Imagine finding a washing tag inside your boyfriend’s new pants that reads, “GIVE IT TO YOUR WOMAN, IT’S HER JOB.”
Or seeing a road sign that says “DO NOT GOSSIP, LET HIM DRIVE.”
Oddee has put together the 12 most unbelievably sexist signs they could find on the interwebs and put them all together for us so that we can all look and laugh that someone, somewhere, at some point, thought that these signs were a good idea.
Take a look:
What Emma Barnett found inside her boyfriend's new pants...
Have you got a sexist horror story you can share with us?
Comments
75 Comments so far
Can we have a little perspective here please?
Sure, these ads/labels and signs are a little wrong, some find them funny, and some don’t. However, compared to some problems faced by women, and in particular I’d suggest Aboriginal women, this is a storm in a tea cup and really doesn’t matter that much. Of course I’ll some people for suggesting that they are nothing mopre than poor taste jokes, but jumping up and down like a stepped on chook doesn’t help anyone who is facing real problems on a daily basis in Australia.
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Come on, who can’t add?
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some were funny, some were lame, the one’s about Hillary were just plain mean.
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Eh. Are we surprised advertising companies are exploiting gender stereotypes to sell products?
Look, I find most of these quite entertaining (especially the jean care label!). I think when the intention behind sexist jokes is nasty, then it’s wrong. But when it’s in mutual affection I think it’s a very different story.
Who here of us women hasn’t sworn at another one of our sex making egregious parking errors?
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On a positive note, one of my favourite ads at the moment is for the Sunbeam mixer, where the young guy is baking a cake and uses the new pause function because his girlfriend summons him to the bedroom. Comes back out and finishes making the cake. It’s fairly subtle, and it’s a nice role reversal. Plus, he makes a good cake!
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Want to talk sexist? What about nearly every second ad TV poking fun at the dopey husband/boyfriend/father?
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Yep women complain about being made out to be sex objects in adds but guys are always made out to be completely stupid.
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sadly as someone who works in second hand clothing retail I feel the last pic has quite a lot of truth to it!!!
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Seriously? I’d rather see these ads than sit through The Footy Show. The sexism there goes on a lot longer and it’s NEVER funny.
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Mia you were on a tv show ages ago taking about this care label and you laughed while you said “It’s funny because it’s true.” So why is it up here months later? Old news!
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Hey Mish,
This is a compilation of a bunch of bodgy signs, the clothing one fits perfectly!
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Mish, not all of us watch Mia on TV. I live overseas and this is the first time I’ve seen that label
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Slightly off topic but you know what’s really starting to bug me? The marketing in women’s magazines. My favourite mag actually had a montage of clothes with “BUY! BUY! BUY!” on the cover the other week.
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This is a little abysmal.
I find advertising, labels or gender profiling against either sex horrible.
Yes, I find it demoralising and petty New Idea continues to publish Mere Male.
Yes, I think men should have equal access to Parent Rooms, as they are not vagina only locations.
Yes, I find KMart ads and similarly targeted waffle to be just as sexist.
Oh, by the way…yes I have a sense of humour — maybe you should treat sexism with a bit more gravity and “it’s just a joke” is another way to enable idiots out there who think like this.
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I like the Kmart ads . They look fun . Kmart is cheap and cheerful , don’t think it’s that deep really . Will have another look .
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I found these funny. Lighten up
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So if we didn’t find it funny we need to lighten up?
Good to know.
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Lighten up and live longer. Angry people die earlier than people who are less angry.
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Yes, Bradley, but you’re presuming that the people who don’t find it funny are angry.
Telling people to lighten up often comes across as patronising. I’m presuming that’s what Cold meant.
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I presume nothing. I state unequivocally that people who don’t spend their entire life looking for something to get upset about and moan and groan about live longer and much happier lives.
