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AIBU?

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Original poster

for getting annoyed at Tesco selling stationery for girls making fun of boys?

40 replies

podie · 20/08/2012 22:09

Did my weekly grocery shopping today and decided while I was there to pick up some back to school stationery for my three sons, who were with me. I needed to get a folder/ring binder for my 11 year old and was disgusted to find that they are sellling folders, obviously geared at girls, which reads "boys are so dumb they can't even chew gum" and another which read "stupid factory, where boys are made". Given the high rate of suicide among teenage boys and young men in their 20's is this really the message to be sending out, especially in the school place? It is not acceptable to make fun of a persons religion or the colour of their skin so why should it be acceptable to make fun of someones gender?

OP posts:
missymoomoomee · 20/08/2012 22:17

What about chocolate bars and crisps advertised as 'Not for girls' or the chinos thats instructions for ironing were 'give them to the mrs'. Some things are just a joke. If anyone was going to take childrens stationery personally then they obviously have deeper underlying issues anyway IMO.

BlackberryIce · 20/08/2012 22:18

Kids are impressionable, no?

featherbag · 20/08/2012 22:20

YABU, kids are kids and jokes are jokes. Little girls and little boys have always and will always be like oil and water - until they edge towards adolescence, that is!

WorraLiberty · 20/08/2012 22:22

My DS bought me a diary with "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them" written across the cover Grin

Kids do have a sense of humour

littlemisssunny · 20/08/2012 22:22

I don't take it too personally, I think you get similar things aimed at girls.

I know to take it as a joke, but I see what you mean about boys taking it personally, and could see how someone could take it the wrong way.

BlackberryIce · 20/08/2012 22:23

Tesco should maybe sell stationary demonising girls too? That would be interesting...

mellowcat · 20/08/2012 22:24

I wouldn't buy them personally, but I think linking thoughtless slogans on kids stationary to the very complex issues surrounding high suicide rates in boys is a bit unreasonable.

marquesas · 20/08/2012 22:24

Actually I agree with you podie - I suspect there'd certainly be people complaining if the sentiments were anti-girl.

I don't think items aimed at children should have any kind of derogatory slogans on. There are plenty of other things they could choose and plenty of time in later life for "fun" messages.

BlackberryIce · 20/08/2012 22:24

'girls are stupid, throw rocks at them'

Yeah, why not!?

OddBoots · 20/08/2012 22:25

I totally agree, I have one son and one daughter and I would be so cross if either had any sexist slogans on any of their stuff.

We know there is low level conflict/competition between young boys and girls but to formalise and encourage it is just asking for trouble. Society should not be 'them and us' and children learn what they see.

BlackOutTheSun · 20/08/2012 22:25

''Tesco should maybe sell stationary demonising girls too? That would be interesting...''

Why they already sell man crisps and chocolate which isn't for girls

pinkyp · 20/08/2012 22:26

I think you are being unreasonable. Most Hmm people would see it as a joke. My ds (5) doesn't like girls he says they stink....should he be punished as being sexist? Get a grip.

BlackberryIce · 20/08/2012 22:28

Stationary isn't aimed at little children though is it? It's older kids who require it for school...not so much 5 year olds

OddBoots · 20/08/2012 22:29

No-one is talking about punishing children, pinkyp. If it were my son I'd not punish him for saying that kind of thing at 5 but I would try to educate him not encourage it.

MrsTerryPratchett · 20/08/2012 22:29

Tesco's sell Yorkies don't they?

EightiesChick · 20/08/2012 22:30

Well I think YANBU, actually. Any mean-spirited stereotyping of the opposite sex is not on. I wouldn't like to see 'Girls are so dumb they can't chew gum' on stationery and I don't want to see this version either. And the 'it's only a joke' defence is a well-known way of trying to get away with all sorts of nasty behaviour.

EightiesChick · 20/08/2012 22:30

And on the Yorkies, man crisps etc, two wrongs don't make a right.

featherbag · 20/08/2012 22:31

I think this is one of the more ridiculous threads I've seen on AIBU, so I'm steering clear from now on. Just wanted to reiterate, YABU.

NellyJob · 20/08/2012 22:33

YANBU

AmberLeaf · 20/08/2012 22:34

I agree OP but don't expect many others will.

I remember when the 'boys are stupid throw rocks at them' t shirts came out and that pissed me off too!

DoesItComeInBlack · 20/08/2012 22:35

Bernard Manning used to defend his Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, homophobia as just a joke too. Some people actually laughed too. The rest of us didn't.

EightiesChick · 20/08/2012 22:37

featherbag Not at all. Lots of young boys and girls get on very well. This stuff just panders to the lazy stereotype that they don't.

CuriousMama · 20/08/2012 22:40

YANBU I hate that. I also hate all the sexist (against men) adverts on TV. The Yorkie bar thing is pathetic too. I sometimes wonder if we're really in the 21st century? It should be discouraged from both angles.

WilsonFrickett · 20/08/2012 22:40

Sometimes people tell jokes about men and women and I laugh, if they're funny and rooted in truth. Some people may say 'that's a sexist joke', not find it funny, that's fine.

But That's a world away from Tesco making money off shit slogans that demean boys. I hate all this 'boys are so difficult', 'oh, that's just like a boy' stuff and as the mother of a boy, it's pretty widespread.

Completely agree that 'throw rocks at girls' would get a different reaction too.

YANBU

Shutupalittlebit · 20/08/2012 22:45

yanbu, it's corrosive.