Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
Well, as others have pointed out: It doesn't say girlfriends are cheap, but expensive.
It's a stupid ad nonetheless.
It's a stupid ad nonetheless.
Who cares? Honestly?
If this was being targeted at girls with something like "Hotter than your man and he does what you say too!" nobody would bat a fucking eyelash. It's always offensive to make women the butt of jokes but nobody cares about it when it's a guy.
Even if that weren't the case, people need to lighten up. It's just a joke.
If this was being targeted at girls with something like "Hotter than your man and he does what you say too!" nobody would bat a fucking eyelash. It's always offensive to make women the butt of jokes but nobody cares about it when it's a guy.
Even if that weren't the case, people need to lighten up. It's just a joke.
why does absolutely no one seem to care that the ad is saying buying games from them is a better value than female companionship? so everyone here honestly believes that every ad claiming to have a lower price than a competitor is in praise of said expensive competitor?
im far from the most sensitive person, but good god people, way to prove gamestation's point that we're all shallow sexist morons.
im far from the most sensitive person, but good god people, way to prove gamestation's point that we're all shallow sexist morons.
Clever, good sir. (Really, you got me good with that one.)The Plunk said:It's not a stereotype if it's true, only 1% of gamers are female, as this picture shows:
Now, as someone part of the female-who-plays-video-games-that-aren't-just-The-Sims-or-Facebook-games demographic, the first impression I got from the ad was that it implied that your girlfriend is cheap, but Codblops is cheaper. And yes, as a girl, I know I can be expensive, but the ad kind of implies that the guy is better off shunting his girlfriend to play some video games. Of course, the company wants guys to come in and buy more games, but to the girlfriend side, it kind of feels like the company is telling me my presence isn't worth it to them. Even though I might possibly be just as game-savvy as my boyfriend and be the primary game buyer in the relationship. I just couldn't be arsed to make a fuss about the ad, either, because there is so little to go on and all I can do is make personal assumptions. There is tons of sexism in advertising and I get equally pissed off when every TV commercial on the Food Network is full of soccer moms packing lunches/cooking dinner for their kids. That's not my experience, seeing as both my parents worked full time and my dad was always the one picking me up from daycare and preparing my lunch and dinner. The girl should just chalk it up as gross over-generalization of their customers and move on.
The only Gamestaton ad I remember from a window was when they had a row of 'staff' pictures actual size in the windows pushing the preowned, (that is, models with gamestation shirts on), and while the guys were believably 'normal' looking, the women looked like they'd just got back from a Suicide Girls photoshoot (don't pretend I'm the only one who knows what that means!)
I always think it's a bit of a shame when you can't find some normal looking staff members, and if you can't find two female staff members in the whole country, then maybe you want to look at your recruiting
Of course, almost all advertising is done like this, guys can look normal, but even your standard 'cleaning the toilet' housewife has to have a touch of the MILF about her, even if you're pushing bleach.
Facts are tho, a new game is often cheaper than a single date. In the end, it's up to the ladies to make sure you're enjoyable to be with (No I don't mean putting out. However, acting like you just plain deserve to have us buy everything and that you're doing us a favour by showing up... just doesn't come across well, and may well send us back to Gamestation for the easier, more reliable option )
Oh and yes, to me it read as a very slightly amusing take on 'well, we won't put out, but we're cheaper than a date!', which is often true and fairly harmless really, there's far worse cases of sexism out there to get all stroppy about. I reckon the woman complaining was probably on the rag. (irony)
I always think it's a bit of a shame when you can't find some normal looking staff members, and if you can't find two female staff members in the whole country, then maybe you want to look at your recruiting
Of course, almost all advertising is done like this, guys can look normal, but even your standard 'cleaning the toilet' housewife has to have a touch of the MILF about her, even if you're pushing bleach.
Facts are tho, a new game is often cheaper than a single date. In the end, it's up to the ladies to make sure you're enjoyable to be with
(No I don't mean putting out. However, acting like you just plain deserve to have us buy everything and that you're doing us a favour by showing up... just doesn't come across well, and may well send us back to Gamestation for the easier, more reliable option )Oh and yes, to me it read as a very slightly amusing take on 'well, we won't put out, but we're cheaper than a date!', which is often true and fairly harmless really, there's far worse cases of sexism out there to get all stroppy about. I reckon the woman complaining was probably on the rag. (irony)
This could've been easily avoided if the ad had just said "Cheap unlike your girlfriend." rather than just "Cheaper". There would'be been no miscommunication here and the ad would've been just fine. The whole problem is that there is this ambiguity when it comes to what cheapness implies here. It's stupid, yeah, and could've been handled much better.
well that's like justifying fried chicken jokes towards black people. It's not an excuse at allKorne said:
by not being british, you don't understand just how strong the term is here. Any brit would understand its' double meaning, and many would be offended by it, and gamestation would know that as well. They deserve flak from thisfundayz said:
oh now just fuck off there. I'm not even going to accept that level of ignorance as a valid point. Women died trying to get equal rights. Women felt they were oppressed by society, if they didn't get married by 30, they were often removed from wills, if they got pregnant before marriage, they were in a world of trouble. Yes, middle eastern women have it far worse now, but don't be so ignorant as to say it never happened over hereFiresti Keralimah said:
Technically its not sexist; Because many women have girls friends of both the romantic and platonic type. In addition many men do not have romantic girlfriends due to either choice or circumstance.
