Sexist Ad Lands EB Games Australia In Trouble

[Double A]

I'll probably come out the with dazzling controversial opinion (which isn't actually sarcasm for this site) that this is a sexist ad and it shouldn't of aired. Men as worthless layabouts, women as snarky bitches, men not caring what women say, women hating games ect. ect.

And I get that it was meant to be a joke, but here's the thing about making a joke using stereotypes. If it's not funny, it's not a joke, it's just stereotypes. And this ain't funny.

Why did the farmer's son enter the math contest?
Because first prize was a protractor.

It's not funny, but it's still a joke. Just like this ad (in your opinion).

I did chuckle a bit, though. Irony and parody are funny. So what?

 

[CosmicCommander]

First off if you really think like this get rid of your Alexander Armstrong avatar, you no longer deserve to have his greatness grace your post.

First off, you need to structure your sentences better, boy.

And don't say Armstrong doesn't give my posts greatness. My posts are greatness.

Seriously why do game sites bother with all this sexism stuff because the only ones reading are all immature men (or more accurately boys) who simply can't understand the problems of sexism or rasicm simply because it does not affect them.

Firstly, making a strawman argument where you generalise every contributor because you digress from what they've ascertained. I perfectly acknowledge the pains minority groups have had in trying to gain equality- but I also think that knee-jerk reactions about any sort of implementation of a relatively positive gender stereotype in a clearly light-hearted setting that probably won't reach a mass audience is exactly a noble fight for equality. It's just mindless complaining.

It's like when children think people can't see them because they cover their eyes with their hands.

So Escapist please don't bother posting these news posts anymore, most of the mature people seem to either keep quiet or don't come to these sites and reading posts from ignorant people just make me ashamed of being part of this community.

Tarnishing your opponents wildly, and not even attempting to have any constructive debate is something I equate more to a child, rather than the dismissal of hysterical claims of sexism. I'm sorry if my lack of melodramatic indignation to this advert upsets you.

 

[BabyRaptor]

If my boyfriend acted like that...Well, he'd be in a metric Fuck-ton of trouble.

I'd like to meet the woman who supposedly wrote that. And smack her.

 

[Snotnarok]

This video is pretty sexist towards men I mean trade in 3 perfectly fine games for one? How stupid do they think guys are! amirite?

The video was just stupid, it wasn't even sexist it was just unintelligent, poorly done, and poorly rendered.

 

[UlytimateDestruction]

Jesus, people taking offence at a harmless ad now? What next? Saying eating a banana is offensive because your family was killed by a wild pack of them or saying that oh, don't walk on the floor that's offensive to people in air-planes. Even though it was a joke it wasn't very funny and it has very dodgy voice-acting but isn't offensive simply because she doesn't like games or likes to have a tidy house, yeah, that's called a personal opinion.

 

[Yoshemo]

Crappy ad? Yes. Sexist? Nope.

 

[Sectan]

Next time I see an ad with a clueless man I'm throwing a shitfit.

McDonalds commercial in the states. Man is in the airport with his wife when he gets a text about the McRib from his friends.

Wife: "Honey what is it?

Hubby: "THE MCRIB IS BACK AND IM GOING TO MISS IT"

Wife: "Seriously?! We're on our honeymoon"

Hubby: "IM GONNA MISS IT"

Wife: "I married a 15 year old..."

I am a man and I am so offended.

 

[Anodos]

Make controversial ad in such a way that people will also defend you.

Get free additional advertisement, people feel justified on paying 100 DOLLARS (101.00 USD) plus tax for a game that will be boring in 6 months.

Do i have the formula down?

 

[SoulSalmon]

... Slow news day?
Didn't think you'd get a slow news day November this year o.o

 

[ultimasupersaiyan]

And that people is why I don't shop at EB Games unless they have an exclusive with something worth while in it. Bunch of morons run the franchise anyway.

There are 3 things wrong with that ad.
1)It's sexist
2)Promotes screwing yourself over with under valued trading
3)It has helpful staff in the video when they don't exist anymore at EB Games. Seriously I haven't seen helpful staff at an EB Games since 2008. That's why I don't shop there anymore, they're all drones with extremely limited knowledge of what they're selling and on video games in general and refuse to hire anyone with a passion for games(case in point my little brother who has managerial qualifications).

I just HATE EB Games and that ad will hopefully chase them out of my country! EB was cool back before Gamestop killed everything that made them cool. Greedy corporate pricks! I do hope they fold here in Australia and let Gametraders florrish in their stead. Love that games shop.

 

[Screamarie]

It certainly lacks tact, but isn't as bad as that new Dr. Pepper ad.

Why is Dr. Pepper not being slammed by the same criticism and whatnot for their "It's not for Women" ad?! Granted the woman in this ad is doing house work but he offers to help, the guys in the Dr. Pepper ad would have said something about missing a spot before loudly stating how hungry he was starting to feel.

I think because the Dr. Pepper ad is more saying "It's not for women, you won't like it" as a challenge and a fun one at that. Sort of like using reverse psychology I suppose. They're trying to interest women in purchasing it by light-heartedly saying "oh you couldn't handle it", interesting men because they are intending it for them so they don't have to feel "lame" cause they're drinking a diet soda, and yet also kind of making fun of guys who have that macho mindset of "because I'm a man I can handle more than a woman could" because, well it's a soft drink, there's nothing TO handle. But this could just be shit I'm making up as I go along.

