Where’s my pinny?

September 22nd, 2005

Gordon has been a victim of a terrible attack of blatant sexism. I have to say, that this sort of thing really gets my goat and now that I’m twenty-nine years old I need to start practicing being a grumpy old bastard when faced with matters with that rile me. So…

My mum made a comment the other day that bugged me. I can’t remember the specifics of the comment, but it was something to do with how well I can change a nappy or something domestic of that nature. How incredible! A man who can change a nappy!

So I took her up on it.

Me: “Oh yeah, how bloody incredible that a man can change a nappy. How patronising is that??”

Mum: “Well you’d be quick to make jokes about female drivers, wouldn’t you?”

Me: “Two wrongs don’t make a right, I seem to remember my mother teaching me”

Mum: “Ok. You’ve got me there.”

And another thing that bugs me is adverts on TV. A particular target of my current hatred is the ones for some brand of crisps or other, ‘the gentleman’s crisp’ I think is the tagline, I’m sure you’ve seen them.

The formula of the ads seems to be a woman stumbling on her husband doing something domestic, such as using a washing machine. She then goes all glassy eyed and full of admiration for his feat. He turns to notice her with his slightly confused neandertal face not quite comprehending what he’s doing.

Just for once, I want to see an advert that features a man doing dishes or mopping a floor and it’s taken completely for granted as if it’s perfectly normal*. I’d like to see an advert that doesn’t paint all men as brutes with low expectations of women, and women as slyly grinning superiors who get all smug when they prove themselves more capable than the lazy blokes.

Anyway, just thought I’d offload that rant. Feel better now. Thanks. I’m off to watch the footie while it’s quiet with the wife out the road cleaning the kitchen.

* - There is the Flash cleaner adverts I suppose. I’ll give them that one. And the bounty kitchen-roll adverts don’t quite fit into the argument on either side.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized