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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

themouseyouknow Report

Kaisu
Community Member
5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    fomae2 Report

    Ize86
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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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    #3

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Hermione Granger
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The concept is good, but it should still be a family game. No need to make it just for girls.

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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?

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    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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Miłka Chromińska
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

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

    There's actually a purpose behind this. The women's tea promotes estrogen health, bone density and calmness for stress. Them men's promotes healthy testosterone levels, memory wellness and gastrointestinal wellness. You wouldn't want a woman drinking a tea that promotes higher testosterone levels, would you?

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    #6

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Falcon
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Ed Souza
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created 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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    #11

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Niito
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is this a real toy? Is it played as the usual one?

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    #12

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    mizumomochi Report

    Ana B.
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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.

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    #13

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    inkyfollies Report

    sunshine_20
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    ibelieveinher Report

    troufaki13
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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    #15

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Terd Fergison
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Johane Moller
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    jakeoftales Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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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    #20

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Dirk Daring
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Point made on this one, but at least they didn't add the pink tax.

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    #24

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    CrimsonG_Shep Report

    Avital Pilpel
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    icecoldreddie Report

    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    RuinTaughtMe Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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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    #27

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    gurneemd Report

    Ninja Kitty
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    NO FAIR~! I WANT ONE WITH BURGER KING ON THE GIRLS SIDE!!! >:{

    Naomi Armitage
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a woman, I'll take BK, Home Depot, BWW, Auto Zone, Panera Bread, and DEFINITELY Spafinder. Maybe Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

    Mary Jane Love
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    YOU DON’T NEED TO GENDER GIFT CARDS. Regular ones work just fine, thanks.

    El Dee
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow! It's hard to comprehend why anyone would even bother doing this, even trying to get into the most sexist mind set I can imagine this just doesn't make sense. I've never seen anything as pointless and as sexist at the same time. I see it's priced in dollars so assume it's the US? We just don't have anything like this in my country (Scotland) There HAVE been a few things that have been attempted to be pushed on us that didn't exist a few years ago but they tend not to work here. I mean, SOME women DO like pink but the bright, babyish colour is too garish and blue is the main colour of our country's flag so it's as popular with girls as boys. Is this predominantly an American problem??

    DemPugs
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why would autozone be on the man's card? Women have cars too...

    Mohammad Abbas
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think they missed the memo that they can after the 30s

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    Jo Choto
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd rather shop at Home Depot than Sephora any day of the week. It's so dumb.

    Jennie-Lind Normand
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd have to get one of each! Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond are some of my favourite stores!

    Amiella Berendt
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Darn, why can't I have Home Depot on mine?

    mermaidgirl960
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you look in the corner I think there's one for nonbinary so that's a good thing?

    Sophia Castaneda
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am all woman and love working on my car and working around my house, so Home Depot and Autozone are my meccas. I also love me some Cheesecake once in a while and not tomention some Buffalo Wings with a nice beer chaser. These cards make no sense to me...

    Danielle Renee
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i mean, i like wings...i guess i'm not allowed there without a male escort :(

    Nixxy
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where’s my buffalo wings :(

    a Minecraft girl
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The “Guys” literary has all my favorite restaurants

    Schrodinger's Cat
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now THIS is unnecessarily gendered. Who doesn't want a new drill from Home Depot?

    a Minecraft girl
    Community Member
    4 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But...I’m a her and I want Burger King

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

    if you gave me the pink one i would look at you and say, "You have never met me. how the heck did you find me? "

    Mohammad Abbas
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Earlier I made a post about how "If blue is for boys that means burger king is marketed towards men" and now...

    Dawn Ours
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this one ticks me off a bit I am Woman I hate Ulta and Macy's and sephora will never go to a spa I do need Auto zone and Home Depot because I actually know how to fix s**t myself

    LUNA RODRIGUEZ
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cause you know, women can’t go to Burger asking and Guys can’t go to Under armor 🙄🤷🏻‍♀️

    Satirical Duchess
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because I totally don't need a new dell computer or anything 🙄😬🖥️

    Lex Ellyss
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    YEAH! And what about men who love makeup!?

    louis porter
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do men go to Sephora or spa? No.

    PurpleLightSaber
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I dont know most of the brands on both cards.

    Baali Venomax
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought the opposite of guy was girl, not her! Burger King is pretty universal, this is lame.

    Linda Robinett
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am more likely to shop at Macy's than Autozone.

    Ayasophya Alturas
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    who says I wanna shop for clothing? I wanna go to gamestop more than anything. :)

    Stacie Wyatt
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i need a new pc one day so im buying a happy guy anyway

    Cassie
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd want Home Depot, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Auto Zone while my husband would want the Cheesecake Factory. It is kind of silly to make these things gender-specific.

    Kiera Mortensen
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Swap the Dell (Dell products hate me) with Panera and I want the blue one

    Kiera Mortensen
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Swap Dell and Panera and I want the blue one

    Jeff Requier
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    well if most of the places are GENDER specific, a straight man isnt going to sephora for him self. The womens side gets the under armour and not the men

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What do you mean a straight man isn't going to sephora for himself? I know plenty of straight men who wear light makeup daily

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    Kostas
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    it's based on statistics for easy deciding.

    A Water Bottle
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Y’all ready to triggered even more? Yell about the teen and kid cards that the same company makes.

    Łukasz Mirosław
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    'Guy' was renamed 'you'. Happy? BTW there are 'bride' and 'lady' variants, but no 'groom' and 'gent'.

    Jason M
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Real talk...what is the third green gender on the right?

    Bill
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lord and Taylor makes men's clothing?

    Russian Otaku
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gift cards are for morons and a s**t scam anyhow I'd rather the pink for cheesecake factory

    Avital Pilpel
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh, come on... surely it's not the most shocking discovery that men prefer the hkme depot to macy"s and vice versa? I don't think this card impiies women are somehow forbidden to eat at Burger King...

    Mary Jane Love
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We’re not forbidden, but for some stupid reason we now have to have a “guy” gift card because we want to shop at normal places. That’s ridiculous.

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    #30

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    themouseyouknow Report

    Dirk Daring
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    KemiSays Report

    misteriosa
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    WeebPhone Report

    Purple light
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 years ago Created 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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    #34

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    coldroses2when Report

    Lingon
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The next scientific report I write, will be written with these.

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    #35

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    12pt9 Report

    misteriosa
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How did they manage to gender divide those? o.O

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    #36

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    raccoonyote Report

    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created 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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    #39

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    SheepPuppet Report

    MonsterMum
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Man yoghurt brings an entirely different thing to my mind

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    #40

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    ramendates Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    kineticharvest Report

    I’m Foxxy and I know it 😉
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    yoshi_in_black Report

    Lauren Ricard
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created 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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    #45

    Unnecessarily-Gendered-Products-Thread

    CassTheFox_ Report

    Amy Smith
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember the "it's not for girls ads". Even as a kid it pissed me off

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