Not that it’s a regular feature of this blog or something. But today two tweets by friends of mine pointed out separate instances of sexist marketing.
First, the stupid: Dell has created “Della,” a laptop that is also a fashion accessory. As a Mac user, I understand wanting a stylish piece of computing hardware; and I can see the appeal of turning a laptop into a handbag. But this is just plain condescending.
Link courtesy of LJonte.
And then, the overwhelming. Kip Manley tweeted merely “NO” in response to this eye-stabbing symphony of pink Scrabble games, Ouija boards, and others.
Really? After nearly a hundred years and several generations of girls and boys playing these games together — often with their parents, mom and/or dad — do the game-makers really need to resort to such desperate measures to get female customers? Do they think girls are that stupid? Or are they just aiming at that narrow demographic of stupid girls who eat this shit up? Like the young women on The Hills or something.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Alexander Danner // May 16, 2009 at 8:05 am
Scrabble for girls? That’s crazy talk. Everyone knows girls don’t like *words*. Words are way to masculine. Girls should stick to girly things, like math and science.
2 Sarah // May 16, 2009 at 10:56 am
You know, the concept of a lipstick red, or even a pink, laptop is appealing – I’m girlie that way. But when they try to sell it to me because I’m a girl, well that’s just dumb.
Also, one cannot open the doors of the supernatural with pepto-pink-plastic. It just doesn’t have the appropriate gravitas.
3 Kevin Moore // May 16, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Yeah, that’s the thing. Macs have been coming out in many colors for years – and I have a burgundy plastic protector on my laptop that is pretty snazzy. Accessorizing, personalizing, all well and good. There are certain styles that will appeal more to women than men, and vice-versa. But calling a laptop “Della” and emphasizing the counting of calories — WTF?
4 christopher baldwin // May 16, 2009 at 10:37 pm
I don’t know, Kevin. I’d say the majority of the world still lives by gender roles, ESPECIALLY when you leave the US. Do I find it to be a relatively pointless designation (gender)? Sure. But if most people still live by it, it seems effective to market by it.
5 Kevin Moore // May 16, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I think these products are aimed mostly at an American audience, although I am sure Canada and the UK are targets, too. I am not against gender expression, which comes in so many varieties, actually, but marketing at this level reenforces longstanding stereotypes that tend to obscure, if not obliterate other possibilities. Here I think the emphasis is so condescending and limiting.
6 christopher baldwin // May 16, 2009 at 11:49 pm
point.
7 Kevin Moore // May 16, 2009 at 11:52 pm
counterpoint.
8 Rojo // May 17, 2009 at 6:42 am
My sister, the professed feminist, was displeased with me when I bought my niece a toy drum set. “Hey,” I said, “I’m just trying to explode gender stereotypes!” Her displeasure increased. Whaddayagonnado?
P.S. You screwed up the della link, it links to the pink board games.
9 Kevin Moore // May 17, 2009 at 6:55 am
Dang it! Thanks for pointing that out. I hate it when I do that. Here’s a lesson: Don’t blog when a 5-year-old is yelling at you.
Your sister should lighten up and bring the drum set to your place. You could give your niece lessons!
10 Rojo // May 17, 2009 at 6:58 am
P.P.S. While googling around about the “Della,” I repeatedly came across the image found here: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-dells-della-a-computer-for-women/
Which leads me to ask, why do people of color in corporate advertising always seem to be the whitest people of color that can be found? (And I can’t find a better way to phrase that at the moment, I think my point is understandable).
And, on a completely unrelated tangent, I’m listening to Gang of Four’s 1979 debut album Entertainment for the very first time right now and it is now highly Rojo-recommended.
11 Rojo // May 17, 2009 at 7:04 am
Sis lives in D.C., so I don’t think she’s gonna haul the drum set all the way to Portland, but the niece (together with the nephew) are enough of a handful on their own that I think she manages to get her revenge anyway. In fact, she encourages them to do to me on X-mas morn what she and I used to to my poor uncle back when we were kids. That is, wake Uncle Rob up at 7 in the morning and harass him to finish his coffee lickety-split so that they can open up their presents. Uncle Rob gets his passive-aggressive revenge by sitting in a corner and muttering about capitalist consumerism, which they happily ignore.
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