, I am going to expand on some of the criticisms brought up on both pieces. For the record, this isn't just a case of a bunch of feminists decrying this clip as being sexist, but rather an intersectional media critique that looks at gender, diversity, and media representation.
Representatives from the marketing team at the Calgary Stampede have defended the ad, stressing that "the ad is meant to be fun, and not to be read into too deeply."
During filming, Emily stated that "the Calgary Stampede belongs to all Calgarians, and that we have all contributed to its success and history in different ways, so if women and other groups don't feel the advertising reflects that, then they are completely valid to ask for more."
The 46-second Stampede ad, Champions Buckle Up, shows a male, white, able-bodied cowboy preparing for the rodeo with reflections of other western-dressed characters in the surrounding mirrors.
The Calgary Stampede is turning 103 years old this year - which means that they have had 103 years to get better at representing the millions of diverse spectators, competitors, and visitors that have walked through their gates over the last century. The problematic aspects of this clip might by subtle, but this blog post intends to make them more visible for all to recognize. This advertisement is only one of thousands that we consume each day, feeding and cultivating harmful stereotypes of western culture, masculinity, femininity, and visible minorities.
We are not saying that this was a bad ad - we are saying that there was an opportunity to create an ad that better represented the fabric of today's Calgary but the Calgary Stampede didn't step up to the task. Click read more for our full analysis.
One thing that I've learned about these interviews is that there is a lot more to say on a matter than the news hour or article can fit in their time limit or word count. Global TV shone the spotlight on the fact that the ad was problematic, but our short clip here did not capture the depth of analysis discussed during filming. The Calgary Herald ran a similar article that featured one of my previous professors, Dr. Rebecca Sullivan, commenting on the lack of diversity in the ad.
In this blog post, I am going to expand on some of the criticisms brought up on both pieces. For the record, this isn't just a case of a bunch of feminists decrying this clip as being sexist, but rather an intersectional media critique that looks at gender, diversity, and media representation.
Representatives from the marketing team at the Calgary Stampede have defended the ad, stressing that "the ad is meant to be fun, and not to be read into too deeply."
During filming, Emily stated that "the Calgary Stampede belongs to all Calgarians, and that we have all contributed to its success and history in different ways, so if women and other groups don't feel the advertising reflects that, then they are completely valid to ask for more."
The 46-second Stampede ad, Champions Buckle Up, shows a male, white, able-bodied cowboy preparing for the rodeo with reflections of other western-dressed characters in the surrounding mirrors.
The Calgary Stampede is turning 103 years old this year - which means that they have had 103 years to get better at representing the millions of diverse spectators, competitors, and visitors that have walked through their gates over the last century. The problematic aspects of this clip might by subtle, but this blog post intends to make them more visible for all to recognize. This advertisement is only one of thousands that we consume each day, feeding and cultivating harmful stereotypes of western culture, masculinity, femininity, and visible minorities.
We are not saying that this was a bad ad - we are saying that there was an opportunity to create an ad that better represented the fabric of today's Calgary but the Calgary Stampede didn't step up to the task. Click read more for our full analysis.
“television is a medium of the socialization of most people into standardized roles and behaviors. Its function is in a word, enculturation." (Gerbner ET AL. 1986, p. 175). [1]
Cultivation Theory
According to George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, the media that we consume distorts our perception of reality and over time, we begin to believe in television's version of reality. This means that watching and seeing even subtle images in media repeatedly will affect the way that we look at our social world. Thus, if we are only exposed to limited and stereotyped images and representations of gender roles, bodies, cultures, society, etc through television and mass media, Cultivation Theory suggests that these images will contribute to the construction of perceptions and expectations of our lived world rooted in biases and stereotypes. [1] [2]
In the case of this Calgary Stampede ad, images like the "Active/Champion Cowboy", the representation of women, and the exclusion of Indigenous peoples contribute to the cultivation of popular Calgary Stampede stereotypes like the rugged yet romantic rodeo cowboy, the dolled up Daisy Duke, and the marginalized Indigenous peoples. We argue that these limited depictions unfairly exclude the experiences of all those involved with the Stampede today and throughout history, including but not limited to the diverse corporate teams behind the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, women in barrel racing and agricultural life, and the violent colonialism perpetrated against Indigenous peoples throughout history.