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Phew, I’m glad to hear that Bradley… otherwise I’d have assumed the many, many comments you’ve made on other posts were actually angry rants, rather than the light-hearted quips I now understand them to be! So keep on keeping happy, because we’d love you to be with us to spread the joy for many years to come
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Um the girl who found them was looking in her boyfriend’s jeans! Presumably to wash them?
Irony
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Exactly what I thought….so the tag was correct then?
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There is a car insurance ad on TV in France which ends with the punchline: insurance, you need it because you never know when your woman might drive your car.
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I cant see a problem with any of them, have people lost their sense of humour, they are meant to be funny, well most of them the others are just stupid.
I dont find them degrading at all.
there are so many things going on in the world this is the least of our problem.
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Well said, Claudia. When I read articles such as this I’m reminded of the old adage, “deliberately go looking for something wrong in anything or anyone and you are guaranteed to find it”.
I can’t believe that people spend their entire working day looking for reasons to get uptight ! Somehow that has to spill over into their personal life. I’m certain that there would be those prepared to argue the evils of salt when compared to pepper…just for the sake of having an argument.
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I don’t see how the ‘Hillary special’ (obviously referring to Hillary Clinton – ‘a left wing’) isn’t degrading.
Two fat thighs? A small breast?
And the ‘She can’t keep Bill happy’ one is a low blow.
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I want to shoot all those responsible for this type of signage !
Luckily my gun licence has just expired.
To quote Bill Shakespeare….Much Ado About Nothing.
You can deliberately go looking for things to upset you. Some do that better than others. Some do so as if their job depended on it…and it usually does.
Yes. I’m feeling a little snarked.
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Bradley, presumably you’re not a woman, so I can completely understand if you’re not concerned by this kind of sexism. The people who experience this kind of casual misogyny every single day rightly feel it’s a bit more serious. And any man with half a brain should too.
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Any advertisement that starts off “as a mum, I know what’s best,” or “as a mother, you know what is best for your children,” are also sexist.
Imagine and ad for a car that starts off “as a father you know what is important; safety. You need to protect your family from bad drivers, and that includes your own wife…” That’s how I feel the nappy, baby food, formula, rash cream, etc adverts are talking to mums. Only YOU can be the provider of good things for your family…
Or are advertisers actually perpetuating the mother looks after the children and the father is the hunter and gatherer scenario still?
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I agree with you. I am a woman and a mum and I hate the ads that start with “I’m a busy Mum….” or “as a busy mum….”. There is never a mention of busy Dads and I know my husband is very busy!
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There are a few shopping centres I have visited that have signs reading “Parents’ Room – Fathers Welcome.” Not mother’s room, or baby change room but PARENTS and they have to include the father in that.
I write this as I sit in my car with my 2 sons fast asleep just as we reached the shops. Mummy works on Saturdays so I take the kids to the shops and park. Luckily my local doesn’t discriminate…
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Maybe they put “Fathers Welcome” up to make sure that women who have got uppity and complained understand that “Parents” includes fathers. God knows some women (going by parenting posts on this site and others!) seem to have forgotten this.
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But what if both parents are female ?
Someone will get the tom-tits and they’ll write letters to the editor accusing all and sundry of blatant sexism and having no tolerance for same sex unions !
Oh….the humanity !
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I love you Kris2040.
You always have the best things to say.
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Totally agree! I was changing the baby’s nappy, had the toddler in tow and my husband needed to use the toilet, when I suggested he use the one in the parent room, he said it would upset the mothers……I told him they could get over it, he was a parent too!
It is a PARENTS Room, not a mothers room.
I have had to spend a bit of time in hospital due to ill health and hubby has to look after the kids on his own, I would hate to think women are uppity about him going into the parents room while he is raising our children.
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Very true. This shits my husband too, the automatic assumption that I always know what’s best just because I’m the mumma. He’s very hands on and also knows.
