This 2009 commercial for the Droid cell phone positions itself in opposition to the major competitor, the I-Phone. It argues that the Droid is “not a princess – it’s a robot”, and that it “trades hair-do for can-do.”

discussion

Do different types of phones have different genders? Where do these ideas about the gender of technology come from? What analogies does this Droid commercial make as a way to associate their product with masculinity?

critique

This ad might be critiqued for denigrating women’s use of technology as somehow less productive and useful than men’s use of technology. There is a long history of women being seen as less equipped to handle technology, and this advertisement perpetuates that unfounded assertion.