Gender Stereotypes and Counter-Stereotypical Portrayals in Contemporary Bangladeshi Television Commercials: A Pilot Study

Television commercials do more than promote products; they also circulate familiar ideas about femininity, masculinity, family responsibility, authority, appearance, and appropriate social behaviour. This pilot study examines stereotypical and counter-stereotypical gender portrayals in contemporary Bangladeshi television commercials released between 1 January 2021 and 25 December 2025. A structured coding framework was developed to examine central-character gender, setting, occupational and domestic roles, caregiving, decision-making authority, product expertise, autonomy, appearance emphasis, voice-over gender, and counter-stereotypical behaviour. Twelve television commercials were selected across six product categories for pilot coding. Eight could be assigned a defensible overall portrayal category from the available audiovisual and narrative evidence: three were relatively gender-neutral, two stereotypical, two mixed, and one counter-stereotypical; four remained unclear and were not forced into a category. The findings indicate coexistence rather than a straightforward shift from traditional to progressive representation. Beauty and family-centred narratives continue to reproduce conventional gender cues, while other commercials normalize men in feminized product categories, redistribute some domestic responsibilities, or frame girls and women through confidence and knowledge. Mixed portrayals are particularly important because one commercial may challenge a stereotype in one dimension while retaining it in another. The study demonstrates the value of behaviour-based coding and provides a cautious foundation for a larger reliability-tested analysis of gender representation in Bangladeshi television commercials.