M and S ad - Mrs Claus

[Northernlurker]

Loved it!

Well it lasted a couple of hours 'til the cries of "misogyny" hit. I knew it would happen sooner or later.

I didn't see an angry teenage girl snapping at her brother, I saw a teenage girl reacting normally to annoying younger brother behaviour. And then that little brother realising that he's crossed a line and made his sister really unhappy, which he wants to fix.

Y'know, fairly typical family dynamics.

I think it is sexist, but I like it anyway, possibly because I adore Janet McTeer.

But the message isn't great for women, at all

Christmas ads are all a bit sexist, if you want to go down that route. The JL one, with the dad putting up the trampoline, pretty much every supermarket one with mum doing the shopping/cooking, all the beauty products/perfume ones... If you want to take it further, Christmas itself is pretty sexist - from FATHER Christmas delivering all the toys, to the whole damn thing being about a woman giving birth to the 'saviour' who happens to be male. There's plenty of problems with the whole thing, but as long as your DC are educated about sexism, I don't see the issue. In fact it could be a good catalyst to start that very discussion with young DC. Don't forget - some women prefer to be homemakers, and as long as that's their choice, that's fine too. Choice is key, no?

I've worked with abused women, lived in a women's refuge, have a teen DD and I'm as feminist as it's possible to be. I also volunteer at a food bank and live in a council flat on a northern estate. But not even I can get my knickers in a twist about how sexist and middle class an advert is. And my knickers are very easily twistable

And as a pp said, it isn't real, even if it will be on TV for the next five weeks. As long as your DDs (and DSs) understand that there are lots of roles, in and out of the home, that men and women are good at and can do, I don't see the issue.

Besides, I think the James Bond-y Mrs Claus is rather cool

It's just because my brain can't compute why you'd have a full cooked Christmas dinner, complete with flaming pudding, laid out the night before

I wondered about that too

I've not seen anyone say it's "misogynist"', I think it's sexist. It's pretty clear to me. The teenage girl was presented as angry, the boy entirely positively, the girl did nothing positive or loving, only becoming happy upon receiving a gift from the oh so caring and lovely brother. She's materialistic, only caring about possessions, he's concerned only with her happiness. Boring sexism and typical negative presentation of teenage girls and positive presentation of boys. Because boys are great and girls are hysterical and self-centred.

Meh I quite liked it. Especially liked the fact she was reading fifty shades of red.

So because all Christmas ads are sexist we should just accept it? It is real, it exists, it's going to be shoved in our faces for weeks, not everyone has a feminist parent to talk to their kids about issues and this is just yet another mainstream message reinforcing sexism to kids.

Yes I am NavyandWhite.

the boy entirely positively

Are we watching the same ad? He was being a right little prick to her at the start! And I'd be pretty hacked off if my younger brother did the things he did to me. In fact, I was - I have been that older sister with the annoying little brother

I've been posting what I think of the ad which explains...

So because all Christmas ads are sexist we should just accept it?

No, I didn't say that. I said that there is much that is sexist about Christmas. Also, if a child has a female parent, they should also be a feminist parent, as most women tend to be. The majority of male parents I know are feminist, too. And most parents are keen, I should think, to instil the notion of equality in their DC.

Actually I rather like Amy's rallying cry against sexism considering her age. DD was just like that when she was 16 - the mega-conviction of youth. Don't lose that, Amy - but also be sure to channel it where it'll make a difference.

I do see your point on this one, but remember that all families are different. Some might have a happy-to-be-there SAHM (as I was) at the helm, some a SAHD. Some little brothers genuinely are annoying little whatnots

NavyandWhite I'm angry about sexism. Otherwise I'm great thanks. Went to a friend's house last night, having a day off homework and having tea. How are you?

And some girls are angry and hysterical

Also NavyandWhite I think that question is a little sexist in itself, implying I've got something wrong with me because I challenge sexism.

Thank you Ophelia. I really do think this kind of thing impacts on us and is damaging, it just reinforces outdated sexist attitudes in my opinion. I do talk about other sexism too, though have stopped a bit online due to backlash from boys which I'm a bit ashamed of, but focus on street harassment, rape culture, VAWG, I just think all sexism is really damaging.

I agree about families being different. My mum is a successful professional, she and my dad both work, my aunt is a SAHM, but I don't think there's equality of choice - there's nothing wrong at all with being a stay at home parent but it should be a free choice for mums or dads to take on that role, not one within an outdated patriarchal culture which I feel ads like this reinforce.

Greenfingeredfun hilarious. "Hysterical" is a word loaded with sexism though and always used to put down girls and women.

I read sexism into things I think are sexist yeah.

No, you're incorrect. It's not always used to put down women and girls.

We seem to have seen two totally different ads regarding the sibling aspect, Amy. I saw two children. One was young, and behaved with the impulsive carelessness off a young child, acting without considering the consequences, and regretting them only when it was too late. I saw an older child who was trying to behave with maturity in the face of provocation, but was actually still very young and was really hurt by her brother's behaviour.

And the 'magic' of Christmas in that ad was a chance for the little brother, who was starting to get older and wiser ('seven in two weeks') and to understand that his impulsive actions do lead to harm, to repair some of the damage he had caused and to start again, and for the sister to be free to be the happy, loving child she wants to be when not provoked by her brother.