I just found this sexist commercial for a chocolate bar that is marketed as "not for girls" via Northern Gaijin's blog:
It's obvious that the commercial will only appeal to a very small segment of population while many people of either gender will be put off the product for good. This is yet another example of how even in a fiercely capitalist society, ideology will always be more important than profit. This reminded me of a fascinating discussion in Susan Faludi's Backlash about how fashion designers in the 80ies chose to go bankrupt rather than accommodate the needs of their female customers. They disregarded a huge demand for business suits and business wear among women and kept trying to sell puffy, princessy dresses in spite of all evidence that nobody was going to buy them.
5 comments:
Maybe they wanted to fidelize some red neck machist segment of their clients. However, I don't think it's a good move, even in a business perspective
It's kind of an old add really I remember it being on when I was in school or college one of the two and thinking how stupid it was at the time. If my memory serves me rightly there was a fuss made at the time but the producers of the add claimed it was meant to be a comment based around the notion that there were products aimed specifically at women like soaps, ice cream etc and that they thought this was sexist, so why not have this product be aimed specifically at men and have an ad reflecting that. Someone should have told them you don't combat what you perceive as sexism with more sexism.
I left out the lists that are on the wrapper.
Top Ten Things Women Can’t Do
- Make a decision.
- Watch football without talking.
- Drive in a straight line.
- Use ten words when a hundred will do.
- Open a can unaided.
- Use a urinal.
- Own a pet spider.
- Speak on the phone for less than 15 minutes.
- Understand cricket.
- Buy a Yorkie.”
“Top Ten Reasons To Be A Bloke
- One mood – all the time.
- You can go to the bathroom by yourself.
- You get to buy gadgets.
- You don’t have to clean your flat before the cleaner comes.
- Mechanics don’t lie to you.
- You can change a plug.
- Grey hair adds to your sex appeal.
- The first thing you try on in a shop fits you.
- You can read maps.
- You get to eat a Yorkie.”
and they made a yorkie with a pink wrapper for women with the title " girls can you handle it."
Sweet Jesus on the cross. I had no idea anybody thought this could still work as a marketing strategy.
Have you seen their other commercials? Wow, just wow.
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