Gamestation Defends "Sexist" Ad

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RowdyRodimus

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Apr 24, 2010
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RachelSoma said:
Yes, the ad is sexist and yes, it is offensive. Just because a lot of you don't seem to realise it doesn't mean it's not.

If you don't get discriminated against, it's hard to recognise discrimination. Especially when it's framed as a 'joke'.

The original complain it quite sensible - Would an employee be disciplined if they told a customer that a game was "Cheaper than your girlfriend. DUR HURR!" or "Cheaper than your mum!"? Yes, they would.. So why can corporate print it?
Been a white, Republican male American on this site or pretty much any other site on the net? If not then you haven't been discriminated against since it's ok to bash any of those things but any other thing is grounds for banning and the posts get deleted.
 

Drake_Dercon

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Sep 13, 2010
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That ad would be so much easier to get away with over here.

The thing is, it' barely sexist. It's one of those jokes that straddles the line between sexism and simple tastelessness.
 

Moonlight Butterfly

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Mar 16, 2011
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Okay the rather lightly sexist nature of this advertisement aside this is a tip of a very real iceberg sized problem with game industry.

They are saying 'It's okay to be sexist becuase women are in a minority' This is exactly the same argument C&VG magazine used when it started printing half nude women across the covers. Okay so it's 'okay to discriminate against groups of people because they are the minority?' What kind of fascist b*s is that.

Like I said earlier in this thread no one would say 'okay so our main audience is white so we will make a causally rascist joke in our advertising.' It makes people feel exactly the same way offended and further excluded from somthing they might other wise want to pursue.
 

RazzleDazzle102

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Mar 14, 2011
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DazBurger said:
ShadowKirby said:
Chibz said:
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....
Well... Yes.. Yes it is! Very funny indeed! Right up there with racism and terrorist!

... If you dont detect any sarcasm right here is because there is none, I really honestly find these subjects hilarious... Under the right circumstances, as in this case.
the funniest comment I saw today by far. Ahhh... made my day
 

Ben Simon

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Aug 23, 2010
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This ad should be taken seriously in the same way yo mama jokes should. (Translation: it shouldn't.)
 
Jul 22, 2009
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captainfluoxetine said:
REALLY?!

Ive never been in two more opposite stores. Every gamestation ive been in the staff always seem cool, willing to chat, into their games, not too pushy. When I walk into GAME a member of staff normally jumps out from behind a display stand and screams "BUY SOMETHING!!!" at me.
The stores are very different but I always prefer Game...

Possibly because I know around 2/3rds of the people who work there and often end up standing at the counter for 40 minutes talking about Warhammer...
 

FinalFreak16

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Mar 23, 2010
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"I am offended! Therefore, Everyone is offended!"

It's what I hear from most of these sort of stories. Still to be fair I did look at the poster before reading the article and thought "Really?".

...after giggling.
 

Rex Fallout

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People overreact all of the time, and it gets so annoying. I hope gamestation stands its ground with this ad.
 
Apr 24, 2008
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I thought it was fairly blatent that the implication was that having a girlfriend is expensive...not that girls are cheap, or tarty, or...whatever.

I like that they stood by it, is there really any doubt that Call of Duty has a largely male audience? Target marketing only works if there is an inclination in a certain group of people to start with. If you asked Gamestation who they wanted to buy the games, they would say "everyone"...but that's just not realistic.

Why has advertising in this industry suddenly become a big deal? Even serious products have stupid adverts, "Go compare, Go compare"...and "compare the meerkat" are used to sell insurance. When adverts aren't being stupid they're being manipulative, trying to scare you into buying whatever is being flogged.

I'm struggling to think of an example of a good advert, they're either ridiculous or easily ignored...which would defeat the point. They're just entertainment products, you know?
 

ReaperzXIII

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The UK did this? I thought the great thing about this country is that we don't give a shit about most things and just rag on the bad weather all the time

Its a simple joke, it isn't edgy its just one of those passing jokes like "thats what she said", hell you could've replaced that ad for a DSi XL ad saying "Its much bigger... ...Thats what she said" Its just silly humour that most people use in everyday conversation

Oh noes because a joke doesn't appeal to every single ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality etc... It means it is offensive! Quick hide the children!
 

badgersprite

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Sep 22, 2009
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It is true, though; my last date with my girlfriend did cost more than that.

Kenko said:
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*
That was my interpretation.
 

The Rogue Wolf

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You wouldn't see antics like this at a stand-up, reputable business like GAMETRADERS ROBINA. [/obscurecallback]

Anyway. I think the woman in question is reaching somewhat with her argument (maybe it is a gender-culture confusion issue; I sort of had to come at it twice to understand the secondary implication some of the women posting here are citing) but the company's response is pretty well beyond the pale. A simple "we meant no harm, that wasn't the spirit in which we made the ad" might have sufficed. (Of course, they could have just phrased it "cheaper than a date" as well and avoided all of this.)

Also, I wonder if this woman would have complained so loudly if the store offered a loyalty card and advertised it as "more loyal than your boyfriend".
 

sixtysix

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Apr 15, 2010
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i loled when i read the ad, therefore it is deemed OK and the woman that complained deemed a fun vampire
 
Jun 11, 2008
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"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."
She could of phrased that so much better as it kinda is jarring giving what the ad is about.

OT: Also ad I don't think is mean to be sexist I think it is a bit of tongue and cheek. Like Irish in RDR. While both are tongue in cheek tthey really do toe the line of going too far. I think we need a clearer line. Like THIS is ok but THIS isn't sort of thing.