'Why is the mother portrayed as weak?' Australian bank is slammed for its 'sexist' ad featuring a 'struggling' single mother

Must not mention that being a single mother is difficult

A Westpac advertising campaign has come under fire by online critics who have labelled it sexist for its portrayal of a family in the midst of separation.

The ad, which was released last month as part of the company's 'help' series, is intended to advertise a source of support for families going through a split.

The commercial features a storyline from the point of view of a young boy as his parents go through a divorce.

The video shows the mother, a black woman, struggling with her separation looking downcast and relying on her son for support.

The young boy is seen being protective of his mum, helping her out with household duties, reading her a bedtime story, and at one point even shading her from the sun at the beach. 

The tune of the advert changes, however, when the boy's father comes into the picture and he is seen as the supportive figure for his son, reassuring him.

The seemingly poignant ad then concludes with a line from Westpac saying: 'If you're separating, there's help.' 

But critics have claimed the message behind the ad is sexist by portraying the mum as helpless while also 'reinforcing' negative stereotyping of black families.  

'Why does the ad show the little boy taking care of his mother - putting up fairy lights for her, shading her on the beach, catching a spider for her (he becomes 'the man of the house') - but the little boy doesn't have to look after the dad. Shameful stereotyping. This ad rates F for FAIL,' one user said in a Facebook comment.

The comment was met with support from another user who replied: 'Absolutely agree with what you've just said. Why is the mother portrayed as weak, requiring the son to care for her yet the father is portrayed as the carer. Fail Westpac Fail.'

SOURCE