Pantene Ad Kicks Gender Stereotypes' Ass

We never knew we'd find hope in a shampoo commercial, but find it we have. Pantene Philippines' newest ad takes on stereotypes about women in the workplace, illustrating the results of countless studies in a simple and effective way.

All of these stereotypes are evidence of what Sheryl Sandberg has dubbed the "likeability gap." While likability and power are positively correlated for men, for women they are actually negatively correlated. We see powerful women as bossy, pushy, and selfish, while powerful men are persuasive and dedicated.

Contrary to popular belief, sexism in the workplace isn't only perpetuated by men. In a recent study where men and women were asked to evaluate resumes, everyone consistently assigned female candidates lower starting salaries and lower competences. Those who believe we've actually achieved gender equality in the workplace need to listen up, because the evidence says otherwise.

Some people are commenting that while this ad is by Pantene Philippines, not many of the actors actually look Filipino — in fact, they all look pretty white. The absence of hair flipping and wavy strands is also sort of weird. Hair doesn't really play as big a part in this commercial as you might expect, but that doesn't stop it from being awesome.