Dominant
Using these three different ads, we are showing the most common dominant traits the media portrays of identical twins.
First start off with a trope that’s been around for four decades at least with the ghost twin daughters from The Shining. After some brief research into the Grady Twins, there was a theory that even suggested that the Grady Twins shown, aren’t even twins. It’s one of the daughters mirrored. A link will be provided in the citation to be explained more, but it just adds to the fact that twins are seen as mirrors to the other.
The ad that I picked for this is a Halo’s ad. It shows a room full of creepy looking dolls with the same porcelain face. Then shows a young girl nervous by the room and the two twins in front of her. The two twins give an ominous mention with a suspicious smile. The young girl promptly leaves and drives away from the two synchronizing their wave goodbye. This dominant representation of this is that they’re too identical. The girls look and say the exact same thing at the same time. This comes off as eerie and frightening as they shouldn’t have that kind of connection.
Wonderful Halos (2016)
Creepy Twin Trope
Aviation Gin (2018)
Evil Twin Trope
Crude Language involved
This ad is a humorous sequel from a GQ video a year before. It shows Ryan Reynolds sitting down with his “twin”, Gordon. Gordon throughout the entire video patronizes Ryan and does it in the roasting Reynolds way. The video mentions Deadpool 2, Father’s Day, and mainly Aviation Gin. Admittedly it’s a great ad because it brings humor to these products and they barely talk about the products.
This ad shows a big trope of having an evil twin. This twin’s only purpose is to make the other’s life a nightmare. This trope is very common in soap operas so that they could keep using an actor and have more plot for a series. This ad is another example of showing twins as a set, this being the whole yin and yang dynamic where one represents good and the other evil. Often this trope shows how a good person can be seen as evil. Though they are opposite, they are still the same.
This banned ad is from 2002, it's apparently a parody song from Aaron Evanson and John Godsey. It’s a compilation of shots matched with the words of the song. Starts off with some country music and showing mud wrestling and football (obviously since this is NFL). An over the top look at Gena Lee, a beautiful actress. A casual party. Then! Not one beautiful woman, but that same woman twice! Twins! The music turns into that classic 2000’s punk rock and shots of partying, dogs, and twins are played faster and faster. It really gets the blood pumping. At the end of the commercial it says “Here to love songs.”
This a perfect example of toxic masculinity like mentioned on the side. The commercial is parodying love songs, and shows that men have to be tough and they need to love partying. This trope is completely about the Male Gaze. This is supposed to make the audience feel excited and desirable. Not only is there one very attractive woman that is interested in me, there’s another one that looks just like her. It’s supposed to make the viewer feel attractive and confident.