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Original poster

To think mumsnet are helping promote sexist attitudes

197 replies

YoniFoolsAndHorses · 31/05/2013 15:36

Re "girl" and "boy" toys.

I am a 'Mumsnet panelist' and regularly fill in a load of little surveys. I have never win any of the £50 amazon prizes, but actually I have never minded that at all. I can do the little surveys easily on my phone in a few minutes, and I like to think that it's doing my bit to keep mumsnet getting bigger and better.

Until this afternoon.

Until I get a survey about toy cars and trucks to which I would only be elegible to answer if I had a son.

My daughter plays with similar cars and trucks. We know the make involved well. She has fantastic and reasoned opinions on the toys involved too (we tried the survey together - although I didn't submit it - I just answered the first question incorrectly and said she was a boy).

How can this possibly be right that mumsnet is allowing such sexist marketing to continue around 'girl' and 'boy' toys?

.

OP posts:
AngryGnome · 31/05/2013 21:21

I agree that the response from hq is pretty disappointing. Yes, of course MN is a business, and needs money if it I going to continue free access. But, on the other hand MN also positions itself as a campaigning body, and accepting clients that reinforce the sexist values that MN campaigns against...well, it's just a bit silly isn't it?

I can't imagine that mnhq are short of clients who want to get their market research mitts on us, so it is difficult to understand why they didn't a) work with the company to remove the everyday sexism present in their survey or b) refuse to work with them if they wouldn't remove the sexist attitude.

NorksAreMessy · 31/05/2013 21:27

careful coaldust. They might try to win you over by painting all the trucks a pretty colour..pink perhaps Hmm

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 31/05/2013 21:27

CoalDust well put. And Tonka, if you think girls don't like trucks then that's not surprising given the extent of your research!

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 31/05/2013 21:28

Norks also well put! Grin

Ilikethebreeze · 31/05/2013 21:32

To be fair to MN, they do not make that much money.
Yes, their turnover is £4 million, but that is not the same as profit.
I think their profit is about £2 million, but that has to be divided amongst 7 of them?

JacqueslePeacock · 31/05/2013 21:32

Very unimpressed with this - definitely not the kind of survey I would have expected Mumsnet to be promoting.

Smudging · 31/05/2013 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoalDustWoman · 31/05/2013 21:49

But throwing your principles out of the window when cash is flashed is very meh.

Not much in the not-very-feminist-really stakes surprises me from MNHQ, though. Sad to say. Though this did. I thought this kind of thing was right up their street.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 31/05/2013 21:50

Ilikethebreeze Oh and 300 grand is peanuts. Hmm

Ilikethebreeze · 31/05/2013 21:52

Well, now you put it like that, Neo, it is rather a lot isnt it? Grin

Viviennemary · 31/05/2013 21:54

I'm not usually very 'militant' about this kind of thing. But it does seem wrong to restrict replies to people who have a son. But that is probably what the advertisers have asked for so it's their fault and not mumsnet's.

TiggyD · 31/05/2013 21:56

It's official. Mumsnet have turned to the dark side.

Wonder what Darth Justine will say?

whosiwhatsit · 31/05/2013 21:57

It is actually possible to say "no" to something someone asks for if its just not right, though, Viviennemary.

CoalDustWoman · 31/05/2013 21:58

Actually, MN is growing nicely since the last time I looked

It's really disappointing, isn't it? Come on, Justine, give us your spin.

BIWI · 31/05/2013 22:02

Ilikethebreeze - what do you mean it has to be divided for the 7 of them? There are loads more people who work at Mumsnet than that!

And it's not just money to pay salaries - it has to pay for their rent, rates, utilities, all the servers and general tech stuff ...

StuntGirl · 31/05/2013 22:02

"I think their profit is about £2 million, but that has to be divided amongst 7 of them?"

Oh noes, a measly £285,000 each? However will they cope without those lovely sexist surveys adding to the bank balance?

"But, on the other hand MN also positions itself as a campaigning body, and accepting clients that reinforce the sexist values that MN campaigns against...well, it's just a bit silly isn't it?"

Very well put.

CoalDustWoman · 31/05/2013 22:08

You'd think one of them would have gone "Uh, hang on, that doesn't quite fit", wouldn't you?

Or are they still all too busy.

CoalDustWoman · 31/05/2013 22:08

?

Ilikethebreeze · 31/05/2013 22:09

According to Justines last interview this week,I think in the London Standard,there are 68 employees.
In the interview it said their turnover was £4 million.

Cant remember where I saw that their profit was £2 million.
The profit would be after rent, overheads, salaries etc.

Maybe I have got some of the sums wrong?

There are 7 directors to share the profit.

NorksAreMessy · 31/05/2013 22:13

just in case anyone doesn't know about this

TheFallenNinja · 31/05/2013 22:46

Just marking my place.

NorksAreMessy · 31/05/2013 22:51

and this is another brilliant campaign

AnnieLobeseder · 31/05/2013 22:55

I've always been very pleased to see MN take an ethical stance on most things, and promote the causes of women and girls. I'm very disappointed by this. It's furtherment of gender stereotypes and putting children in boxes. Sad days.

Lazyjaney · 31/05/2013 23:48

Campaigns are for PR and Marketing, Ads and Clients are for money. if you're not paying, you're not the customer.