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~ Rejecting the gods of our culture since 1998.

cultural atheist

Tag Archives: Boys

Pink is for Girls

12 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by braddahr in Discovery, Observations

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Boys, Gender, Girls, Marketing, Pay Inequality, Pink Tax

I recently shared a post called Blue is for Boys. This is the follow up to that post. I have been listening to the radio program called Under the Influence.  It’s about marketing, advertising, sponsorship and how these things impact our world.  A two part episode in their last season concerned gender marketing. I encourage you to check out their site and listen to the whole episode.

In my last post, I shared how the blue for boys and pink for girls is an arbitrarily chosen, marketing concept to sell more and more product.  The argument is, this has also given ride to the so called Pink Tax.

The Pink Tax is the documented higher prices, really overcharging for products and services marketed to women that are essentially the same as “men’s” products. In the US, there are a few states that have outlawed Pink Tax but there are not consumer protections like that in Canada.

Here are some specifics quoted in the Under the Influence episode:

  • Girls toys cost more than boys toys 55% of the time.
  • Girls clothing cost more than boys clothing 26% of the time.
  • Women’s clothing costs more than men’s clothing over 40% of the time.
  • Drycleaners tend to charge more to service the same sized, same material blouse than for a man’s shirt.
  • Senior home health care for women costs more 45% of the time.
  • Women routinely pay over 25% more for haircuts than men.
  • Vehicle repairs: women are generally quoted higher estimates than men for the exact same work.
  • Women pay up to 48% more for shampoos, 11% more for razors and lotions, and 6% for body washes.

Why do women allow themselves to be manipulated this way? The argument is, people like and will spend more for products and services they perceive to be made just for them. The thing is, almost all of the time, it’s all just marketing smoke and mirrors.

Now here’s the insult to injury: Under the Influences notes women tend to purchase these products and services more often than men and they are doing so often with less money because of pay inequity!

When I see this, it’s like a whole system designed to be oppressive to women – but that would be crazy, right?

All About That What?

28 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by braddahr in Observations, Rants

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Barbie, Bass, Booty, Boys, Meghan Trainor, Mom

I feel compelled to complain about a popular song. I realize nobody likes the guy who complains about popular songs. And complaining about a popular song only seems to make it more popular. However, as a cultural atheist I can’t just stay quiet as we all mindlessly sing along to catchy lyrics. Maybe you’ll thank me later.

It’s great to see the recent surge of self-acceptance, positive body image, and anti-Photoshop messages. Of course, I would really like to see people discover their true acceptance, value and worth in God. Baby steps, baby steps.

When I first heard Meghan Trainor’s song, “All About That Bass” I thought it was cool with it’s upbeat and somewhat funny lyrics sending out a positive body image message. And then I listened more closely.

One of the key lines is:
“My momma she told me, “Don’t worry about your size…”

What an awesome mom! But wait, that’s not the whole message…

“My momma she told me, “Don’t worry about your size,
She says, “Boys like a little more booty to hold at night.”

What?!? I had to double check this with my wife. I asked her if she’s telling our daughter to not worry about her size because boys will like to hold her booty at night. She says that’s not advice she gives our daughter. Personally, it sounds like something one of those moms would say as they sell their daughters into prostitution. Is that being judgmental?

Besides being a weird message from a mom to her child, listen to what she’s saying: Be okay with your body, not because you are intrinsically valuable and beautiful, rather it’s because guys like a curvy butt.

One step forward, two steps back.

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