Male entitlement in the John Lewis ad

[MardyBra]

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/john-lewis-advert-boy-backlash-b1938929.html

Lots to deconstruct in this.
I have no problem with an exuberant boy in a dress (although I feel JL are trying very hard to show their target market how woke they are).

But the wilful destruction of the home his mum has put a lot of time and effort into offends my feminist (and middle-class!) sensibilities.

JL says it’s a ‘young actor getting carried away with his dramatic performance”, not “wilfully damaging his home”.’ He looks a bit old to be at the crayonning on the wall stage still.

That's awful!

DS loves to twirl around the house in a tutu and jewels, not a problem, but that behaviour is!! Even in his worst tantrum he'd never get that far without parental intervention.

I know it's an advert but if people seriously let their kids act like then then no wonder so many teachers are quitting!!!

I think they could have done a fantastic advert showing kids (of both sexes please!) accidentally making a mess while playing creatively and without destructive intent - splatter painting that goes wrong, tracking mud after a fun game, a window getting broken by a miss-aimed ball, accidentally knocking over something precious while building a den, the possibilities are endless and would have been a far better depiction of life happening, as well as being more likely to be covered by insurance! This just seems like vandalism happening and the sexism really grates.

its either paedophilic propaganda in plain sight or a shitty attempt at social commentary of how trans"women" actually behave - destroy female spaces, while females watch passively and can hope for... some insurance for damages?

The boy can wear what he want that's not the issue. The problem is how awful he is to the house and disrespectful to his sister and his mum who seem to sit there silently as though they have no agency. Hate the advert.

We need to see him dressed as a washerwoman next scrubbing the floor and cleaning up all the damage that he has done. Only then will I forgive John Lewis.

As an insurance advisor who used to underwrite the John Lewis policy (so I have a lot of experience of their typical clientele!!!!), all I can think is that advert has made alot of advisors day very difficult in declined and explaining accidental damage claims 🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊🙊

What an incredibly naughty child!
He's really not. He's just doing what he has been asked to do by the people making the advert.
Yes, the advert is depicting a naughty child who needs to be severely punished. And they’re trying to make out that such behaviour is acceptable and normal. Wicked behaviour like that should not be normalised or excused.

@Freddiefox

Is the mum a single parent?

Maybe she’s a bored shitless stay at home parent keeping her house up to scratch for her stockbroker DH. She sticks out the bullying from the male members of the household because she can’t imagine coping without his six figure salary and account at JL. Soon she’ll find out he is secretly shagging his secretary and will stray onto the MN relationships board where she will be advised to get a decent lawyer, LTB and get custody of the daughter.

Geez that is annoying.

No to letting that happen

The dancer one that had the girl in glasses a few years back was better

That just is so irritating

JL insurance at all but it's getting talked about an awful lot, so maybe it is achieving whatever it set out to achieve?
Sure it's got people talking about JL home insurance but all I'm hearing on fb MN and Twitter is that people arent interested in buying it which is counter productive.

I just see a spoilt child trashing a house. I don’t care what he’s wearing.
I especially dislike the pout-and-strut. Very obviously sexualised behaviour.
Wtf John Lewis

It’s fucking annoying.
A. Because it’s ‘woke’
B. Because the mum and sister are portrayed as passive and accepting of the boys behaviour
C. Because the kid is an entitled little shit and needs proper boundaries

He's going to have some cracking teenage parties, that one!

The JL insurance premiums must be sky high if they pay out for this type of shit.

I’d make him clean it up and pay for the damage out of his pocket money, and there would be punishment on top of that in terms of having toys and privileges removed.

This comment has really tickled me. It's an advert - we don't need to debate a suitable punishment for the fictitious scenario

Would jl even pay out for this kind of damage?

@notacooldad

JL insurance at all but it's getting talked about an awful lot, so maybe it is achieving whatever it set out to achieve? Sure it's got people talking about JL home insurance but all I'm hearing on fb MN and Twitter is that people arent interested in buying it which is counter productive.

Not necessarily. There is evidence to suggest that annoying adverts that get people talking are actually very effective.

If nothing else, people will remember now that JL does home insurance. A bland, inoffensive ad might not have driven that point home as effectively.

I know it's counterintuitive. We all believe that we wouldn't be persuaded by the adverts that irritate us. But as far as I'm aware, the evidence suggests that we're wrong.

To be fair my house looks like that every Sunday night after a weekend of a LOT of children, so maybe I do need their insurance?

Sure it's got people talking about JL home insurance but all I'm hearing on fb MN and Twitter is that people arent interested in buying it which is counter productive.

I disagree, it's put John Lewis + insurance together in a lot of people's heads for the first time.

Job done.

Awful advert. Made me cringe

My first thoughts were - accidental damage isn't going to cover that, obnoxious child.

Couldn't care less what anyone is wearing!

Job done

Why do we have to be irritated by adverts for this

Hopefully somewhere an ad agency is rethinking annoying people

I don't particularly like the advert but have to respect the genius that has everyone everywhere talking about it.

@Henio 8 years experience in home insurance and the answer is absolutely NOT 😂😂😂

So a success for JL marketing in terms of recognition, discussion or whatever modern metrics they use.

My biggest problem is that its not going to be covered is it. None of that shit. And several things would have been ruined beyond repair.