In the discourse of gendered body wash ads, many emphatic claims are made about the differences between men and women, some explicit and some implicit. Among the more obvious are that men are (or should want to be) powerful, which means distancing themselves from similarity to women while affirming dominance, influence, and control over others, especially women. Meanwhile, women should be concerned with making themselves healthy, luxuriating in soft things, and making themselves appealing for consumption (delicious, sexy, and comparable to fruit).

Whenever the waistlines and below of human figures are shown, masculine-coded figures wear towels or pants. Feminine-coded figures do not. For women, it is okay for the upper thighs and lower back to be visible. For men, it is not. Whenever the area between the neckline and the waistline are shown, feminine-coded figures fold inward in order to cover their chests, while masculine-coded figures display their nipples in an open and confident stance, with pride

For women, using body wash is supposed to be an inherently pleasurable and enjoyable experience. Men are just supposed to get it over with, and require external motivations in oder to get clean.

Women's self-care presented in a nurturing and caretaking light -- taking vitamins, taking care of their skin, taking care of their bodies, being gentle and happy and showing considerate regard. For men, the same activities are discussed in terms of a battle against oppositional forces, with dry skin and unclenliness being an enemy to fight and guard against.

These differences don't just highlight their own absurdity, but are significant for practical reasons. This construction of masculinity as dominance-oriented, invariably tough, controlling, powerful, and violent, is what is often termed hegemonic masculinity, and in a study of alcohol advertisements, it was found that "messages that promote a hegemonic masculinity associated with traditional or macho male values that marginalize or objectify women and others are problematic for the prevention of domestic violence" (Towns 398). Discourses which instruct men on manhood in this way are dangerous in the ideologies they unabashedly and uncritically promote. Likewise, women's body wash ads contribute to circulating discourses that prioritize women's beauty, sex appeal, and consumability. One of the features of women's ads are that women are covered in food, their products displayed in conjunction with food, and the viewers encouraged to make themselves delicious like food. This type of appeal literally never appears in ads targeted at men.

And if that doesn't creep you out a little, then I don't know what to tell you.

Towns, Alison J., Christy Parker, and Phillip Chase. "Constructions Of Masculinity In Alcohol Advertising: Implications For The Prevention Of Domestic Violence." Addiction Research & Theory 20.5 (2012): 389-401. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.