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John Lewis and it’s ‘gender relaxed’ ad

634 replies

SouthernFashionista · 11/10/2021 19:44

Curious to hear thoughts on the new ad from John Lewis. It strikes me as sinister. Why does a small child have to send out a message of LGBTQ equality? Why is he acting like a drag queen.

OP posts:
SeaRabbit · 13/10/2021 05:47

I found the sexualisation disturbing, but more important to me is the message it sent about male entitlement.

The sheer sexism of the whole advert repels me. And at a time when at last notice is being taken of male violence towards women, JL show us how it all starts, and we're meant to applaud it?

As previous posters have said, the cowed women says a lot about the dynamics. The whole advert says a lot about the people who created and approved it.

There have been some excellent points made. I hope everyone is taking the time to complain to JL.

Ericaequites · 13/10/2021 05:22

My mother would have broken a light fixture or two doing her own Howler at that boy. She would have grabbed him and slapped him into next week.

Tedimhoardingrightsosaur · 12/10/2021 23:05

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Clymene · 12/10/2021 22:51

I wonder if I took a load of 8 year old boys smashing their way through Peter Jones, they'd just laugh it off as boys will be girls?

toomanytrees · 12/10/2021 22:38

I wonder how JL would feel if someone organized a flash dance of boys in dresses who oh so accidentally managed to trash the women's clothing section?

Coatandhat · 12/10/2021 22:20

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SickAndTiredAgain · 12/10/2021 22:15

@drspouse

We've had 3 new TVs from insurance (not JL) and all 3 were child induced. Two were deliberately thrown (one per child) and one was DD aged about 2 so we thought possibly not deliberate.
You have twice had a child throw your tv??
CuteGirlsWatchMeEatEther · 12/10/2021 22:08

@LizzieSiddal

Does anyone know where this Ad has been broadcast? I haven’t seen it on TV (thank god).
It was on itv during The Chase ad breaks today
Datun · 12/10/2021 22:08

JapanJetplane and MrsArchchancellorRidcully please google Desmond is Amazing and Queen Lactatia and see if you think the same.

drspouse · 12/10/2021 22:05

We've had 3 new TVs from insurance (not JL) and all 3 were child induced. Two were deliberately thrown (one per child) and one was DD aged about 2 so we thought possibly not deliberate.

Clymene · 12/10/2021 21:57

I've complained to the ASA.

Campervan69 · 12/10/2021 21:24

JapanJetplane you really think this child chose the clothes and wrote the advert do you?

littlbrowndog · 12/10/2021 21:20

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

The only redeeming quality of this as is that we as a population need to stop judging boys dressing as they please. Boys dressing as they like should be embraced and is less likely to lead to them being told 'you are a girl' 🤦🏼‍♀️
Totally sexualised. Like a wee drag artist. Yuck
MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 12/10/2021 21:05

The only redeeming quality of this as is that we as a population need to stop judging boys dressing as they please. Boys dressing as they like should be embraced and is less likely to lead to them being told 'you are a girl' 🤦🏼‍♀️

JapanJetplane · 12/10/2021 21:01

What does it have to do with LGBT? He’s a young child dressing how he wants and doing what he wants. Really weird interpretation to put on it to assume it’s making some point about gender or sexuality.

Lots of little kids pick clothes that adults would code as being for the opposite sex, because they’re not old enough to have internalised rules about clothes. It’s a pretty normal thing and nothing to be concerned about.

KimikosNightmare · 12/10/2021 20:47

@dementedma

It's a shit ad showing a badly behaved male child trashing a house while the females sit passively by and allow it.
That's excellently succinct.
Tedimhoardingrightsosaur · 12/10/2021 19:45

I didn't see (or register) the Tiny Dancer advert. It's quite different to the new one. The girl is not doing anything deliberately when she catches the furnishings, it's incidental to her dancing, not part of her act; and yes, she doesn't actually seem to damage anything, just near misses. Her dance to me is a copy of the Maddie Ziegler dance in the Sia/Chandelier video, just with different music.

merrymouse · 12/10/2021 19:35

Also, interesting that there is no father figure in the ad. I doubt that the public would buy into the "man of the house" sitting back passively while that happened.

There is a father figure in the 2015 ad, but he isn't there when she is doing most of the dancing and she doesn't actually cause any damage.

merrymouse · 12/10/2021 19:33

@rabbitwoman

why are the two females in it so passive?

Wasn't the predecessor to this advert, a few years ago now, a little girl doing exactly the same thing? Yes, I remember, because my mum thought it was based on me!!

No. The girl was dancing alone and almost accidentally causing damage because she was in a world of her own

This is a boy deliberately causing damage.

Datun · 12/10/2021 19:29

@Tedimhoardingrightsosaur

Can you imagine if an advertiser made an ad with a kid in a flat, wearing a tracksuit, trashing their house? They be branded a nasty thug.

Absolutely.

Also, interesting that there is no father figure in the ad. I doubt that the public would buy into the "man of the house" sitting back passively while that happened.

Yep, they couldn't have a father figure there, because it would be considered weak to let him watch all that going on. The mother figure, fine.

The problem with the John Lewis ad creatives, is they don't know they're being sexist. They don't know what they don't know. They are sexist, but they don't realise it.

There must be a checklist of 'acceptables' that they have to tick, surely?

Would this ad work the same way if it was a girl? Would this ad work the same if there was a dad instead of a mum?

They let this boy act way more sexualised that they let the girl in the previous advert.

Why?

Sexism.

Boys get sexualised too, John Lewis.

Tavelo · 12/10/2021 19:21

The kid wants a good smack and I daresay so do the entire marketing team

PattiPritell · 12/10/2021 19:18

The ad playfully highlights the things that could happen as Reggie dances around, freely expressing himself, to quote C Pointin

The behaviour isn't dancing around. It's maliciously intended - you don't accidentally hit 6 wall pictures, smear stuff down a banister and tip paint on the carpets. He's a horrible brat - how can anyone say that is playful - it's deliberate, no doubt also deliberate by JL, to get attention .
Hopefully all the comments here saying JL insurance is expensive and that their insurance probably won't cover deliberate vandalism like this also has Claire Pointin the Customer Director laughing along.

Jux · 12/10/2021 18:53

@H8H8H8

But surely insurance doesn't usually cover you for wilful damage, which this looks to be? Spoilt boy goes round the house trashing it and nobody stops him. Tell that to the insurance company and see if they wear it.

That was my first thought too! Completely rubbish ad for that alone.

Plus JLP home insurance is ridiculously expensive (at least, my last quote was).

Exactly. It's a stupid ad; JL need to trash it like that house, and think again with an intelligent head on.
merrymouse · 12/10/2021 18:53

More than anything, I think this sends a confusing message about what their policy covers and seems to be mis-selling.

dementedma · 12/10/2021 18:47

It's a shit ad showing a badly behaved male child trashing a house while the females sit passively by and allow it.