Washing is for mums

[TheFutureSupremeRulersMum]

Anyone else find this "joke" label infuriating? Link - posted by the British Crafters page.

[TheDoctrineOfSanta]

It's better than the give it to your girlfriend one. Though not by much.

[tribpot]

It's a bit like the Asda mum advert from last year. The fact that it's true for many doesn't excuse the fact it's perpetuating stereotypes.

[TheFutureSupremeRulersMum]

Thank you tribot, perpetuating stereotypes was exactly the phrase I was looking for.

[AndHarry]

Nope, I think it's mildly amusing.

[wonderstuff]

Depressing. My six year old told me last week girls are much better at tidying up than boys, I got a bit annoyed, she said a grown up at school said so it must be true. The status quo isn't what I want for my dd, it frustrates me that more people don't question gender stereotypes.

[TheFutureSupremeRulersMum]

Wonderstuff that is so depressing that adults are teaching your daughter that. This type of stuff then reinforces it.

[wonderstuff]

I just have to concentrate on showing her that men and women are equal in my house. I wonder if her generation will succeed where we haven't. I think, going back to the original point it would be amusing if we lived in a less male chauvinist world.

[CaptainHindsight]

This reminds me of a comment my DH made the other night, why do most formula adverts contain exclusively women? Surely if a mother isn't EBF then formula feeding would be shared by both parents?

[Keepithidden]

Captain - At the age of BFing/formula feeding it's normally the mother who takes most responsibility for looking after the little one. I don't know whether this is due to societal conditioning or a if there is a biological reason for it though.

There's nothing stopping either parent from doing the feeds these days though, what with formula and expressing devices. Could be an alternative advertising angle in the future for the more enlightened companies to exploit?

[tribpot]

Yes, I think there are a number of marketing opportunities being missed by churning out tired old stereotypes - the Asda mum commercial was an example of this. There was a perfect opportunity to show poor old Asda mum killing herself with work in the run up to Christmas, then waking up to discover it was a bad dream, it was 2012 and her family had all pitched in and a marvellous time was had by all. Asda gets to look like the most politically correct supermarket in Britain, and both feeds and challenges a stereotype at the same time. Instead they went for the 'safe' option and created a dud.

So the label in the OP could have been more provocative and more amusing if it had said 'your dad knows how to do it, it's 2013', instead of playing to the stereotype.

[wonderstuff]

Sainsburys ad on at the moment, dad I'd cooking Xmas dinner, the 'daughter' narrating staes it's the only meal in the year he cooks for everyone. Why? Why feel the need to qualify a narrative challenging the stereotype like that?

[tribpot]

That is odd. Particularly as it isn't really the stereotype - men who only cook barbecues is a believable stereotype, but man who only cooks Christmas dinner, WTF! No-one who doesn't cook during the year is going to turn their hand to it on Christmas day. Mother's Day, possibly.

Some of my (male) colleagues have commented to me how bloody tired they are of 'useless dad' stereotypes being perpetuated in adverts. With good reason.

[midnight100]

Its offensive to childless women too