The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Hello Robert, this is my first comment here but I am quite the fan even though I sometimes feel it is “the other woman” in my relationship with Pete.
It might be a bit extreme taking this post from a childs top to the general attitudes towards sexism in advertising but it is a good one.
I am fed up of ads that either pitch the genders against eachother, humiliate one for the benefit of the other or talk about couples/family in the sort of patronizing tone of the 1820’s.
This isn’t about women’s rights (though it seems Asia still hasn’t developed as much as it should/could since Pete and I lived there) it’s how peoples individual and relationship value is being undermined by corporations who want to sell us another thing we don’t need or want.
I sound like a militant lesbian but I’m not (militant or a lesbian) I’m just grateful you have written this post and accepted that your industry has the power to change stereotypes rather than ram them down our throats because for some people/countries, this behaviour acts more as a social statement than an advertisement.
I hope a brand takes this on issue as someone has taken on your vulgar display of wealth. Maybe it could be the same organisation but keep being the people champion Robert because there’s too much lazy planning and advertising out there.
See you soon, love to you and Jill.

i just had a meeting with 3 women in a government marketing department, 2 of whom fucking deserve to have condescending advertising pitched at their tits and their shallow pink-prada-handbag sensibilities.

sorry.

this is a fucking fantastic post rob, one which restores my faith in people who give a fuck.

First: Hello Sarah – lovely to have you come here and rant, far better than your other half’s sycophantic rubbish 🙂

Now Hari …

OK, that’s a fair point – but when the Spice Girls first started they were the embodiment of a brand that inspired without always …

[1] Falling into lowest common denominator territories

or

[2] Gender based attacking

… plus at the time that they came out, there was great ‘specific gender role’ attitudes going on in the World, so to a large extent the Spice Girls acted as a gender liberator, especially for the young who were being ‘groomed’ for underfulfilling their potential in a male dominated World.

OK, that’s a bit extremist but I genuinely believe they were one of the most successful, powerful and influential brands of the last 10 years – and it’s a shame their reunion seemed to embody some of the stereotypes that they fought so hard against at their inception.

And as for Barbie – I think she is far less dangerous to young girls attitudes and aspirations than Paris Hilton – at least she is a character who doesn’t rely on others for glory, approval and self validation.

Holy fuck, I’m talking about Barbie like a real person – WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME!

Send my commiserations to Mary for having to get up and get you online mate.

And you’re in Italy – not Russia – so stop saying “darlink” or our Prada friends may see through the thin layer of cultural sophistication that you’ve somehow created for yourself thanks to a good suit, italian weather and a too-good-for-you wife.

She’s great – still listening to Mary complain that you’re vastly overrated – but good 🙂

Thank you Marcus – for a moment I was afraid I’d got this issue back on track 🙂

Lets hope for your sake Lauren isn’t one of those women Mr M.

I think you’ll be safe though, ha!

It’s been nice knowing you.

I am sure Lauren is far too credible to have such a thing. I would frankly be disapointed if she did.

John, run… run now 😉

In the red corner, Lauren Brown, unbeaten World Champion for smacking up sexist, sad old perverts using just her wit, brain and paint brushes and in the blue corner the men who couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding, Campbell and Dodds. It’s not a fair fight but it’ll be enjoyable.

Where’s my post Robert? You said I’d be getting a Robert’s blog “gold star” for the biscuit mug. Don’t forget a brand that doesn’t fulfill it’s promises is a brand consigned to the scrapheap of people’s hearts 🙂

Exactly Lauren, exactly.

john, are you trying to depress us? ‘cos it’s working!

Has anyone else noticed that for the first time a throwaway comment has resulted in a bunch of serious responses rather than the usual madness?
Is there something in the air or just that Andy is MIA?

Better be quick, I’m leaving in a month 🙂

notice that the doesn’t punchline feature your cock, billy.

That’s because they choke to death on my huge beast Lauren. I wish I hadn’t written that but you started it.
And Baz, have I told you how manly you look today?

Only because I know the character of person I’m pitching at.

I didn’t know you owned a rottweiler Billy…

lol @ Rob ‘n Barbie.

I totally agree with your take on the Spicegirls and it’s a view I have shared many conversations about. I think their impact (above the music) was that they really gave the whole “girl power” thing the firm kick it needed to really take hold.

The same way that Barbie back in the day gave girls a figure to look up to and dress up all pretty (like good women were supposed to do back then) couldn’t you say the Spice revolution was almost the modern day version of this?

Different girls, different races, different styles, different attitudes, all coming together and celebrating “girl power” with pride and confidence – just the way all good girls should be these days.

Don’t get me started on the Sex and The City phenomenon… that’s a whole other issue.

*goes back into the spam bin, sob*

Thank you Charles for getting the comments that my wife started back on track. I can now assure her it was nothing personal and infact an important issue too few in advertising take seriously.

I think it achieved far more than people give it credit for – not on the surface maybe, but deeper down I believe it helped put back some of the confidence that much of life took [takes] away from women.

It wasn’t about letting women act with the same dominatory instincts of men – it was about giving them the ability to believe in themselves and be true to themselve in what they wanted to do, say and think.

Sure it wasn’t like this for all – but in a World where ‘Man Rules’ and any woman who stood up was called ‘a lesbian’, I believe it opened up an area that had previously only been mentioned in hushes.