As for the EB Games ad, he's offering to help, but not really. He's offering because it puts him even more brownie points with the wifey, but knows he won't have to do anything because he bought her dinner last night. Now I'm not screaming mad over this, but I do find the ad a little rude, because I enjoy games just as much as a guy, I'm not stupid enough to not notice that my guy has a new game whether he still had the 100 dollars or not, and dinner isn't going to make me putty in a guy's hand either.

I'm not saying either ad is right or wrong, sexist or not, just that one is much more better scripted, making its intentions clearer. I don't think EB was trying to piss off anybody and Rebecca Fernadez is probably getting a little too upset over a stupid ad, but I can still see her point.

 

[Cavouku]

...Maybe kinda sexist, but I don't get that vibe. I just get the vibe that someone in production, or rather, everyone in production, just didn't give a flying fuck.

It wasn't bad because it wanted to be bad, it was bad because it was so goddamn lazy it gave the feeling it was bad. Because our brains can't comprehend something so utterly... dumb, we want to believe something that makes more sense than "someone got paid to not give a shit."

 

[AugustFall]

Anyway. Yeah, really not seeing the issue here. If it was the other way around, with a woman buying the game and the bloke moaning, would anyone care? Seems like whining for the sake of whining to me.

Of course it wouldn't because it wouldn't play to established stereotypes. This does, it is sexist, demeaning to women (all he had to do was buy her dinner and she was a domestic housewife waiting on him) and male gamers (layabout with no job).

The fact that you can't see this is disturbing. It's obvious.

It's not sexist. It's a joke. It's clearly poking fun at 50's style commercials which feature exactly the same set-ups. The fact that you can't see this is disturbing. It's obvious.

But they didn't make fun of it did they? They just played it completely straight. There was no punchline to the "joke" you think was there.
In what way were they mocking those old commercials? They weren't, they just copied them as you said so how is this some sort of tongue in cheek jab if there's no jab. I'm not saying this is the worst thing in the world but it perpetuates stereotypes for no reason.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

As a female with a sense of humor, I can say that this is not funny. Sexist? Eh. But definitely doesn't make me want to rush out to EB games. Is there any need to have her dusting at the end? Really?

I think it would have been far more amusing had they done the whole '50s thing up more. Have her dressed like Donna Reed, have the house be full of torturously tacky fabrics. Either go full on satire, or don't do it, because if you half ass it like this, you end up pissing some people off, and simply not impressing everyone else.

I agree with this to be honest. If they wanted to parody the fifties they should have gone the whole hog.

I find this kind of offensive mostly because it suggest that women don't play games and look down on men for doing so which is rubbish. What's the bets their companion ad will feature the woman buying nintendogs or shopping for her kids.

Marketing involving games needs to catch up to the present it seems.

 

[Risingblade]

lol that was awesome

 

[Jegsimmons]

i saw this and my first thought was:

[HEADING=1]WHOOP DE FUCKING SHIT!!!!![/HEADING]

what the hell does Australia have up its ass to make them hate anything so insignificant?

 

[easternflame]

That was great EB!!! Thank you, now I know how to treat my wife!!! Stay classy

 

[Deathninja19]

First off if you really think like this get rid of your Alexander Armstrong avatar, you no longer deserve to have his greatness grace your post.

First off, you need to structure your sentences better, boy.

And don't say Armstrong doesn't give my posts greatness. My posts are greatness.

Seriously why do game sites bother with all this sexism stuff because the only ones reading are all immature men (or more accurately boys) who simply can't understand the problems of sexism or rasicm simply because it does not affect them.

Firstly, making a strawman argument where you generalise every contributor because you digress from what they've ascertained. I perfectly acknowledge the pains minority groups have had in trying to gain equality- but I also think that knee-jerk reactions about any sort of implementation of a relatively positive gender stereotype in a clearly light-hearted setting that probably won't reach a mass audience is exactly a noble fight for equality. It's just mindless complaining.

It's like when children think people can't see them because they cover their eyes with their hands.

So Escapist please don't bother posting these news posts anymore, most of the mature people seem to either keep quiet or don't come to these sites and reading posts from ignorant people just make me ashamed of being part of this community.

Tarnishing your opponents wildly, and not even attempting to have any constructive debate is something I equate more to a child, rather than the dismissal of hysterical claims of sexism. I'm sorry if my lack of melodramatic indignation to this advert upsets you.

It's not a strawman, I've never twisted your words I just reposted them so everyone can see how stupid your comment was but really the only reason why I picked you out was because I decided to comment and you were the first comment that made me angry.

Also using the term 'excruciatingly histrionic woman' is a pretty poor generalisation too is it not?

But I won't go on the reason why I'm not being constructive or adding to the debate is because I've been locked in these arguments before and it always ends the same with everyone getting stuck on logical fallacies and neither side gaining anything from each other's rhetoric.

So I apologise for singling you out but I still believe you are very very very wrong in your views on what is sexism and what is not.

 

[Heaven's Guardian]

The fact that people complain about this guarantees that no one will ever take them seriously. People need to lighten up: if you don't want to be offended by something, just don't let it offend you. Is it sexist? Maybe, but it's also harmless. Anyway, it doesn't really matter if something is sexist or racist or whatever as long as it's funny, and that's where this one falls short.