Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad

[SarahSyna]

What I really want to know is, how is it funny? Maybe I've just been spoilt with the actual good humour of the people I hang around with, but I just don't get how something like that is meant to be funny.

 

[saruman31]

Its not sexist if its true. I hate people who make such a fuss over small things like this.

 

[Speakercone]

The sad part is someone probably got a bonus for thinking up the idea.

 

[Aedrial]

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

What a homophobe. Since when can girls not have girlfriends?

haha I love your use of irony there. =P

 

[Hijax]

(The "it's a joke, it's not sexist" people: notice how the joke doesn't work if you change it to "Cheaper than your boyfriend."? Funny how that works.)

This is actually a pretty good point.

On a slightly related note, what would happen if they'd actually written that? Obviously women's right groups would be all "This is how you do it", right? No, what would happen is, male gamers would be all "How dare you imply most gamers are gay", rather than female gamers being all "how dare you imply most gamers are male". My point being, people will whine at even the tiniest fleck of pretty much anything, and they will interpret anything however they want to get something to whine about.

Notice how this ad does not imply that most gamers are male, or that most gamer's girlfriends are cheap(or expensive for that matter). All it says is, well, 30£ is pretty damn cheap compared to the price of most girlfriends(how the hell is that an insult?) If you seriously have a girlfriend who's been less than 30£ (or about 50 bucks) so far, i envy you like hell.

 

[AMMO Kid]

Personally I don't see how this is a problem. Lots of girls I know find this sort of thing funny, not sexist

 

[Mittens The Kitten]

I am a bad bad person because I giggled.

No, you're a bad person because you play video games.

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad

Personally I think it's fine, it could say than your boyfriend etc but personally my girlfriend is expensive so it is in fact cheaper.

 

[YodaUnleashed]

I won't deny I laughed but what's wrong with that. I appreciate and understand where this concerned female employee is coming from but frankly I think she should lighten up a bit. It's a joke; its not meant to be taken so seriously, sure it's playing into a common generalisation, but it's not the sexist one that girlfriends are dirt cheap, that's a clear mis-interpretation, no it's the generalisation (and one that rings true) that girlfriends are very expensive for most men as they buy them gifts and take them out to dinner and all the usual wussy boyfriend stuff and that COD blops at £29.00 is a lot cheaper then all that hassle. This was an over-reaction, don't take yourself so seriously next time love.

 

[Alandoril]

It's not sexist, it's a statement of fact.

 

[Kaytastrophe]

I don't really see the problem. When I saw the add I didn't think of it as women being cheap more like its cheaper than taking your girlfriend to the movies or whatever. As for the add supposed discrimination to women gamers (and while I know there are many) the majority of the demographic is male. It would be like men getting offended because make up commercials are targeted to women even though some men (for whatever reason) wear make-up. They are just trying to appeal to the largest demographic. I don't see a problem here.

Smart ass comment: Besides its clearly not meant to be taken seriously, most gamers don't have girlfriends

 

[Art Axiv]

I am a bad bad person because I giggled.

No, you're a bad person because you play video games.

I will turn on parental controls on the xbox and PC from now on! I need to parent myself!
...
Wait, that doesn't make any sense.

 

[Kenko]

It's not sexist. It doesnt imply that women are cheap. Talk about missing the point OP. It means that women are expensive and the game is cheap. *Facepalms*

As if it's any better?

Yes, because its not meant to offend. People are just waaaay to easily offended by things these days.

 

[DTWolfwood]

yes lets cater to the vocal minority.

plus this woman can't read. How is it not true? what she thinks she is worth LESS than 29.99?

 

[Iron Mal]

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

To be fair, this advert isn't actually all that bad.

So let me get this straight, women worldwide are allowed to openly make jokes about men being pigs, only thinking with their dicks and being from Mars but we guys aren't allowed a little joke at their expense?

This isn't even remotely sexist or mysoginistic, you wanna know how you would make it sexist?

'Call of Duty: Black Ops- now you have something to do while she makes you a goddamn sandwich' (even that's a possibly).

Methinks that this is just a case of some people needing to get off their high horses and develop a sense of humour.

EDIT: To the people who are wondering why the advert is more aimed at men than women, who is more likely to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops?

Men.

Men are more likely to have a girlfriend than a boyfriend and all of this is just a harmless little joke that someone clearly took personally.

 

[LoorTheDarkElf]

I can understand where the woman is offended, but there's really no need to be. The add says getting this game is cheaper than keeping your girlfriend happy, which is a negative stereotype, but you don't kill stereotypes by getting people to stop mentioning them. No, a strerotype is defeated by proving it wrong in your own personal world. You dislike the implication that

A) Only guys play CoD

or

B) Women are materilistic and money-hungry idiots

Fight the stereotype not by bitching to the company/any other group that might be peddling it, but by simply ignoring it. Go, play the games you love, reguardless of what demographic they're advertising to. And don't beg your boyfriend to get it for you. By getting up and yelping about it we simply put the whole industry up for regulation, and no one really wants that in a medium that's all about freedom. If you REALLY hate the way a company is doing something, save your money. Gotta play that game? Get it used, borrow it from a buddy, but don't buy it if you really hate how things are going. Don't get on your soap box and tell the world that you were hurt and offended by a silly sign.

And now I will get off my soap box, since I've effectively made myself a hypocrite now.

 

[Squeaky]

Just a bit of fun as to how wemon are so expensive to take out, people can be a little sensitive in my eyes its a shame she miss read the add she was offened by but like most people thats how it happens.

 

[FogHornG36]

feminism is so not sexy

 

[ryai458]

Its true though women aren't cheap.

 

[DevilWolf47]

All i can say is that i'm glad i'm not part of that target audience. I'll never buy Black Ops, i have standards.
And Modern Warfare. No reason to buy another Call of Duty game when there haven't been any major overhauls in years.