According to George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, the media that we consume distorts our perception of reality and over time, we begin to believe in television's version of reality. This means that watching and seeing even subtle images in media repeatedly will affect the way that we look at our social world. Thus, if we are only exposed to limited and stereotyped images and representations of gender roles, bodies, cultures, society, etc through television and mass media, Cultivation Theory suggests that these images will contribute to the construction of perceptions and expectations of our lived world rooted in biases and stereotypes. [1] [2]
In the case of this Calgary Stampede ad, images like the "Active/Champion Cowboy", the representation of women, and the exclusion of Indigenous peoples contribute to the cultivation of popular Calgary Stampede stereotypes like the rugged yet romantic rodeo cowboy, the dolled up Daisy Duke, and the marginalized Indigenous peoples. We argue that these limited depictions unfairly exclude the experiences of all those involved with the Stampede today and throughout history, including but not limited to the diverse corporate teams behind the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, women in barrel racing and agricultural life, and the violent colonialism perpetrated against Indigenous peoples throughout history.
Active Cowboy, Passive Spectators
The ad featured the white, male, able-bodied cowboy as the central character, and it can be inferred that he is the "Champion" referred to in the title of the clip. Five other characters briefly appear - a young black man putting on a t-shirt, a young white woman shown putting on bracelets and mascara, an older white man tying his bolo tie, a young white man with tattoos on his arms wrapping bracelets on his wrists, and a young Asian girl putting on her bright red boots and cowboy hat.
The clip begins with cowboy retrieving his bag of supplies from his locker, preparing to compete in the rodeo. He is preparing himself to go into the arena to ride, to fight, to conquer - we don't know what exactly but we know that he is getting ready to do something. The other characters appear to be preparing themselves to be spectators at the Stampede. This exhibits the contrast between the cowboy's preparedness to actively become the champion of his competition and the other characters' intention to attend Stampede festivities as spectators.
While the secondary characters consist of two characters of visible minority groups, one elderly character, one child, and one woman, their actions and presence in the mirrors suggests that they are separate from the central cowboy, who is presented as "the" champion. They secondary characters are quite literally brief reflections.
The ad featured the white, male, able-bodied cowboy as the central character, and it can be inferred that he is the "Champion" referred to in the title of the clip. Five other characters briefly appear - a young black man putting on a t-shirt, a young white woman shown putting on bracelets and mascara, an older white man tying his bolo tie, a young white man with tattoos on his arms wrapping bracelets on his wrists, and a young Asian girl putting on her bright red boots and cowboy hat.
The clip begins with cowboy retrieving his bag of supplies from his locker, preparing to compete in the rodeo. He is preparing himself to go into the arena to ride, to fight, to conquer - we don't know what exactly but we know that he is getting ready to do something. The other characters appear to be preparing themselves to be spectators at the Stampede. This exhibits the contrast between the cowboy's preparedness to actively become the champion of his competition and the other characters' intention to attend Stampede festivities as spectators.
While the secondary characters consist of two characters of visible minority groups, one elderly character, one child, and one woman, their actions and presence in the mirrors suggests that they are separate from the central cowboy, who is presented as "the" champion. They secondary characters are quite literally brief reflections.
Representation of Women
The ad features one white adult woman whose face is shown. There is also a young girl of Asian heritage. This will focus on the contrast between the cowboy and the white adult woman.
There is a visual comparison between the cowboy and woman as they get dressed.
The cowboy wraps his wrist in sports tape; the woman dons metallic bracelets.
The cowboy wears full length jeans and a long-sleeved shirts; the woman wears Daisy Duke shorts and a tied up shirt.
The cowboy puts on spurs; the young Asian girl puts on decorative bright red cowboy boots.
The cowboy paints war paint onto his face; the woman applies mascara.
Once dressed, the cowboy has a race number on his back and appears to be ready to enter the arena. The woman is dressed to simply attend Stampede festivities. We have no issues with the way that the woman was dressed - I personally love wearing short-shorts and jewelry in the summer because it's hot in Calgary!
The issue here is not the way that the featured woman was dressed, but the fact that for a clip meant to be about Stampede "Champions," the creators of this clip chose to feature only a woman spectator in appropriated western attire instead of a woman athlete preparing to compete in a Barrel Racing competition. According to the National Barrel Horse Association of Canada, barrel racers are required to wear "a long-sleeved Western shirt with collar or Western motif. Shirt sleeves must be rolled down and buttoned or snapped. Shirt tails must be tucked in." By this measure, the woman shown in the 2015 ad was not presented as a barrel racer.
With this limited portrayal of women, Emily noted that this erased women's contribution to the Stampede as pioneers, ranchers and competitors themselves. The only image of an adult woman was the young, beautiful, blonde woman. While there was an older man featured, there was no corresponding older woman, failing to capture the contributions of mature women in agricultural life and to the Stampede culture locally and internationally.
These representations of women are meaningful because they feed into the Old Wild West stereotypical yet romantic image of the stoic and rugged cowboy at the rodeo with no female equivalent.
The issue here is not the way that the featured woman was dressed, but the fact that for a clip meant to be about Stampede "Champions," the creators of this clip chose to feature only a woman spectator in appropriated western attire instead of a woman athlete preparing to compete in a Barrel Racing competition. According to the National Barrel Horse Association of Canada, barrel racers are required to wear "a long-sleeved Western shirt with collar or Western motif. Shirt sleeves must be rolled down and buttoned or snapped. Shirt tails must be tucked in." By this measure, the woman shown in the 2015 ad was not presented as a barrel racer.
With this limited portrayal of women, Emily noted that this erased women's contribution to the Stampede as pioneers, ranchers and competitors themselves. The only image of an adult woman was the young, beautiful, blonde woman. While there was an older man featured, there was no corresponding older woman, failing to capture the contributions of mature women in agricultural life and to the Stampede culture locally and internationally.
These representations of women are meaningful because they feed into the Old Wild West stereotypical yet romantic image of the stoic and rugged cowboy at the rodeo with no female equivalent.
Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples
Calgary is located on Treaty 7 territory, an agreement made in 1877 that allows non-Aboriginals to live on these traditional lands as guests. The Calgary Stampede presents itself as a celebration of our agricultural history and connection to the land, but the ad had not one image or reference to the Blackfoot or Cree Indigenous peoples of this region.
While there is a celebrated Indian Village located on the Stampede grounds and many Indigenous peoples participate in the annual Stampede kick-off parade, Hilary noted that the absence of Indigenous representation in the ad ignored the important role and history that Indigenous peoples and their culture have had in the development of the Stampede over the last century, since the inaugural iteration of the Stampede in 1912.
The exclusion of Indigenous peoples from this ad is only part of the greater systematic oppression and erasure that their cultures and societies have faced since the arrival of colonists. [3] The Calgary Stampede has had a history of depicting and featuring Indigenous peoples only when it benefited settler economic interests, and actively ignoring the Stampede's role in the colonization of Indigenous peoples of Southern Alberta. In 1993, Marilyn Burgess exposed the Calgary Stampede as purporting a false historical narrative of Southern Alberta that blindly ignored the pre-existing Blackfoot and Cree societies, centuries prior to the arrival of colonists. Burgess explains that the origin stories at the Stampede presented Aboriginal history as a distant and removed past, whereas the present was marked by modern white settlement. [4]
The exclusion of Indigenous peoples from the ad, save for the elderly man's bolo tie (which happens to be culturally appropriated dress from the Navajo, Hopi, and Zumi [5]), is just one part of a greater inter-generational systematic problem of oppression and invisibility.
Calgary is located on Treaty 7 territory, an agreement made in 1877 that allows non-Aboriginals to live on these traditional lands as guests. The Calgary Stampede presents itself as a celebration of our agricultural history and connection to the land, but the ad had not one image or reference to the Blackfoot or Cree Indigenous peoples of this region.
While there is a celebrated Indian Village located on the Stampede grounds and many Indigenous peoples participate in the annual Stampede kick-off parade, Hilary noted that the absence of Indigenous representation in the ad ignored the important role and history that Indigenous peoples and their culture have had in the development of the Stampede over the last century, since the inaugural iteration of the Stampede in 1912.
