How can gender roles hurt daughters? This heart-wrenching ad sums it up.
It's everyone's responsibility to #ShareTheLoad.
Does this family sound familiar?
Mom cooks dinner, does the laundry, and takes care of the kids' mess, often after a long day at the office...
GIF via Ariel/Facebook.
...while dad rests comfortably in his favorite spot on the sofa.
GIF via Ariel/Facebook.
For many of us, the answer is "yes" — it could be a snapshot of a typical Tuesday in our own homes. But, come to think of it ... how backward is it that this is the norm?
A new ad by an Indian laundry detergent company is drawing praise around the globe for sparking a much needed conversation about gender roles.
The ad by Ariel (which, fair warning, may necessitate a few dabs at the eyes) is narrated by an elderly father who's visiting his adult daughter and her family. Throughout the video, he's reflecting on how he raised her, and regretting some of his decisions — particularly when it comes to gender roles.
GIF via Ariel/Facebook.
GIF via Ariel/Facebook.
"Sorry on behalf of every dad who set the wrong example," the father continues in the ad, which you can watch below.
By the end of the video, you learn that the narration is actually a letter he wrote to his daughter, apologizing for his wrongdoing and promising to do better.
"I will make a conscious effort to help your mom with the household chores," the letter reads. "I may not become the king of the kitchen, but at least I can help out with the laundry. All these years I’ve been wrong. It’s time to set things right.”
The ad touches on an important topic that doesn't get addressed enough: how time poverty disproportionately affects women.
We tend to overlook the critical work that needs getting done in any society in order for life to move onward, like caring for children or preparing meals. Around the world, this unpaid work is, more often than not, done by women.
Image from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, used with permission.
The sexist double standard of time poverty — which affects women in the developing world far more than it does in North America or Europe — was a focal point of Bill and Melinda Gates' annual letter, released earlier this week.
"Unless things change, girls today will spend hundreds of thousands more hours than boys doing unpaid work simply because society assumes it’s their responsibility," Bill and Melinda wrote in the letter.
It's this injustice that's inspiring many to applaud Ariel for its ad, including Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.
"This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen – showing how stereotypes hurt all of us and are passed from generation to generation," she explained in a post.
It's time we stood up to the sexist double standards that hold women back.
And it can start by just watching a two-minute video. Check out Ariel's ad below.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."