To really, really hate that new dulux advert.

[Quality]

The one that has the blue bedroom with all the inspirational football stuff and a man talking about his hopes and dreams for his son, and then he says something like 'oh well', paints it pink and it has flowers + a dollshouse + that's it.
grr

well why not get worked up over the gender stereotyping of the boy too?! you're very one-sided. It is just an advert toshow how quick the paint pod thing is, thats all....not an attempt to sell colours, or gender ideals...just a paint pod. I'd find something more important to get worked up about.

Doesn't it just make your heart sink though?
And also that we are so powerless to change it because it is such a 'minor' part of sexism across the world,so no point in complaining or campaigning. So it just remains as another reinforcer of negative stereotypes for us to counteract in our own lives in our own little personal crusades.

I think that's why lots of us like to vent on here, as it feels like 'agh, got to get my distaste of this out SOMEWHERE'. Depressing may be too strong, I guess.

Adair - no it doesn't make my heart sink - I really don't understand why it would/should/does to others??

Why is it a negative stereotype?

You are so powerless to change it because most girls do like pink and most boys do like blue - so what are you going to do - in womb neutralisation??

Children like those colours - by the time they are teenagers they change, develop different tastes... it's normal, it's natural and there isn't anything to get het up about.

Oh you see I differ in the opinion that most girls like pink and most boys like blue. I would suggest that boys and girls like a variety of colours and interests but there is a lot of socialisation that reinforces certain choices. All the boys I know like pink, and sparkly, until they get to school. And pink used to be for boys (as it was seen as a 'strong' colour). So I DO think it is changeable, in theory.

You are right about the use of 'negative stereotype'. No, footballing boys and ballet girls are not necessarily a negative stereotype, just a stereotype in the advert. It was more the disappointment that felt negative I guess.

its not that bad!!!!!!

and its more "rust" than pink

It's not the 'pink' and 'blue' that annoyed me (although that does annoy me as a mother of a dd who wants blue glittery things...), it was the subtext as i explained above, it's just as adair said.

i'm with Quality and Adair here, it's not about the colours themselves, it is however about the subtext and labelling/ stereotypes advertisers utilise which go on to reinforce the stereotypes, so nothing ever changes, and yes I do unfortunately think that people are that susceptible (sp) to advertising or we wouldn't be crazy about ipods and the like as there are much but bits of technology out there that don't cost as much

if you do kick up a fuss, it is only a paint advert after all, what a thing to get het up about?

surely, unless you strive to make changes and vote with your feet, nothing will ever change?

i'm hardly a blazing feminist but it so frustrates me that we (the whole world) simply does not promote gender equality enough

interestingly our female football are far and away more successful than the male team but it is football for men that is promoted so much

some of the others have put this so much more eloquently than I have but no, it isn't just an advert, sorry about the essay and the dodgy diction

[sigh]

Well said elisa.

I actually don't care either way about the ad, but just wanted to reply to ChippinIn's comment that boys do like blue and girls do like pink. No, they don't! Not naturally, at least.

In countries where there isn't this weird gender-specific colour distribution, girls like all colours and boys like all colours! I have relatives living in the Middle East and they are puzzled by this pink-blue thing, genuinely puzzled. Boys there wear pink along with a vast spectrum of colours, and so do girls.

My Spanish neighbour is equally puzzled. She refuses to buy clothes for her son here in UK as the only choices she has are blue, brown, murky beige, and that's it! Her son wears the most amazing clothes brought over from Barcelona and looks quite the "cool dude"