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What do you look for when you’re choosing a product? Let’s say the product is something essential but banal, for example, a toothbrush. Do you want it to work how it’s supposed to and be comfortable to use? Obviously. Do you want it to be a color you like? Sure. Admittedly not relevant to how it works, but you do see it several times a day, after all. Do you want it to make you feel like a real man or a woman?

Probably not what most of us think of while we’re brushing our teeth every morning, but apparently, advertisers say yes. Here are some products that we don’t think anyone asked for gendered versions of, as found by people on Twitter.

#1

Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

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kaisu-reinikainen avatar
Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you want to make pink binoculars for people who like pink, that's fine! But gendering binoculars is so unnecessary and stupid

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    #2

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    sonja-szabrotska avatar
    Sonja
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    well, the women's one is usually narrower, but has more space in the...breast area. at least the mine one has.

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    Nobody is saying that selling things in a variety of designs is bad—people have different likes and dislikes and we would be bored if everything only came in brown. But is it any wonder why so many girls end up resenting pink and floral patterns when that’s the one look that advertisements and toy packaging tell them they should be choosing, while boys are encouraged to play with toys in red, green, black, and pretty much every other color?

    For adults, who have had their whole lives to get to know their own preferences, it seems shallow and infantilizing. And when design comes at the expense of functionality, like pink glue or more fragile razors, it goes from uncomfortable to insulting.

    #4

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    tygrys2 avatar
    Miłka Chromińska
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Finally a product for me, I've had enough of using men's shampoo, apricots have delicate hair you know. We need specially formulated shampoos :D

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    #5

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    sonja-szabrotska avatar
    Sonja
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    well, sometimes it is better to sort is this way. it is because of herbs inside. better than call it "tea-against-menstruation-pain", or "tea-for-those-who-has-prostate-gland-troubles". this is a better version, i think

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    #6

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    stonewoodoo avatar
    Falcon
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder if it's a play on words. Hand and Man. Still makes little sense tho unless it actually explodes...

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    Then there’s the opposite phenomenon, when marketers think things should be designated “for men” because apparently it’s not manly in the first place to use soap, eat bread, or have a cup of tea (chili in tea... I didn't know there was something effeminate about drinking things that taste good and don’t hurt.)

    #7

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    edsouza avatar
    Ed Souza
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    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can only imagine the outrage if they made this for women... still funny, I would buy this one as a gag gift.

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    To be fair, some products are gendered because of average shape and size measurements or nutritional requirements based on sex. Even in those cases, though, what do we get out of labeling them “for men” or “for women” before said sizing or nutritional benefits? That just confuses and embarrasses people whose needs fall outside of those averages, because our proportions and chemistry vary a lot even within the biological categories of male and female. Further polarizing products by putting nuts and bolts or flowers and glitter on the package adds another uncomfortable layer by conflating our personalities and likes with those physical parameters.

    #10

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    james_fox1984 avatar
    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one doesn’t specifically say any gender. There is nothing wrong with having a choice of pink plane or blue plane. Some people (whether girl or boy like pink and others like blue).

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    #12

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    siobhanac_c_ avatar
    Ana B.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just an unrelated reminder that when they say "flushable", that doesn't mean you should flush them. You CAN, but it's not considered a good idea.

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    The American Marketing Association has observed that younger consumers are beginning to scoff at advertising that leans on gender, and recommends that brands focus on advertising “what a product is for rather than whom it is for.”

    They say that brands could learn more about their consumer base’s habits and do better business by removing gendered marketing that could sway consumers away from products not traditionally associated with their gender, and embracing marketing that presents their products in a positive light for any consumer.

    #13

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    gracebusby23 avatar
    sunshine_20
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, this isn't gendered, this is just two different types of products, with different characters/design.

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    #14

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    popapach avatar
    troufaki13
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These are just different colors, not gender-oriented. Am I not seeing something?

    crunchewy-watson avatar
    CrunChewy McSandybutt
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You have to be naive to think that "Sleep Pretty" pink ear plugs aren't marketed toward girls while the "Heroes" blue earplugs are marketed to boys. Just because it doesn't specifically state "boy" and "girl" doesn't mean they aren't gendered.