The exclusion of Indigenous peoples from this ad is only part of the greater systematic oppression and erasure that their cultures and societies have faced since the arrival of colonists. [3] The Calgary Stampede has had a history of depicting and featuring Indigenous peoples only when it benefited settler economic interests, and actively ignoring the Stampede's role in the colonization of Indigenous peoples of Southern Alberta. In 1993, Marilyn Burgess exposed the Calgary Stampede as purporting a false historical narrative of Southern Alberta that blindly ignored the pre-existing Blackfoot and Cree societies, centuries prior to the arrival of colonists. Burgess explains that the origin stories at the Stampede presented Aboriginal history as a distant and removed past, whereas the present was marked by modern white settlement. [4]
The exclusion of Indigenous peoples from the ad, save for the elderly man's bolo tie (which happens to be culturally appropriated dress from the Navajo, Hopi, and Zumi [5]), is just one part of a greater inter-generational systematic problem of oppression and invisibility.
Images originally posted on the Calgary Stampede website here.
The Calgary Stampede belongs to all Calgarians
We look forward to the Stampede each year and when I walk through the gates each year, the people I see around me look a lot more like those of all sizes, ages, cultures, and attire featured in the 2014 Calgary Stampede ad below.
No piece of media is perfect. Media is created by individuals with biases and perceptions. But every piece of media is subject to feedback. The purpose of my friends and I appearing in that Global TV clip and this written critique is to bring attention to the very real socio-cultural implications of media imagery and representation. We hope that this inspires discourse on stereotypes, gender, and diversity in media; and encourages increased fair visibility and presentation of Indigenous peoples, women, disabled, minorities, and other marginalized groups in future Stampede ads.
We look forward to the Stampede each year and when I walk through the gates each year, the people I see around me look a lot more like those of all sizes, ages, cultures, and attire featured in the 2014 Calgary Stampede ad below.
No piece of media is perfect. Media is created by individuals with biases and perceptions. But every piece of media is subject to feedback. The purpose of my friends and I appearing in that Global TV clip and this written critique is to bring attention to the very real socio-cultural implications of media imagery and representation. We hope that this inspires discourse on stereotypes, gender, and diversity in media; and encourages increased fair visibility and presentation of Indigenous peoples, women, disabled, minorities, and other marginalized groups in future Stampede ads.
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted, all photos included are screen captures taken from the 2015 Calgary Stampede ad, Champions Buckle Up.
Notes
[1] Gerbner, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N. (1986). "Living with television: The dynamics of the cultivation process" in J. Bryant & D. Zillman (Eds.),Perspectives on media effects (pp. 17–40). Hilldale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[2]Scharrer, E. (2012). "Television and gender roles: Cultivating conceptions of self and others" in M. Morgan, J. Shanahan, & N. Signorielli (Eds.), Living with television now: Advances in cultivation theory and research (pp. 81-100). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
[3] McFayden, Krista. (2012). An Aboriginal Perspective on Canada's Human Rights 'Culture'. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, 4(1), 27-42. Available online here.
[4] Burgess, Marilyn (1993) Canadian “Range Wars”: Struggles over Indian Cowboys, Canadian Journal of Communication 18: 351–64.
[5] Greer, Rebecca W. (2014) "Bolo Tie" in Lynch, Annette, & Strauss, Mitchell D. (Eds.), Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopaedia (pp. 41-43). Lanham,MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Notes
[1] Gerbner, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N. (1986). "Living with television: The dynamics of the cultivation process" in J. Bryant & D. Zillman (Eds.),Perspectives on media effects (pp. 17–40). Hilldale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[2]Scharrer, E. (2012). "Television and gender roles: Cultivating conceptions of self and others" in M. Morgan, J. Shanahan, & N. Signorielli (Eds.), Living with television now: Advances in cultivation theory and research (pp. 81-100). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
[3] McFayden, Krista. (2012). An Aboriginal Perspective on Canada's Human Rights 'Culture'. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, 4(1), 27-42. Available online here.
[4] Burgess, Marilyn (1993) Canadian “Range Wars”: Struggles over Indian Cowboys, Canadian Journal of Communication 18: 351–64.
[5] Greer, Rebecca W. (2014) "Bolo Tie" in Lynch, Annette, & Strauss, Mitchell D. (Eds.), Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopaedia (pp. 41-43). Lanham,MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.