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I get annoyed that in some places, such as petrol stations, the baby change table is only in the ladies toilet. What is my husband supposed to do if he has our son on his own and has to change him? Back seat of the car? I mention this because we all went out today and there was no parents room just a change table in the ladies. It aggrivates my husband as well. What about single Dads?
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When my boys were babies about 20 years ago I’d go into the “parents” rooms at shopping centres, I was kicked out of one in Perth because the breast feeding women objected to me being there, I had to change by baby son on the bench in the male toilets.
In the late 80′s there were very few men who had full time care of children, and incidents like this were common.
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What about reverse sexism – I’m speaking specifically of a new TV show being spruiked – fronted by Kate Ritchie – which has men organising their own weddings.
The ads are diabolical. Pure and utter stereotypes of some guy who would have beer for the toast and a stripper jump out of his wedding cake amongst other things, while princess bride rolls her eyes and suffers the humiliation.
Note to Channel 9 (I think) – am not watching this man-bashing piece of rubbish.
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Channel 10, Kathy. They need to keep the attention of the Lara Bingle/Shire audience.
I know the ads you mean – I just figure Why would you bother getting hitched to someone that clueless about a joint party Also, why shouldn’t the bloke have a say in what happens? If I ever bother, I sure as shit wouldn’t want to have to plan it all myself.
If they have any brains they’ll spend the budget on a round the world trip and get hitched in Vegas the middle of an awesome holiday.
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Kris, thanks – yes I’ll take the Vegas wedding and round the world holiday any day – and as girlbarista says below, pints of beer and kebabs are my kind of night out….but to portray men as knuckle dragging, frothing dumbos who want a wedding like that – channel 10 please do some research!!!!
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Every time I see that ad, I think; “Pints of beer? Kebabs? Bridesmaids dressed as superheroes? Bonus boobs? That wedding looks AWESOME!!!”
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I reckon! I actually think it’ll be kind of funny, I doubt they’d have picked cool, chilled out couples. There’ll be bridezillas with totally clueless blokes in there though. You know, like I would completely understand scheduling around footy or cricket matches, or incorporating footy colours into colour schemes or whatever. I doubt the couples they’ve chosen will be as chilled.
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Its just an oz version of the uk show by the same name. Some of the guys are kind of selfish prats, but a lot are incredibly thoughtful and most pull it off really well and their wives are mostly happy with how they’ve done the whole thing.
The show itself probably won’t be bad, but the ads are super annoying and insulting to all. I guess it’s just a way to grab attention.
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Do we think the stupid Kmart Ads about ‘mothers’ is sexist? (and mother-ist if that’s a thing).
I HATE those Kmart ads maybe more than I have ever hated any ad ever.
Come on mums, come and buy our cheap crap, because we know you love to buy kids clothes and homewares and no one else does!
Also – I cringe at all the stupid men ads as well – makes me furious when there is some woman rolling her eyes ‘no you do it like this’-style, because not only is it insulting to men, it is basically saying, yet again – ‘yes, we women are the household experts!’
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Yeah I can’t stand those ads either.
The ones I’m really hating on at the moment are those godawful “Farmer Wants a Wife” disgraces with the girls doing Olympic events in bridal dresses while the blokes look on. Heinous.
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They have had a couple of female farmers, but the majority are male, would it be as offensive if guys had to compete for a woman’s attention?
God forbid!
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Hey Seaghan,
Yeah it would, most definitely. I think they’re just awful ads. I understand linking them (however tenuously) to the Olympics, but I don’t think anyone looks OK in them. I suppose that’s what the show is all about though. These kind of shows just aren’t my cup of tea at all. Except for Rock of Love. But that was for car crash home from the pub watching at 1am in a semi constant state of horror viewing. Hilarious!
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Totally agree. And every cleanser ad is some thirty something woman, never a man…
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Oh gosh- I thought the farmer wants a wife one was only me who was annoyed by it. Fancy women ‘competing’ with each other for a man. If you have to try that hard – he isn’t worth it.
