Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad

[Merkavar]

i dont see the problem with this ad?

it uses british slang, saying someone is cheap is saying they're a whore, and as such has an intentional double meaning that was bound to cause offence

i know what cheap means

but they arent saying anything about the girlfriend. they are just saying that compared to the girlfriend the game is cheap. not that the girlfriend is cheap. i just dont like when people cause isssues with stuff cause they read into it too much.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad
"It is pretty openly sexist - girls being cheap, obviously, but it's also pandering to the old stereotype that gamers are guys," she continued. "And of course any discrimination is banned by Game's own employee regulations, so I don't see why the company itself should be able to get away with it."
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Wait...

"It is pretty openly sexist - girls being cheap, obviously, but it's also pandering to the old stereotype that gamers are guys,"

Am I really seeing that?

"girls being cheap, obviously"

Well SOMEONE obviously missed the point.
Anyway, I'm inclined to agree with it: girls are expensive. Games still manage to be cheaper than the demands of the average girlfriend. And I'd say: yeah, go for the game.

And what do you mean that "gamer" isn't still a predominantly male demographic?

 

[Dr. Crawver]

i dont see the problem with this ad?

it uses british slang, saying someone is cheap is saying they're a whore, and as such has an intentional double meaning that was bound to cause offence

i know what cheap means

but they arent saying anything about the girlfriend. they are just saying that compared to the girlfriend the game is cheap. not that the girlfriend is cheap. i just dont like when people cause isssues with stuff cause they read into it too much.

I can't blame you due to your nationality for not understanding it, but it's a very strong meaning here, almost any brit would know it has 2 meanings (I honestly had to think before I saw the price comparison one, it truely is that ingrained into us), it's nieve to think otherwise

 

[blobby218]

siggh, today almost anything's sexist.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Ah Gamestation, your marketing so often manages to be backward and juvenile, trying to drag us all back into some rather embarrassing dark age of gaming we'd rather leave behind.

This reminds me of a Gamestation brochure, in which a speech bubble coming out of the mouth of a grinning nutjob of an employee claimed that he played the game "until his eyes bled". Really, did you? Is that even possible? And if so, how long did it take?

Also, for those saying that the employee missed the point of the ad. Well, you could say the ad was stating that Black Ops is cheaper than having to spend money on a girlfriend, but really, that would just be naive. It's blindingly obvious what they are trying to get at with this ad. I personally wouldn't give them the benefit of the doubt.

Also, Gamestation stores are a bit scruffy and, thanks to the type of gamers they attract, often incredibly smelly.

hi five for actually understanding the demographic it's aimed at

Hahaha. all so true I shall add to that high five in a kind of triangular arrangement.

 

[thepicle]

people need to grow the hell up.

This is just sad

 

[Korne]

Oh so the minute a woman gets offended by somthing its her being an attention whore? :/ Sorry that excuse is kind of wearing thin. It suggests that women aren't welcome to be a part of the gaming industry and even the guy defending it has confirmed that 'women are the minority so we can treat them how we want.' That seems sexist to me.

I'm not saying it because she is a woman... I would say the same think if it was effecting a man that is being a bit oversensitive over a harmless joke. And you are twisting words (both mine and the guy's).

 

[Moffman]

TBH I can see how the employee got annoyed by it, but I do think it is meant to be tongue in cheek. It's kinda like a "your mum" on a poster,sure it's a mean thing to say but the company are not standing by the statement as a fact... Was tired when writing this so hope it makes sense

 

[OutforEC]

i dont see the problem with this ad?

it uses british slang, saying someone is cheap is saying they're a whore, and as such has an intentional double meaning that was bound to cause offence

Interesting view on the topic. Of course, a cursory glance at your avatar could be misinterpreted as someone in blackface, a racist caricature of African-Americans. Would you be able to defend your own interpretation of your avatar yet still be able to turn around and decry someone else's interpretation of this ad? I wonder...

well, seeing as I am black myself, I'm hardly going out of my way to put down a separate race to my own (Nigerian decendance if you're curious), so yes, I think I can thank you very much

Because obviously nobody EVER denigrated their own ethnic group before? There are few instances that I can think of where disparaging and offensive stereotyping of a group of people is justified.

Oh, how easy it is to take offense at even the slightest misconception, and if you can't see the simliarities between your offense and my (feigned) offense, I guess we'll just have to disagree.

 

[blobby218]

I'm all against any kind of discrimination... but seriously, the girl needs to get over. That would like me getting mad if a movie had the slogan, "Edward is better than your boyfriend" and me getting offended by it because I like movies. And it's a joke anyway.

She has a point though if she was sexually discrimatory towards a man in her job she would be fired so why is the advertisment section allowed. Double standards ftl.

I don't really think this is discriminatory towards women. It just sounds like someone getting mad so they can get attention.

