Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad

[justnotcricket]

Uff. I can see why the girl's annoyed but it's practically a 'your momma' joke, I assume it's meant ironically. As long as their whole campaign isn't hanging off of similar jibes I think it's probably okay.

Yeah, but shouldn't a company be a bit ashamed of using 'your momma' style jokes to advertise their products? And shouldn't all gamers, but particularly this large bracket of male gamers - who usually like to consider themselves intellectually sophisticated - be ashamed to be the target demographic of 'your momma' jokes?

And to all those who claim it's not saying girls are cheap but rather expensive, isn't that (if you're offended by stereotyping) just as bad? It's promoting the stereotype that girlfriends are just a demanding drain on your wallet. Great.

I think the employee had every right to complain about this ad. I happen to think it's in bad taste. I can totally understand why the company thought it would appeal to the typical male gamer (and, looking at this thread, why it does - the company clearly knows its market), but she still had every right to take exception to it.

And guys on the Escapist keep making threads wondering why they have trouble with women when they're the 'nice guy'... Bleh.

EDIT: to Hoopybees - sorry if this post was a little strong; I don't mean it as a personal attack, but I'd read a lot of the rest of the thread before I quoted your post, so you might have caught a little of the general bile I'd built up to the responses here. =S

It's no problem. And I do agree that the people trying to rationalise this away as having some other meaning are clutching at straws and have entirely missed the point anyway.

I just think that this ad is aimed at a gamer demographic, not as sexists, but as a group of people who enjoy that kind of tongue-in-cheek humour. Some of the most loved games are laced with it so I think it's a fair assumption.

I mean, I'm a girl, and I laughed. They're trusting us to be at least intelligent enough to realise that they're joking, and I for one feel happier that there are some companies out there who aren't patronising enough to think that no-one will get it. It just depresses me when people react to humour with outrage, it's one of the few unifying things we have that everyone can appreciate.

[EDIT] Haha, this is so childish but I now have 69 posts. Hee. 69.

It's true that this ad is not on the 'EA marketing' scale of stupid; I think what I really reacted to was the surprisingly large number of posts saying that this girl was 'stupid' and 'shouldn't have complained'. I see no reason why she shouldn't have complained if she had a problem with it. I probably would have objected to my manager if I had to work in a store with that on the front window. I don't understand why some people think she isn't allowed to complain' and 'doesn't get it'. People take 'jokes' in different ways. If you think about it, she was really quite civilised in her approach to the matter (as far as I can see from the story here). She had an objection, she voiced it through the official routes, and when the company defended it she pretty much didn't say anything stronger than that the response was a 'cop out', and then sat down again.

I see the joke. I just got the impression that it has more to do with the sniggering fratboy mentality than the intelligent, 'edgy' marketing mentality. Although I do freely acknowledge that given the game it was advertising, they were probably spot on for a proportion of their consumer base...
At the end of the day I think it's good that people complain if the feel offended, and they shouldn't feel discouraged from doing so. If people call advertisers (or whatever) on things from time to time, then maybe they might think twice before *actually* going all EA and ruining it for everyone =P

 

[Lissa-QUON]

Oh good lord. I'm baffled how anyone can read this as "it's saying girls are expensive and the game is cheap." Not that that reading is less sexist or stereotypical.

The phrase "Even cheaper than your girlfriend" implies a build up from cheap. So it's saying that your girlfriend to begin with was cheap and that CoD is EVEN CHEAPER.

The English language works sort of like this

small ----> smaller----> EVEN SMALLER

tall -----> taller ----> EVEN TALLER

and finally we start with the adjective cheap and get

cheap ----> cheaper ---> EVEN CHEAPER

Also from my understanding of slang - from the US and apparently in the UK a "cheap" woman is loose with low standards and will sleep with anyone/anything for even the smallest compensation. So yea, its implying that the gamer's girlfriend is a whore. Classy.

One assumes they knew what they were saying with this ad and didn't expect any flack, or that the whole ad department is rather clueless about how this could be interpreted. Which just means they suck at their job.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I thought they ment 'cheap' as in, it's cheaper to buy this game then it would be to take your girlfriend out, buy her gifts, etc over the period of the relationship.

 

[dementis]

The ad is pretty accurate though
Call of Duty Black Ops - £30
Taking my girlfriend out for the night - £50+

Can't argue with value for money and like a lot of people have said, it's not saying girls are cheap it's saying they're expensive.

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

Oh good Lord, I don't find this even remotely sexist. At best it's a Yo Momma joke highlighting the fact that having a girlfriend is more expensive than buying their game.