Also girl friend is often be used in non gender specific ways in certain situations, although to fair most of them involve gay males.
What it is however is insulting.
To everyone; especially their core audience.
I would not be happy with any one who described any of the women I have been in a relationship with as cheap.
It's insulting to women, it's insulting to men, its just generally obnoxious.
But its not specifically sexist, unless you bring your own (technically sexist itself) baggage, that fps's like this are only played by straight guys.
That said I buy all my games online now, so I doubt I'm their core audience either.
And I am only really defending them because I am pedantic, I mean who ever though that was a good marketing campaign is a real d-bag.
Also girl friend is often be used in non gender specific ways in certain situations, although to fair most of them involve gay males.
What it is however is insulting.
To everyone; especially their core audience.
I would not be happy with any one who described any of the women I have been in a relationship with as cheap.
It's insulting to women, it's insulting to men, its just generally obnoxious.
But its not specifically sexist, unless you bring your own (technically sexist itself) baggage, that fps's like this are only played by straight guys.
That said I buy all my games online now, so I doubt I'm their core audience either.
And I am only really defending them because I am pedantic, I mean who ever though that was a good marketing campaign is a real d-bag.
Why are you such a dick to people? It's not even this one post, most of your other posts are attacking someone who made a fine comment, or people you just disagree with. You don't even explain your opinion, you just call them names and act as if your superior like some pretentious child who has a few opinions.CommonSense1013 said:
Maybe you should think before you write, because you're only six posts in and two people have taken notice of your behavior. When you start posting more, many people are going to catch on to you and it will just end badly. So before you become a large detriment to the Escapist, please either kindly leave or stay and act a little nicer by not making blatant imbecilic insults at everyone who has a slight difference in opinion to you. Although it is very possible that you are a troll who has found this nice little website despite our best disillusionment powers, and if that is the case then... "You will find no comfort here, Troll Demon!"
I really don't know how to react to this post, to elaborate: I understand why they took down the sign, it was crude and some females would have found it offensive. But I do also understand the vicious politics with sexism, if the men at the store turned at the woman and said:
"You know what, I'm not going to take down the sign, its not offensive, it brightens people's days and if you have a problem with it, you are free to resign."
The woman who made the complaint would probably stop caring but feminists would get involved and when the men say "Its not that sexist, and its all in good fun" they would lose their heads and start calling them ignorant and sexist. Thats the thing I don't get with feminists, I know some of them are alright, but others will start a massive 'shit war' over nothing. Its like female rights are great enough so they don't get to start a war for an actual reason, so they compensate and blow small trivial things out of proportion, and god forbid if someone has a different opinion to these particular feminists. They will just start branding you names and calling you a sexist even if you have a slight discrepancy on the subject of what is sexism and what isn't. In conclusion I think the sign should have been taken down, but not to please the woman, but to prevent a massive shit war that would demonize these men and give many people another reason to accuse gamers of some vile injustice that only some of them have performed.
Ugh, yet another reason to avoid Gamestation.
> Go to Gamestation with fiance.
> Pick out games alone.
> Employee asks if I'm having trouble finding DS/Wii games.
> Become slightly annoyed.
> Have money and games in hand, greet employee and place games on counter.
> All questions regarding the games and transaction relayed to fiance.
> RAGE.
Every. Fucking. Time.
> Go to Gamestation with fiance.
> Pick out games alone.
> Employee asks if I'm having trouble finding DS/Wii games.
> Become slightly annoyed.
> Have money and games in hand, greet employee and place games on counter.
> All questions regarding the games and transaction relayed to fiance.
> RAGE.
Every. Fucking. Time.
I probably should have made myself clearer, but I couldn't be bothered. I meant discriminated against in the loosest sense of the word and more leaning towards just plain out sexism, rather than genuine discrimination. Besides, I was under the impression that there were acts in place to prevent discrimination in the workplace, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and 1986 springs to mind, I don't know the ins and outs but my knowledge extends to it saying that it is unlawful to discriminate against someone based on gender in the workplace.Marble Dragon said:
The way I see it, even if it is such an obvious group who favors your stuff, its dumb to narrow your target audience. I hate how yogurt commercials uusally pander to women, for example, since its not like men cant want to "be regular" or fit, but it puts a stigma on it.