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

This is actually because studies have shown that women and men lose body heat in different locations on their body. Women specific sleeping bags have different warmth padding in those locations. And the cut is different.

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Ize86
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Womens Sleeping bags usually have more insulated legroom because women often are cold at the feet area...

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

The differences might be unnecessary if you use sleeping bags mainly in summer and on local festivals. Below freezing temperatures you start to value the fact that those are cut and tailored different way to minimize heat loss. Especially if you are hiking and you don't want to carry extra weight due just in case insulation But even on summer and on festivals you may value that fact that often zippers are on the women's bags on opposite edges and designed in the way that bags can be combined ;)

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

Super interesting! I have only used mine for summer camping trips. Thanks for the info :)

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

This is legit. Women's are usually warmer and wider around the hips. It annoyed me when I was shopping for one, but looking into it it actually makes sense.

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

Women tend to be shorter than men, on average, so there may actually be a difference in the length.

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

The men's one looks to be broader in the shoulders and the women's looks to be narrower - in the first photo - this is correctly marketed to different sexes.

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Becca Gizmo the Squirrel
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And some things that are pink they sell for more money. Because supposedly women will pay more. it's called the pink tax or is that taxes on tampons that should go away any way I saw an article on it. Pink and blue things side by side exactly the same except for color and the pink one geared toward women would be higher.

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

No offence taken @hawkeye and @fullname. No offence meant when I point out that my comments are based on actual evidence as a person with similar height to men, whereas yours is based on assumptions of body types you cannot possible have empirical evidence for given your "non-outlier" average body. Also, the number one researcher on outdoor gear confirms its about size not gender. https://www.outsideonline.com/2322396/size-womens-specific-sleeping-bags

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

Seriously? Because guys CANNOT like the color red, and there are NO tall girls, right?? If it has to do with size, then just label them the different sizes! Nonsensical!

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

i think all of them should be in vivid colors, to be easily spotted...

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Kristen Rahner
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one does actually have a difference! The women's accommodates for curves in the hips and chest while being narrower overall

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Dóri Víg
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, it is good to have different types of sleeping bags. Maybe it does not appear to matter at more comfortable temperatures, but when you sleep in extreme cold it is important to have a shorter, narrower sleeping bag, so your body can heat it up.

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

https://www.outsideonline.com/2322396/size-womens-specific-sleeping-bags The tiniest bit of research proves this is bs. Incidentally it keeps proving it after lengthy research

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

Not stupide at all. Women are Not shaped like men, That, s why they, re made for différent gendereds.

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

Actual reality physical differences for a snug and warm fit? Men and women have somewhat slightly different physiology, live with it...

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

Is there a difference here--besides the fact that the 'women's' is more expensive, that is?

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

This isn't unnecessary. Woman's body usually needs more room for breasts and hips, and gets cold easier. For colder climates those sleeping bags are gold.

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

Seriously? This is like saying jeans should not come in mens and womens. The fit is different on these bags.

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

If one is for women and the other is for men, shouldn't the bag zip up on the opposite side? (Right over left vs left over right.)

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

this one makes sense, my sleeping bag is small size, also women and men feel the cold differently and the comport temperature is with different values. This is not repression

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

I find this one hilarious. They're completely the same thing 🤣 I think this is just a marketing tactic. People like to think the things they own are specialized for them.

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

Honestly, this one isn't so stupid. I can see that men and women may need different cuts and such to fit their bodies. This one gets a pass. -- so long as they're both the same price.

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

Red for the woman because she is so angry about all this sexist s**t? And blue for the man to match his lifeless face for buying something so sexist?

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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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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
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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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Falcon
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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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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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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

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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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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sunshine_20
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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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#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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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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Kaisu
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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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I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
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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
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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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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
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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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#33

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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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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
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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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I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
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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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