This video, produced by the European Commission in 2012, was part of a campaign to get young women interested in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Although the campaign might have been well-intentioned, the video stirred plenty of controversy due to its portrayal of women in science. It was quickly taken off the European Commission’s website.

discussion

Who do you think this ad is targeting? Who is its intended audience? What is the goal of the ad?

How would you describe the women appearing in the ad? Consider both visual and audio cues. Do you think these images are representative of female scientists? How do they compare to images of women in other media (TV, movies, magazines, ads, etc)?

What was controversial about this ad? Why did the European Commission remove it from its website?