In 1974, this exceptionally sexist ad by Weyenberg Shoes was run in Playboy magazine. It shows a naked woman on the floor, beautifully styled with makeup and adorned with nail polish and a giant ring, with a caption above her head that reads, “Keep her where she belongs…” The image and text imply that if men bought the right footwear (in this case, Weyenberg’s Massagic Shoes), women will be so captivated that they will stay where they belong—on the floor, or more accurately, at men’s feet.
Stinking with sexism, the naked woman is not only viewed as a sex symbol, but her position on the floor also displays men’s superiority and dominance over women. The ad also portrayed women as terribly shallow and naïve that they wouldn’t mind lazing on the floor, where men can walk all over them, just to gaze at shoes.
Another version of which was reprinted in the No Comment section of Ms., December 1974:
Furthermore, the advertisement implied that women are so vapid and naive that they would lie on the floor and let men walk all over them as they look at shoes. Women will be so enthralled that they will remain where they belong: at men's feet.
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