Frankly I have seen far, far worse ads aimed at women, you know the usual 'smart, clever wife/girlfriend with her dimwitted, lazy and smelly husband/boyfriend' which are just about everywhere these days.

 

[Hoopybees]

Uff. I can see why the girl's annoyed but it's practically a 'your momma' joke, I assume it's meant ironically. As long as their whole campaign isn't hanging off of similar jibes I think it's probably okay.

Yeah, but shouldn't a company be a bit ashamed of using 'your momma' style jokes to advertise their products? And shouldn't all gamers, but particularly this large bracket of male gamers - who usually like to consider themselves intellectually sophisticated - be ashamed to be the target demographic of 'your momma' jokes?

And to all those who claim it's not saying girls are cheap but rather expensive, isn't that (if you're offended by stereotyping) just as bad? It's promoting the stereotype that girlfriends are just a demanding drain on your wallet. Great.

I think the employee had every right to complain about this ad. I happen to think it's in bad taste. I can totally understand why the company thought it would appeal to the typical male gamer (and, looking at this thread, why it does - the company clearly knows its market), but she still had every right to take exception to it.

And guys on the Escapist keep making threads wondering why they have trouble with women when they're the 'nice guy'... Bleh.

EDIT: to Hoopybees - sorry if this post was a little strong; I don't mean it as a personal attack, but I'd read a lot of the rest of the thread before I quoted your post, so you might have caught a little of the general bile I'd built up to the responses here. =S

It's no problem. And I do agree that the people trying to rationalise this away as having some other meaning are clutching at straws and have entirely missed the point anyway.

I just think that this ad is aimed at a gamer demographic, not as sexists, but as a group of people who enjoy that kind of tongue-in-cheek humour. Some of the most loved games are laced with it so I think it's a fair assumption.

I mean, I'm a girl, and I laughed. They're trusting us to be at least intelligent enough to realise that they're joking, and I for one feel happier that there are some companies out there who aren't patronising enough to think that no-one will get it. It just depresses me when people react to humour with outrage, it's one of the few unifying things we have that everyone can appreciate.

[EDIT] Haha, this is so childish but I now have 69 posts. Hee. 69.

It's true that this ad is not on the 'EA marketing' scale of stupid; I think what I really reacted to was the surprisingly large number of posts saying that this girl was 'stupid' and 'shouldn't have complained'. I see no reason why she shouldn't have complained if she had a problem with it. I probably would have objected to my manager if I had to work in a store with that on the front window. I don't understand why some people think she isn't allowed to complain' and 'doesn't get it'. People take 'jokes' in different ways. If you think about it, she was really quite civilised in her approach to the matter (as far as I can see from the story here). She had an objection, she voiced it through the official routes, and when the company defended it she pretty much didn't say anything stronger than that the response was a 'cop out', and then sat down again.

I see the joke. I just got the impression that it has more to do with the sniggering fratboy mentality than the intelligent, 'edgy' marketing mentality. Although I do freely acknowledge that given the game it was advertising, they were probably spot on for a proportion of their consumer base...
At the end of the day I think it's good that people complain if the feel offended, and they shouldn't feel discouraged from doing so. If people call advertisers (or whatever) on things from time to time, then maybe they might think twice before *actually* going all EA and ruining it for everyone =P

I absolutely agree, the girl was well within her rights to complain. Everyone should have the right to be offended at whatever they like, and to say so as loud as they please. The only thing I object to is when people start thinking that gives them the right to censor other people. That 'being offended' is some special status that gives them authority. I find the Jeremy Kyle Show offensive, I'm not trying to shut that down. Nor should I. I just ignore it and move on, because I have the right to do that too.

If you think this makes Gamestation horrible bastards, easy answer: don't shop there. If enough people do it then lesson learned. They won't do it again.

 

[KhakiHat]

It's actually kinda funny, even to me.

Of course, the whiner brigade shows up and tries to ruin everyone's fun.

God I hate our species.

Yeah, sexism is fun right!




Urg....

I assume you have yet to make Mr Nukeem's acquaintance?

 

[Lood NL]

The people who complain about the ad are ,without directly knowing, making the ad a big success. Look how much publicity they've got with that ( kinda ) boring slogan. I think they should send each one of them at "thank you" letter =D.

 

[FamoFunk]

I love it.

I actually took a picture and uploaded it to FaceBook with the tag "Unless your Girlfriend is called Jade" which was talking about myself.

God I hate these people who moan about ANYTHING.

 

[Lucane]

The people who complain about the ad are ,without directly knowing, making the ad a big success. Look how much publicity they've got with that ( kinda ) boring slogan. I think they should send each one of them at "thank you" letter =D.

