to think Ikea is being sexist in it's magazine, promoting cleaning products targeted at women

[suiz]

OK I know we like the house to be clean, but what sort of message is this sending out. OK nice mops but I certainly don't want this role reinforced in any way, especially to young men.

Why single out Ikea? almost every add on tv, mags, papers etc has women using the cleaning stuff.

yabu. they are hitting their target market. same reason beer ads are normally aimed at men.
that's who buys the stuff by and large.

YABU. Even if household cleaning tasks were shared absolutely equally amongst the sexes, half of those using them would still be women. Maybe you're the one reiforcing gender stereotypes by automatically associating certain colours with a particular sex!

(I haven't seen the Ikea catalogue though, in fairness).

Difference is, Mayorquimby, I like beer too. Well, maybe IABU but I'm boycotting them and ripping up my family card. And I'm not trying to prove sexism, just shocked that a company like Ikea - Swedish supposed to be forward thinking vis-à-vis equality - should go back to the bad old days. It's not in the catalogue but their magazine they send out from time to time.

They are Swedish, but operating in the UK market so their marketing would be adapted to local conditions.

Its not sexist to know that the majority of cleaning products are bought by women, and the majority of cleaning is done by women, its a fact.
Now if you want to get into a feminist debate about why that is and what can be done about it, fair enough, but getting your knickers in a twist because the Ikea catalogue happens to reflect reality is just silly, IMO. If you boycott every product and store that aims products at the people known to buy them, you'd better start knitting your own yoghurt and baking your own ryvita!

You know in the catelogue it shows women in the kitchen, and shckingly, kids in the childrens rooms!

Have you actually read the text that went with the article? It is an interview with a pyschologist talking about attitudes to cleaning from previous generations, and some womens' own (justified) aversion to cleaning. She goes on to talk about how cleaning can actually be ok for women as long as they feel that they are doing it on their own terms and by their own rules.

And the photo shoot that goes with it is clearly meant to be a bit ironic and Deperate Housewives in styling.

I'm usually the first to bristle at anti-feminist slights and I didn't find this article offesive at all.

Get a life.

Got a life thanks Rollmops. I also have a 15 yo DS I wouldn't want him thinking it's the girl' job, I'd expect him to share housework. And of course I read the article Laundryfairy, the point is a lot of people don't. The magazine is the same in every country so it's not just aimed at the British market. We should be beyond feminist debates anyway which is why I find this article out of touch. Blah, blah, psychologist says it's ok so that's alright then.

I bought all their stuff because I love cleaning and bright things . But my boys are all very well aware that housework is NOT woman's work.

I am all for the OP doing what she thinks is right in this case. I am fed up of the lethargy around sexism etc. FFS Katie Price is a role model, girls are getting boob jobs (paid for my their MUMS) at 16 and a beauty company who harps on about 'real women' are telling us we should be worrying about soft armpits!

On a slight tangent - I think the IKEA magazine has the smuggest families in the smuggest houses in the whole wide world.

I agree with the OP

and Rollmops - nice

You've obviously not seen the lakeland catalogue then! Spot the man cleaning in there. Opps, there are not any!

I would buy their stuff too, it's the glamorous promotion that puts me off, and, again, it's NOT a catalogue, it's a lifestyle magazine. I don't think anybody really likes cleaning, it's great to make it more fun, but it's giving the blokes a get-out clause if it's pigeon-holed as something women enjoy or are genetically programmed to do. You're right Chegirl about the lethargy: I've been against the categorisation of boys and girls since I was 7 at school where the boys got to do basket-weaving but the girls couldn't but did knitting and sewing. There's nothing wrong with knitting but it was not getting the alternative opportunity; later in secondary, boys did technical while girls did Home Economics. They changed that later but attitudes need to stay changed. Of course I realise I'm the one who wants the clean lavatory and floors the most in my house, so inevitably I do it but I don't want anyone telling me I have to do it, especially something with such a huge circulation and influence, and, it's true, the psychologist didn't say as much but it's the slippery slope, ladies. I have to say I'm slightly surprised so many posters think IBU, maybe they're younger and haven't lived through the demeaning and belittling feeling you get when you're expected to do something just because you're female, and often by women too, like your MIL and even SIL! .

What about the "Bounty" add (cannot remember the new name sorry) which uses men dressed as women? IMHO it is even worse!

If you feel that strongly, maybe you should tell them rather than boycotting them? They honestly won't notice one less customer.

I haven't seen the article tbh, but in their defence they are the least sexist company I've ever worked for so I'd be inclined to go along with Laundryfairy. I must dig a copy out and have a look.