John Lewis and it’s ‘gender relaxed’ ad

[SouthernFashionista]

Curious to hear thoughts on the new ad from John Lewis. It strikes me as sinister. Why does a small child have to send out a message of LGBTQ equality? Why is he acting like a drag queen.

@Gastonia

Irrespective of any feminism angle, I just watched the ad and was horrified to see a child wrecking the home. There was no joy in it. It wasn't cute. The child is too old for it to be thoughtless exuberance. If my DC had done any damage like that, I would have been distraught. It's horrific. I really find it hard to believe anyone would like that ad, with all that wanton damage.

I agree. The feminist aspect is irrelevant.

That advert shows a child who is clearly old enough to understand what he is doing is wrong and the damage being done is deliberate- particularly tipping over his sister's paint.

John Lewis is just trying to keep up with our ‘anything nowadays goes’ stuff, and they failed miserably.

I wonder if it's worth complaining to Ofcom or the ASA or whoever deals with these things that it is sexualising young children.

I am absolutely gobsmacked at this crap; even more so that it's JL!

'Let life happen?!'
What - let your kids do whatever they want to destroy your house on purpose and their insurance will pay for it...

Their Marketing Manager is on glue

Man, I love stevie nicks (misses the point).

The "moves" imposed on that little boy reminded me of a clip from a "trans girls" camp or similar in the US:. One of those depressing US 'my trans story' docs where a youngster (definitely pre puberty) possibly not 'out' as a girl at school, could go and be their 'girl self' with other trans girls, and that seemed to comprise dressing up in gowns and flirtatiously tossing boas about and hip jutting. It was grim. Kid, you may be disappointed when you grow up amd find out what being female really entails...but I digress.

I hate it that JL have done this ad because of what the JL brand carries with it - kind of utterly bland uncontroversial middle class respectability. And suggesting male entitlement and girl identity = sexualised is, therefore, normal, bland, acceptable, respectable.

I actually really hope the Dail Fail rips them a new one ( though of course the ad agency will just love the fact there is a "conversation". Wanker cunts of death that they are.)

though of course the ad agency will just love the fact there is a "conversation". Wanker cunts of death that they are.

Probably best if it's mostly ignored, for this reason. I can imagine it turning up in one of those Remember the 2020s shows and being analysed for being ridiculous for all the reasons mentioned.

Well this ad has made me feel I need to make a stand and not shop at JL - such a shame because I actually like shopping there but no more

If my DS knocked over DD’s paint like that no one would be able to hear Stevie Nicks over the sounds of fury and recrimination.

The worst use of that song since Beyonce, Kelly and the other one hijacked it.

That is a really weird advert.

His sense of entitlement and brattish behaviour, riding roughshod all over the women in his life. Maybe the advertising director is on Mumsnet.

Little shit and they'd never pay out in a million years.

Blimey John Lewis has changed. What happened to safeguarding in this country - sexualised kid dancing and pouting with a femme fatale style final frame? #nothankyou
The mums bedroom and dressing table trashed, the sisters enjoyment upset and that’s supposed to be depicting joy? I guess they had a TRA on the design team and everyone else was too scared to say no.
If they show this ad at any time my kids can see it I will be even more annoyed.

@Anycolourwilldo

It's threads like these that do absolutely nothing to get people on board with you. Come on. It's obviously a perfectly fine advert that has got nothing to do with sexism and equality. I actually quite like it.

And It’s adverts like this that do absolutely nothing to get people on board with YOU

Very bizarre but potentially damaging it the John Lewis brand they'd do well to stop it now

Well I've complained

Wasn't the predecessor to this advert, a few years ago now, a little girl doing exactly the same thing? Yes, I remember, because my mum thought it was based on me!!

I’ve just watched that, and she’s dancing and accidentally knocks things (a plant pot wobbles, a picture on the wall goes wonky) but there is no actual damage and the only mess she makes is some paper flying around.
So quite different to this advert where he’s just being a brat, throwing paint around.

Irrespective of any feminism angle, I just watched the ad and was horrified to see a child wrecking the home. There was no joy in it. It wasn't cute. The child is too old for it to be thoughtless exuberance. If my DC had done any damage like that, I would have been distraught. It's horrific. I really find it hard to believe anyone would like that ad, with all that wanton damage.

I agree with this. The child is behaving terribly and it’s definitely an occasion to not just “let life happen.”

I'm wondering if the aim is to get people talking and if so JL has succeeded.

1. The advert is clearly false advertising as the insurance wouldn't pay out for a kid causing deliberate havoc

1. Subliminal message about the patriarchy shitting all over women and girls as SirChenjins cleverly pointed out.

This is an awful advert.
I completely agree that the posesnand pouts were adult and sexualised. The way he was looking up on the sofa reminded me of how in some photoshoots/music videos women are looking up lying in bed in their underwear. Completely inappropriate.

The behaviour gives off 'boys will be boys and do whatever the fuck they want' vibes, he was awful to his sister who was just meekly sitting there.

Would it not have been better to have brother in dress with sister, maybe painting each others nails as a completely normal thing to do? Just in background about a situation their insurance actually covers.... that would have been grand! And a far more effective message about breaking down sextet stereotypes. This feels more drag than just normally dressing up and doing your nails. Could have been a great advert.

Sexist*

Irrespective of any feminism angle, I just watched the ad and was horrified to see a child wrecking the home. There was no joy in it. It wasn't cute. The child is too old for it to be thoughtless exuberance. If my DC had done any damage like that, I would have been distraught. It's horrific. I really find it hard to believe anyone would like that ad, with all that wanton damage.

I agree. Maybe would've been cute if the child were a toddler (under 3/1 or 2), if it wasn't sexualised.
It's awful damage, I can't imagine anyone watching it could think differently

Although the let it happen tag is terrible anyway as no, you shouldn't let needless, purposeful and actually quite intimidating damage happen- if that's what they wanted to roll with there are plenty of ways they could have shown siblings playing and having fun, causing genuinely accidental damage. It seems very purposeful to show what they have, and flipping the paints over and mum cowering in what looks like the kitchen is really weird to be honest.

It's more of an occasion to "do some parenting".

Here's the advert with the girl

m.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgoUWPx4eE

The not-very-subliminal text I'm now getting from it is "let him do whatever the hell he wants and then clean up his mess afterwards".