To think Center Parcs should be ashamed of this

[ReallyCenterParcs]

I think it may have been deleted now, but not before Center Parcs hid or deleted comments pointing out the stereotyping and misogyny of this Facebook post...
One comment I saw said mum's not keeping up because of all the shopping, cooking, washing and organising she had to before the family got to sodding Center Parcs in the first place. And she's riding a shite bike they've given her

Bloody hell what a sexist ridiculous comment.

i assume you can’t see the image, in it the mum has fallen behind, it could easily have been the dad.

She hasn't "fallen behind" she's practically level with dad and very close to her child in front, given that they're moving.

I think the angle makes her look a bit behind the man, from another angle I'm sure they'd be almost level.

The mother looks further behind to me, the fathers front wheel is nearly equidistant to the child closest to the right as you look at it, when the mothers front wheel is some distance away.

It is a very lazy piece of work. Surely they could have come up with something better?

Firstly, yes, I'm a fully grown woman with a vagina and everything. Obviously it's beyond your understanding to see a woman call another woman out on her sexist remarks which says a lot about you. I'm sorry to break it to you, but not every woman on the planet has the need to feel terminally oppressed.

Secondly, there are no "light-hearted jibes towards women" in the ad, despite your desperation to find one.

And thirdly, carrying all that bitterness around isn't good for your health.

HTH

Read way too much into that.

I’m not sure how fruitful all this forensic examination of the relative positions of the bikes is… I think that’s beside the point.

The “keep up” moment could be what happens next. The point is the phrase, that’s it’s addressed to mum, that the assumption is that at some point she’ll need chivvying along.

It’s not an attack on women or anything. It’s just predictable, ingrained misogyny. It’s normal.

@LancashireTart

Obviously it's beyond your understanding to see a woman call another woman out on her sexist remarks which says a lot about you.

Your style of arguing is very petulant. You know nothing about me - also, it’s irrelevant. But if you want to deduce ‘a lot about’ me, go ahead. I’ll stick to the case in hand.

You are still labouring under the impression that I made a sexist comment, even though I’ve explained that my comment (about women trusting men) was rooted in incontrovertible facts about the oppression of men by women on a world-wide scale since the start of recorded history.

It’s not sexist to state facts. It’s a fact that men have oppressed women. It’s a fact to say men (as a class) have abused women (as a class) on a massive scale. Therefore it’s entirely justified to say men have not earned women’s benefit of the doubt.

The advert might be entirely innocent in that the people who put it together might be really obtuse and not mean any offence. I’m willing to accept that. But I’m not willing to accept that it’s not a poor choice that feeds off ingrained misogyny. But your categorical statement that there is no trace of a jibe is just so wilfully blind.

"Wah, wah, wah, oh woe is me, I'm such a victim of oppression!"

There, there. I suggest you go and have a lie down to take the weight of victimhood off your shoulders. Sweet dreams.

Ok. I’ve tried to use reason with you but you clearly can’t cope. Your ‘points’ are pathetic!

I’m not saying anything at all about me or how I feel as an individual.

I would ask you this: do you agree that women (as a class, not me as an individual 🙄) have been systematically oppressed by men throughout history?

If ‘yes’ - well, you are part of the way to understanding why it’s perfectly justified to scrutinise the way women are portrayed in media and advertising because the odds are there’s some misogyny afoot.

If ‘no’, I suggest it’s back to school with you to learn some history.

As a matter of fact, I do agree with that, historically speaking. However, we, as women, have never as many opportunuties that we do today. I genuinely can't think of many things that my DH is able to do that I'm not. As far as I'm concerned the old oppression argument is largely irrelevant today.

But as this thread proves, feminists will always look for the tiniest things to be offended about.

If it had been two boys then they'd be complaining...

"Why are there no girls? Girls exist too!"

Its not even a standalone ad. It's part of a series.

@LancashireTart

As far as I'm concerned the old oppression argument is largely irrelevant today.

Ah, I can see there’s no point discussing this with you then. You think inequality is over. Good luck with that.

@ButWhatAboutTheBees do you have details of the other ads?

What opportunities does a man have that you don't?

The opportunity to be listened to respectfully by far more people than women are ?

The opportunity not to be first point of call for all childcare problems

I think in context it's quiet clear what the intention is supposed to be

Cherry picking doesn't help anyone

Not sure what your point is? They don’t all have to be misogynistic. I don’t imagine they sat down and went, “Right, where can we slip some digs at women into every one of these images?”

Casual misogyny emerges in various places. One of their images tended that way.

The opportunity to benefit from medical research tailored to his body.

The opportunity to walk down the street after dark with a relative sense of ease.

The opportunity to be judged on what he does rather than what he looks like.

The opportunity to see his sex class represented in popular culture and media in a way that doesn’t revolve around sexual objectification.

The opportunity to purchase sex from abused service-providers.

The opportunity to abuse women with relative impunity safe in the knowledge that the police force gives not one shiny shit.

Will that do you for now?

...it’s perfectly justified to scrutinise the way women are portrayed in media and advertising because the odds are there’s some misogyny afoot...

Yes, it seems @Poetnojo 's observation was true after all!

Welcome to planet Earth where women have been objectified in advertising campaigns since advertising was a thing. And where you are never more than two clicks away from a degrading image of a woman.

Pretend it’s not true all you like. Much good may it do you (and your daughters).

Agree. It is still a patriarchal society. The endemic misogyny in the police is frightening. Sexual harrassment by senior Consultants of female staff in the NHS was the subject of a shocking expose not long ago. The fire service is a jolly old boys club and riddled with misogyny. These are just obvious examples.

Nah, women are not considered equal in reality nor in the hearts and minds of men on every level of society.

The opportunity to walk down the street after dark with a relative sense of ease.

I, a woman, walk down the street wirh a relative sense of ease. A man is in fact at more risk of attack

The opportunity to be judged on what he does rather than what he looks like.

Men are judged on what they look like rather than what he does

Actually I'm going to stop copy/pasting...

Men are turned into sex objects all the time. But it's fine for Betty to leer at Tom Hardy or Aidan Turner or the Chrises in topless scenes which are blatantly there for sex appeal and have no value. Heck as we are talking adverts... there was a Diet Coke ad not that long ago which was women leering over a man they had tricked into getting topless....

Women can purchase sex too

Statistically men won't report abuse (domestic and sexual) because the police won't believe them

There are very real issues for women - access to sanitary products, fairer pay, attitudes towards pregnancy, better treatment/care for the menopause, gender imbalance in clothing and relationships... (you're right about medical care)

There are also issues which affect everyone - police being shit for example.

One advert in a series of adverts showing families and couples being stereotypical families and couples isn't going to damage anything. Especially when the intention clearly isn't even to talk shit about a woman!