11-25-89 . . . One of the more disgusting advertisements on television these days shows a woman driving a car through a dark city street. It’s cold and windy and there is steam emanating from her car’s engine. The woman whines “Why is this happening to me?”, after which the announcer, a male, says “Jan Trumpeter is finding out about antifreeze”—or some such thing. The message, stripped of sexism, is that car engines can freeze up in cold weather, so consumers should take precautions. Naturally, the company hopes viewers will purchase its antifreeze as a result of viewing the ad. None of this is objectionable. What bothers me is that the ad seems directed at women in particular. It portrays them as weak, vulnerable, and naive about automobile maintenance. How many women, viewing the ad, will identify with poor Jan and run out, unnecessarily, to purchase the company’s product? In short, the ad appeals to fear, not prudence. It tries to scare women into buying something that they may not need. In logic, this is known as a fallacious emotional appeal to fear. The company is appealing to the emotional side of its viewers, not their rational, calculating side. Since women have traditionally been viewed as the more emotional of the two sexes, this is only natural. But it perpetuates a stereotype. For that reason I find it detestable. Women should resist such cynical sales tactics.
Hooray! My beloved Arizona Wildcats defeated archrival Arizona State [in football] by a score of 28 to 10—in Tempe, no less! I love it. That makes seven consecutive undefeated contests with the hated, despised Sun Devils. There have been six Wildcat victories and one tie in that period, which began in 1983. I used to think that the streak was due to my presence in Tucson, but now I’ve [sic; should be “I’m”] having my doubts. The Wildcats appear to be able to win without me.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 