The aim of this essay is to make clear the factors which defermine how we interpret advertisment in Swedish weekly magazines. We also want examine how men and women are portrayed in advertisements. Previos research has shown that women are often portrayed in the private sphere i.e the home, where they are used for promoting hygiene products. These women are often passive and introvert. Men in advertisment, are however portrayed as active and can often be seen in the public sphere. There has been a change during the 1980´s, though when men have seen in more feminine way. The main part of the essay consists of a thourough examination of published matrial. One chapter is dedicated to the mirror hypothesis. In short, this hypothesis deals with the thought that one can see advertisement from different perspectives. One perspective is that advertisments mirror our society and the views within it. The other perspective is that advertising taken on a passive roll in socity. We belive though, that these two perspectives can not be separated. Advertising and socity are woven together into a whole and one part always affects the other. The essay is finished with an analysis af advertisment in weekly magazines from 1999. The aim of this was to find exampels of earlier research. The result of our research is that we firmly believe that traditional gender roles still prevail in advertising.