Author Topic: How Empowerment Because Something for Women to Buy  (Read 3748 times)

sheepstache

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How Empowerment Because Something for Women to Buy
« on: April 15, 2016, 10:51:38 PM »
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/magazine/how-empowerment-became-something-for-women-to-buy.html

There's certainly a lot of attempts by advertisers to connect to a customer's identity or the identity that person wishes they had. Thought this was an interesting take on the commodification of feminism.

I thought the comment about the beauty/fashion examples was great. Supposedly it turns on its head the normal advertising message that seeks to make women feel insecure in order to make them buy a product, but it really just relies on the same framework.

And then you have all the pink-ribbon branded stuff. Women-specific stuff that doesn't need to be women-specific (though it reached a level of deservedly-mocked absurdity with the Bic Pens For Her). Oh plus all the advertising messages that make fun of "traditional" femininity in messages of barely-concealed misogyny (buy these engineering blocks for girls or your daughter will play with sissy dolls like some kind of loser homemaker!).  Other examples you guys can think of?

Related: http://www.theonion.com/article/women-now-empowered-by-everything-a-woman-does-1398
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Other acts of empowerment include gossiping about the sexual proclivities of male acquaintances, lunching with other women in small groups, taking calcium-rich antacid tablets, and reading The Nanny Diaries.
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"Not every woman can become a physicist or lobby to stop a foundry from dumping dangerous metals into the creek her children swim in," Klein said. "Although these actions are incredible, they marginalize the majority of women who are unable to, or just don't particularly care to, achieve such things. Fortunately for the less impressive among us, a new strain of feminism has emerged in which mundane activities are championed as proud, bold assertions of independence from oppressive patriarchal hegemony."

Long Beach, CA, resident Jeanne Bradley was recently given a special commendation by the city of Los Angeles for regularly attending WNBA games.

"From midnight cheesecake noshers to moms who don't fool around with pain, feminist achievement covers a broad spectrum," said Bradley in her acceptance speech. "It is great to be a female athlete, senator, or physician. But we must not overlook the homemaker who uses a mop equipped with convenient, throwaway towelettes, the college co-ed who chooses to abstain from sex, and the college co-ed who chooses to have a lot of sex. Only by lauding every single thing a woman does, no matter how ordinary, can you truly go, girls."
« Last Edit: April 15, 2016, 10:54:53 PM by sheepstache »

pbkmaine

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Re: How Empowerment Because Something for Women to Buy
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2016, 01:52:42 AM »
But I LOVE pink pens!

prognastat

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Re: How Empowerment Because Something for Women to Buy
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2016, 07:17:35 AM »
Wherever there is some way to make money at minimal investment someone will find a way.

Lots of these products require minimal additional investment to the manufacturing of the companies making them, so the only cost is some marketing which due to the message is much likelier to get shared on social media too. So minimal money spent to upgrade manufacturing and minimal money needed for advertising = $$$

It's sad but effective.

franklin w. dixon

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Re: How Empowerment Because Something for Women to Buy
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2016, 10:26:41 AM »
But I LOVE pink pens!
finally a product for me, the consumer


NoraLenderbee

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Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!