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." If no one ever talks about it no would ever learn and it'd keep happening with similar results (which would be positive if no one complains)even if this wasn't as talked about.

 

[Carlston]

Least it didn't say

"Cheaper..."

THAN YOUR MOM!

But then it would be seen as the joke it was intended to be.

 

[irani_che]

Comparing Girlfirends to games,
thank god they werent reffering to trade ins

 

[punkrocker27]

Lotta white knoights on these forums...not surprisingly

 

[TerraRey]

By 'cheaper than your girlfriend' I think it means that girls aren't cheap. They're expensive. At least most of my guy friends spend a lot of money on their girls. And why not advertise it to guys? They are the ones who play games most.

 

[cobra_ky]

it's not a particularly clever or entertaining slogan, it alienated a large number of potential customers, and doesn't make me want to buy video games. Seems like a pretty big cockup all around.

honestly, as a man i'm actually kind of offended that Gamestation thinks this kind of puerile crap appeals to my demographic. I thought we got past this adolescent garbage back in the 90's, but between this and the dead space "piss off your mom!" campaign, i guess we've still got a ways to go.

 

[Venereus]

Oh good lord. I'm baffled how anyone can read this as "it's saying girls are expensive and the game is cheap." Not that that reading is less sexist or stereotypical.

The phrase "Even cheaper than your girlfriend" implies a build up from cheap. So it's saying that your girlfriend to begin with was cheap and that CoD is EVEN CHEAPER.

The English language works sort of like this

small ----> smaller----> EVEN SMALLER

tall -----> taller ----> EVEN TALLER

and finally we start with the adjective cheap and get

cheap ----> cheaper ---> EVEN CHEAPER

Also from my understanding of slang - from the US and apparently in the UK a "cheap" woman is loose with low standards and will sleep with anyone/anything for even the smallest compensation. So yea, its implying that the gamer's girlfriend is a whore. Classy.

One assumes they knew what they were saying with this ad and didn't expect any flack, or that the whole ad department is rather clueless about how this could be interpreted. Which just means they suck at their job.

Too bad the ad actually reads "Cheaper than your girlfriend", not "Even cheaper than your girlfriend". Troll fail?

 

[thefabulousvaati]

Technically it -is- being sexist, as it implies that boyfriends are not as expensive to upkeep, however I kind of feel like she is being closed-minded in the sense that she doesn't allow for the possibility that girls can also have girlfriends.

Still, at least they didn't revert to the stereotype that gamers are incapable of getting dates. Considering that its Black Ops, and their target demographic for the game tends to be bros thats not really all that surprising either.

 

[Shadowtek]

HAHA, wait... now that I think about it. Where was she last weekend. OMG!

 

[Rathands]

It doesn't really help sales does it? Having your marketing come across as designed by a man-child. While The Gamestation advert was just silly, they should have expected some backlash since girlfriends buy games too, and far as advertising goes it does make them look a bit old-fashioned considering the changing gamer demographic; they might as well have ended the bottom of the advert with a Mother-in-law joke.

 

[Ciarnyn]

Oh good lord. I'm baffled how anyone can read this as "it's saying girls are expensive and the game is cheap." Not that that reading is less sexist or stereotypical.

The phrase "Even cheaper than your girlfriend" implies a build up from cheap. So it's saying that your girlfriend to begin with was cheap and that CoD is EVEN CHEAPER...

(Rest cut for length)

Jeeze, thank you! It was seriously bothering me how many people were clearly not reading the ad correctly.

Ha ha, you know what my favourite part of these comments are? Well, two things really. One, I absolutely love the argument that "well yeah it's kind of offensive, but there are other things more offensive, and lots of other marketing is offensive, so whatever". Really? Are you joking me? You're saying that because there's a precedent for bad things, we should let bad things happen? That's not an argument, that's a surrender.

But the second thing, the thing I really love most about all about these comments, is the constant and continual argument that "I'm a dude and I don't find this offensive, so this girl also shouldn't find this offensive and needs to lighten up". I'm curious, to those people that make these sorts of arguments... do you see the flaw there? How one thing really doesn't lead to the other? Or do you honestly think that, as a dude (and let's be honest, statistically, probably a privileged white dude just like me), you are qualified to judge what should be offensive to a woman?

In fact, I'm making a huge error there myself. Never mind being a guy or a girl. Do you honestly think that, as one person, you are at all qualified to judge what should be offensive to another person?

I really, really have to start listening to the inner voice that reminds me not to read the comments on Escapist articles (and internet articles in general) that have an equity/equality bent. I just end up walking a way a little sadder every time.