Sainsburys "Girl" Bag

[Kpo58]

Sainsburys is selling a bag that just says "girl" on it (pictured) for Sports Relief. They apparently also sell one that states “Everyone is Beautiful”, but I have never seen it in the shop, just the "girl" ones.

AIBU to think that the "girl" bag is sexist? I cannot think of any reason why someone would want a bag that says that on it. They don't have a "boy" bag and I would think that its very unlikely that a male would feel comfortable carrying it.

It's not a bag that would inspire a female to get into sports or feel that they can do non traditional female things more.

Do Sainsburys think that only females do the shopping? The only way they could of made the bag more sexist is to make it pink with lipstick marks on it.

If I had seen it in Sainsburys it wouldn't have even registered and I am very much a feminist, so no, I can see nothing sexist in it, in fact I miss whatever point is supposed to be making, in fact I don't think it is making a point.

Goes back to being disinterested in this bag.

Seems that the consensus is very mixed here on whether or not it's sexist.

if this is really your take on the replies to this thread, I'm starting to understand your initial weird take on the bag

Anyway, while 'girl' or 'lady' is used as a put down, I don't want to be associated with it, or described by it

That's your choice ice, but I chose to identify with it - as a feminist, and as a woman. And no-one can tell me that enabling me to make that choice is sexist.

I am also heavily involved in the female sporting community. We address each other as"ladies" and often even "girls". We are not insulting each other. We are not sexist.

Looks to me like the kind of bag that girls use to carry their school stuff.

I think there might be an allusion to the Boy London - Bella Freud used to work for Vivienne Westwood in one of her shops on the King's Road.

The boy London shop/brand I mean.

My very non "girly" feminist 10yo demanded I buy this bag for her.

She spent several years of her life wishing she were a boy, but is proudly carrying this bag wherever she goes.

I have no issue with it. If it were pink and there was another bag which was blue with "BoY" on it then I would be . But DD probably wouldn't have wanted a pink bag anyway.

It's totes (pun!) naff but I wouldn't call it sexist.

I'm very much a feminist, I'm absolutely 100% for equality, however, I have no desire to be androgynous, "Girl" is not a negative word, I quite like the bag.

"Girl is not a negative word."

Indeed

I think this bag celebrates it as a positive word, which is why my DD likes it so much.

I have a daughter. She's 9. She's funny, clever, brave, artistic...all in all pretty damn awesome! She's a GIRL! I used to be a GIRL! I think girls are great. I don't think that a bag saying 'Girl' is in any way offensive or negative. Some people enjoy being offended.

My oh took my shopping bag, with his lunch in, to work a while ago, it says "when I grow up I want to be a unicorn" on it with a picture of a rainbow and a unicorn. He didn't realise until he got to work.

It's not sexist it's just a shopping bag.

I like it. I want one. In a kind of ironic-cos-i-am-old way :)

I saw the "girl" bag and thought it was odd. I didn't know there was a second design, there weren't any of those in the store.

I would not buy this one, but the "everyone is beautiful" I might buy.

what word do you use for young, female human?

I would use 'child'.

I suppose one could claim this bag is 'reclaiming' the word girl...but I would rather we de-emphasied gender when it isn't relevant (eg. shopping/sports bags) rather than exaggerating non-existent differences yet further.

The actual differences between the genders is maybe 10% of what our society and gender stereotyping blow it up into. There might be less pay gap, and more women in STEM if we didn't do the whole pink v blue thing to such epic extremes.

icy I am absolutely passionate about getting girls into stem subjects (as a female physics graduate myself). I have written letters to companies that reinforce sexist stereotypes. I do not see how a bag with the word "girl" written on it is sexist.

Oh my god how utterly ridiculous.

It's a word. The vag isn't pink, sparkly or "girly" in any way.

Since when did the word "girl" (when used with its original intention) become sexist?

You are bonkers and don't really understand either sexism or feminism.

I cannot find the energy to get worked up about it to be honest.

The vag isn't pink, sparkly or "girly" in any way.

That's an excellent typo!

sorry I didn't realise that the definition of feminism was so clear and specific. I will try not to care about anything except those things on the officially approved feminist list in the future...

How about I don't tell you what feminism should mean to you and you don't tell me what it should mean to me?

As it's for Sport Relief is it associated with the 'This Girl Can' campaign, or with the idea of reclaiming 'run like a girl'?

Can't see it as sexist at all, and I am easily outraged

Nope, can't see any sexism in it at all.

Surely teaching little girls to denounce the very adjective used to describe them is a harmful message to send? It suggests Girl = Bad.

Those who use the word in a derogatory way are the ones who need to change.

The bag is fine.