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    meghanhibicke avatar
    Evil Little Thing
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually, the pink ones are narrower. Legit sizing difference, and important for those of us with little ears and noisy families.

    njscrutton avatar
    OhForSmegSake
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Generic earplugs are made for men. That is, they are made for larger ear canals and can be quite uncomfortable for woman to wear for long periods. Women's earplugs tend to be a little smaller and/or softer and much more comfy!

    kjorn avatar
    Kjorn
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i'm not feeling like a hero… have you ever put ear plugs?

    jevais avatar
    jevais
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Women's ears are usually smaller than thos of men

    chrismayer1971 avatar
    Christopher Mayer
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If one is a hermaphrodite/intersexed, then one of each colour will suffice. :-)

    eulaliegrace avatar
    Eulalie Grace
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you want to by gender-specific you'll save money, too. A true deal :)

    cherylefuller avatar
    Cheryle Fuller
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would hope the pink ones are smaller diameter. I bought a headset and the ear tips are HUGE!

    brandygrote avatar
    Brandy Grote
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "Sleep Pretty" earplugs have the same noise reduction rating (NRR) as the Hearos on the left - which are $2 cheaper. But they have the number of plugs as the Hearos on the right which have NRR 1 higher. But women are generally lighter sleepers.

    pebs_1 avatar
    pebs
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now I understand why Americans annoy the whole world with gender issues that don't exist elsewhere.

    ruhtroh avatar
    ruht roh
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have tried both, and the pink ones are smaller and softer. I am a man and I wear the pink ones because the blue ones are uncomfortable when I am trying to sleep. I could care less about the color... I am asleep assuming no one is staring at my ear canals.

    michelle_hallahan avatar
    GenXandEarnedItAll
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The pink ones would be easier to find in the dark when you're child is screaming for you at 0230 because there is a monster under their bed or they need a drink of water.

    jmchoto avatar
    Jo Choto
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So the pink makes you "sleep pretty" but the identical plugs in blue become "xtreme protection". It's quite pathetic.

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    Rosanna Jackson
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The sexism does not stem from the consumers assumption that the pink ones (with sleep pretty on them) are marketed for girls. The sexism is in the systemic creation of women being pretty, soft and pink only. Have colours and sizes marketed In a way that allows all people to choose what they like, and what works for them. This marketing also alienates most men, and is clearly meant to do so

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    natie marie
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    4 years ago

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    just different colours. it doesn't say "for girls only" on any of them.. then it would be gendered

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    #15

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    Terd Fergison
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    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The bible is one of the most misogynistic books on the planet. It states that a women who has a female child is twice as unclean as a woman that has a male child. It says that if a woman is raped and they are found, the rapist must pay the father some shekels and they must be married. I don't know many women that want to marry their rapist. Just a sickening, disgusting anti-woman book. Evil garbage filth.

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    #16

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    johanemoller avatar
    Johane Moller
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    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This isn't really gendered it's colored. Only if you assign blue to boys and pink to girls can you say it's really gendered. As it doesn't say 'for boys' or 'for girls' on the packaging. I would've probably liked this as a child.

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    #18

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    kaisu-reinikainen avatar
    Kaisu
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now this kind of gendering of products is problematic. Just making a blue and pink product isn't gendering, but this is just really icky and not the way boys and girls should be taught to think about themselves.

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    #24

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    Avital Pilpel
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    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, let's just say it's probably because "I went through a whole box of tissues during that movie" means something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT for men and women.

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    #25

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    james_fox1984 avatar
    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cards against humanity brought out the “for her” set as a jab at the “pink tax”. Maybe have a read up on it.

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    #26

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    kaisu-reinikainen avatar
    Kaisu
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, I don't really think this is gendered...? Some kids like to play with the rockets and planes while others like to play with the astronauts. I think it's really cool that there's a female astronaut doll and nowhere does it say that it's for girls or that the other one is for boys

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    #30

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    dirkdaring99 avatar
    Dirk Daring
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    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every person who has never found their name printed on a souvenir is really ticked at Eetu right now.

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    #32

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    misteriosa
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a boy and two girls, and we always buy only "boys" ones because they have cooler toys.

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    Purple light
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I played Monopoly ages ago, it had tiny player pieces: a dog, racecar, hat, iron and others. I can't remember playing as a woman ( or man)

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    james_fox1984 avatar
    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
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    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where does it say it’s for guys? it says “the Arsenal ultimate grooming set”. Arsenal is another term for an array of services/equipment used for a certain purpose. Nothing to do with gender.

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    #40

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    kaisu-reinikainen avatar
    Kaisu
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why do you have to gender edible products, it makes zero sense. I don't think the foods and tastes you like has anything to do with your gender??

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    #41

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    james_fox1984 avatar
    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are men and women vitamins and protein powders etc because fact is men and women often have differing nutritional needs.

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    #42

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    Lauren Ricard
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    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hate gendered products. "For her" has extra iron in it. Just label it "with extra iron" - does the same trick. If you don't know why the extra iron would be necessary, the gendered version won't be very appealing to you either!

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