Man shops?!?

[Returning]

Ok, apologies, but I'm just running in the door to have a scream. I'll probably run straight out again.

I have two teenage DC and was window shopping for christmas ideas. Found a great shop, full of fun ideas for teenagers, but then saw the name - 'Menkind' - what's that all about then? Marketing epic fail?

[Indigui]

menkind.co.uk - Menkind have a wealth of gifts & gadgets for men. View our boys toys, novelty gifts, cool gadgets & men's accessories today.

Because only men like cool stuff. Right.

[Returning]

And I did think the shop was really cool ........... until I saw the name. Then walked straight out.

[Returning]

It's like a name someone off The Apprentice would come out with! And then lose the task.

[Homeriliad]

I don't see how this is sexist?? It's a shop marketed towards men. No-one is saying women can't shop there or anything.
Is Women's Own magazine sexist for having the word Women in the title?

[Returning]

Bless! It's appalling marketing. Why on earth would you market goods towards 50% of the population when a good proportion of the other 50% of the population would be interested also? It's a horrendous example of 'othering' and is stupidly sexist. And, no, I wouldn't buy 'Womens Own' either!!

[davey321]

oMgawd that is sooo sexist, how can the owners of the shop do this , shame on them

[Spidergirl8]

I've always felt that shop is full of expensive tat, let the 'menkind' waste their time and money in it if they wish ;)

[alicemalice]

Course it's sexist.

Sexism definition
Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination on the basis of sex.

[LongDistanceLove]

I own a vagina, I have been in that shop, there were no alarms or security that bundled me out when I walked through the threshold.

I have bought stuff in that shop for me, I haven't grown a penis nor have my ovaries dropped out.

It might be stupid marketing yes, but sexist? No I don't think so. It would be sexist if it said women can't shop here.

[alicemalice]

It's sexist marketing. It relies on presumptions that all men like the same kind of stuff. And that women don't particularly like that stuff.

[SoMuchForSubtlety]

It builds on the idea that men will only buy things marketed to men, but women will buy things marketed to men or to women.

In other words, it's a terrible thing to buy something marketed to women if you're a man.

Hence: sexist in it's ideology.

Women are used to feeling somewhat excluded, so we cope ok when it happens, whether in a retail environment or otherwise. I'm regularly "the only woman in the room" at work. I never comment on it and rarely notice any more. If a man is the only man in the room he ALWAYS mentions it, in my experience. I've even been in groups where the only man was 7, and he still managed to both notice and mention it.

[SoMuchForSubtlety]

Not at work, with the 7 year old! At a play date

[alicemalice]

It's this idea that women are innately disposed to like fluffy towelling robes and men to like GPS's.

(Actually I like both.)

[yoffwoba]

I really don't think feminists have a right to complain about this.

There are plenty of shops that are women-only, and even more shops that are for both genders but once you get inside 95% of it is the women's section and the other 5% is the men's section.

[ClartyYakker]

I'm just not finding any reason to get outraged about this, sorry OP and others.

Don't think it really helps the cause to get irate about it either. The name of of a shop doesn't stop women going in there just like it is perfectly acceptable for us to go into Topman or any other menswear shops, nor does it suggest in any way that only men are allowed in or that men are in any way superior to women...

am I missing something to be outraged about?

[yoffwoba]

@ClartyYakker, it looks like you aren't feminist enough. You need to go take a feminist studies college course that has a very radical feminist lecturer. When you're done, come back and I guarantee you will be seeing sexism and misogyny everywhere (including names of shops) and be furious 24/7 about everything.

[ClartyYakker]

having looked at the website if anything it is more offensive to men

[EmbarrassedPossessed]

People have a right to complain about things that annoy them, and try to explain why. You have the right to disagree with them, and try to explain why you think they are wrong. You don't get to tell other people what they can or can't complain about.

[yoffwoba]

Then go ahead and complain and continue to show people just how petty feminism is these days.

[EmbarrassedPossessed]

This is a discussion forum for people to chat about feminism. It's reasonable for someone to post "I think this is sexist, what do others think?". This is a informal discussion group not a formal debating society or the House of Commons. No one is saying that one poster is representative of all feminists, or that everything discussed here has to represent your idea of what feminism is.

Why don't you explain why it isn't sexist and why it isn't particularly important without resorting to snide snipping about other posters?

[yoffwoba]

Do you think magazines like 'Womens Own' are sexist as well?

[EmbarrassedPossessed]

If that's addressed to me, yoffwoba, then it may have escaped your attention that I haven't actually stated my opinion on Menkind.

I think Woman's Own is crap although I haven't read many copies of it recently so could be wrong on that. Menkind sell a load of pointless tat. I find both to be promoting tired stereotypes of gender, but I don't find them sexist in themselves.

[prashad]

I think that marketing strategy is dependent entirely on the actions of consumers.

Men buy that kind of stuff far more than women do, so if you're in the business of making money by selling products, then it makes sense to market it towards men.

If women shopped there more, this would reflect in their market research and they'd rebrand with a more representative name.

We as consumers are ultimately responsible for what's advertised to us.

I got annoyed many years ago when I saw a mobile phone that was marketed towards women... is was a smaller, pink and sparkly version of the standard model (which was for men, obviously) but with less features. But then I thought... well who is buying them? Women, probably. Can't blame the patriarchy for that one.

I suppose it's the same for many things. Who keeps Victoria's Secret models employed? Who keeps the magazines who air-brush their cover models in business? Who pays the TV and film producers who sexualise and objectify female characters? We, the customers. If we stopped buying then they'd stop making.