traditions or stereotypes?

So I was reading "Representations of Women In World Media" and it really got me thinking on a couple different important issues regarding women. For one as much as I may think women in America today lead the example of what it means to live in an egalitarian society, the reality is in some ways  we really don't. Yes, we have come VERY far in equal rights and having a vote and really taking lead on some very powerful positions in Government. But we still have not been able to move past the "role"of a woman in society. As the chapter in World Media discusses, there are still many biases that are in my opinion brushed under the rug or possibly ignored for the sake of traditional purposes. One example came to mind while reading, was commercials for laundry detergent. I can never remember watching a commercial that was advertising a new product with a man demonstrating the success of a particular detergent or any household good for that matter. It seems always a woman is representing the product. Now when it comes to promoting a good auto shop to take a car for an oil change whether in be AutoZone or Ford, it is ironic that it is generally a man that represents that company or product. Which tells me that, yes women have come along way in having their voice and opinion acknowledged and respected, but we have yet to move past traditional stereotypes of women.