Maybe it's because we project ourselves into the things we write and the characters we create. And I'm a He.
Fine, right?
It would be if 50% of creatives were women. But this is an industry dominated by men (only 11% of Creative Directors are women).
Women are also severely outnumbered when it comes to Directors, Editors, and Sound Designers.
This is why nobody else noticed this pattern in my work or the work of my peers.
And maybe it's why it's still being missed by many today. Because when I watch ads or listen to ads on the radio, not much has changed.
He is also the default pronoun for many things beyond advertising. Since I became a GirlDad, I've been noticing this everywhere and it's horrifying—
On our Summer vacation, when anyone in our group spotted a crab at the beach, "Aw, he's so cute." Or a seal in the distance, "Aww...look at him." When I read bedtime stories to my 3-year-old daughter, most of the hero characters from ogres to unicorns, are He. And it doesn't seem to matter if the books are written by male or female authors. When my daughter brings her favourite stuffed animal out of the house she's been asked by her Grandpa, her Grandma and several others, "What's his name?" My wife, daughter and I are all quick to scream, "HER! HER! What's HER name, you MF'r!!!" Her name is Spotty by the way. When my son or daughter and I play with their toys, whether I'm referring to a dinosaur, a dog or, a car, my default pronoun is He or Him. I correct myself when I catch myself. About a year ago I caught myself making this same mistake with the GIFs I share in this newsletter and my presentations. It's easy to see why. Pay attention to the search results. You have to dig a bit more to find GIFs that feature women. But the extra effort is worth it.
Working in advertising, it's easy to question our contribution to the world but just by adding a single letter to our scripts at least 50% of the time, we can go to sleep knowing we've made a little difference.
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