Oh so the minute a woman gets offended by somthing its her being an attention whore? :/ Sorry that excuse is kind of wearing thin. It suggests that women aren't welcome to be a part of the gaming industry and even the guy defending it has confirmed that 'women are the minority so we can treat them how we want.' That seems sexist to me.

this is not what he's trying to say, besides women can have girlfriends, its a joke and not ment to be taken seriously. yo're looking too much into this.

 

[Dr. Crawver]

Oh so the minute a woman gets offended by somthing its her being an attention whore? :/ Sorry that excuse is kind of wearing thin. It suggests that women aren't welcome to be a part of the gaming industry and even the guy defending it has confirmed that 'women are the minority so we can treat them how we want.' That seems sexist to me.

I'm not saying it because she is a woman... I would say the same think if it was effecting a man that is being a bit oversensitive over a harmless joke. And you are twisting words (both mine and the guy's).

I think, while liberal with her inturpratation, it's perfectly valid, it is a sexist ad, and uses powerful slang to it's advantage. She wasn't doing it for attention, she was doing it as she was offended. I'm offended by it, and I don't even have ovaries

 

[Moffman]

or at least I hope they don't stand by the statement as a fact...

 

[4173]

The problem isn't whether women are cheap or expensive, it's that women have a price at all. (or men)

It really hinges on how one views dating relationships. If everything is about having a permanent partnership, then implying a person can be bought is somewhat offensive. But if a relationship is about having a good time, then clearly price is important.

Personally, I'll give the store the benefit of the doubt that they intended the second interpretation.

I personally feel you can't do that. They know what they are saying, they would have thought about their adds, the don't do them off the cuff, and they knew it could mean the former, and as such they should be chastised for it

Yeah, I was just talking about my personal speculations. That's completely separate from whether or not it is a good business decision.

 

[MorphingDragon]

The stupidest ad I've seen since "Dead Space 2 your mother hates it".
Good job Gamestation...

Nah, its clever and witty. Your mum hates it is just stooopid.

 

[Dr. Crawver]

i dont see the problem with this ad?

it uses british slang, saying someone is cheap is saying they're a whore, and as such has an intentional double meaning that was bound to cause offence

Interesting view on the topic. Of course, a cursory glance at your avatar could be misinterpreted as someone in blackface, a racist caricature of African-Americans. Would you be able to defend your own interpretation of your avatar yet still be able to turn around and decry someone else's interpretation of this ad? I wonder...

well, seeing as I am black myself, I'm hardly going out of my way to put down a separate race to my own (Nigerian decendance if you're curious), so yes, I think I can thank you very much

Because obviously nobody EVER denigrated their own ethnic group before? There are few instances that I can think of where disparaging and offensive stereotyping of a group of people is justified.

Oh, how easy it is to take offense at even the slightest misconception, and if you can't see the simliarities between your offense and my (feigned) offense, I guess we'll just have to disagree.

by using what would be used as offensive material by those of a different ethnic group as a joke for your own, you remove the sting from it, reduce it to a joke. Why do you think many african americans call eachother "******" now? They worked out by doing it, it takes away a powerful tool away from their oppressors

 

[city cider]

she has a good point and has a right to be offended, and has taken all of this very well. Good work to both sides for being mature about such an immature (but awesome) marketing tactic.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

'the Gamestation brand reflects its customer base which is still predominantly the traditional core male gamer'

In other words we don't care if we offend women becuase we will get our pennies anyway.

Nice. >_>

 

[Korne]

Oh so the minute a woman gets offended by somthing its her being an attention whore? :/ Sorry that excuse is kind of wearing thin. It suggests that women aren't welcome to be a part of the gaming industry and even the guy defending it has confirmed that 'women are the minority so we can treat them how we want.' That seems sexist to me.

I'm not saying it because she is a woman... I would say the same think if it was effecting a man that is being a bit oversensitive over a harmless joke. And you are twisting words (both mine and the guy's).

I think, while liberal with her inturpratation, it's perfectly valid, it is a sexist ad, and uses powerful slang to it's advantage. She wasn't doing it for attention, she was doing it as she was offended. I'm offended by it, and I don't even have ovaries

I like to compare it to the old advertisement for Daikatana that said, "John Romero's about to make you his *****." That advertisement also sparked activists, which besides the use of the word '*****', should not be thought of as offensive. Who see's this and honestly feels worse about themselves?

 

[Venereus]

'the Gamestation brand reflects its customer base which is still predominantly the traditional core male gamer'

In other words we don't care if we offend women becuase we will get our pennies anyway.

Nice. >_>

Strawoman argument!

 

[Dr. Crawver]

'the Gamestation brand reflects its customer base which is still predominantly the traditional core male gamer'

In other words we don't care if we offend women becuase we will get our pennies anyway.

Nice. >_>

worryingly true. How we can move forward as a medium with things like this, I don't know