The other one that’s gets me is the one for the body wash (not sure of the name) where the young boy is in the shower and runs out of the shower gel. He just shouts his mum, she rolls her as as if saying ‘boys will be boys’ then gets him a new one.
Not in this house!
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My 5 year old daughter is so confused by that ad ‘why are they wearing wedding clothes and running?’ she only saw it because of the Olympics (normally only watches abc 2) and I was so disappointed that she couldn’t just enjoy the gymnastics etc without having to get her head around the idea of a bridal competition. I told her they were just being funny…….
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That’s because blokes would use a pressure cleaner to clean up a mess in the bathroom.
You should try it, works a treat and you don’t need chemicals
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I would love to have a house that you just need to gerni every week or whatever. That would be awesome.
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Never thought about that with the KMart ads but your right! My father HATES the ads about men being hopeless in the house etc. It has rubbed off onto me
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Well they are funny, in that ‘it’s fun to put women in there place’ kind of way. I suppose at the end of the day how far have we come ? Maybe the care instructions should read ‘ man up , wash your own clothes’ .
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Also just want to point out that SO many ads present men as stupid to sell products to women. Start looking and you’ll see them – usually homewares or “naughty” foods. Insulting to BOTH men and women, in my opinion. But I can’t help but feel the advertisers only use what works… I don’t think they create attitides, but they certainly do exploit them (still bad).
Anyhoo… too big a topic for what I’m in the mood to write. Enjoy your Saturday morning everyone
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Yes, those awful ads with Jane Hall being all sleazy spring to mind. Horrid.
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Yes! They are just awful, she pinches a guy’s bum in one of them, makes me cringe.
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Funny that the girlfriend found the label in the jeans, presumably by checking the care instructions before washing them….!
I find those signs wrong by the way. I just found that caption to be slightly ironic.
FYI Mamamia, I’ve been finding your ads and the refresh rate make it very difficult to type comments sometimes. Doesn’t happen anywhere else in my experience. Also the side banner ads on the home page are coming up separately at the top of the screen, with the content underneath (I use Firefox).
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Yeah I’m getting that using Firefox too. Also getting lot of 400 errors or whatever they are.
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I feel a little sick from some of those.
Also, I went to the blog this came from and they have those ‘intelligent’ ads that generate based on the content…. This is what I got – advertising fail, apparently Ad Choices algorithm only saw ‘sexist’ and went from there
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Just watch ‘sunrise’ or the ‘today show’ for 5 minutes. Koch & Stefanovich can’t stop themselves bagging out women, then always throwing in a ‘just joking’ after…..Except they do it so often, its become pure misogyny. I’ve gone back to the radio, I don’t need to hear ‘jokes’ about how stupid women are every day when I wake up….
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9Am with David and Kim always dug at me. I remember him once reading an hilarious email about how to please a woman. A list of questions where the answer was always ‘give her chocolate’ David was in stitches reading them out between segments, and Kim was laughing along saying ‘oh yes that’s exactly like my family! haha’ it was just depressing. Especially seeing they target that show to women.
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I think women can be pretty bad offenders with this kind of thing too. Lots of “typical male, gotta love them” type things. Usually the same who call their husbands “hubby” and whinge about their blokiness.
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When women stop buying a certain magazine that has a segment called “mere male”, where women are encouraged to share the dopey things the blokes in their lives do, then you can reasonably expect blokes to stop it.
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I don’t think a live show on a major network is comparable to a shitty magazine that few people read.
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I suppose they are sexist…..in that they’re making fun of men, too. Must admit, I got a laugh out of a lot of them. The mean ones are just that, mean.
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I agree with you Mamamia, sexist and not funny. Goes to show how normalized these kinds of attitudes are.
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Wasn’t offended by the jeans…. Just got a really good laugh
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I laughed my ass off, because I immediately imagined a scenario where my husband presents his jeans to me to be washed because the tag said so.
Every time, it ended with him washing his own damn jeans.
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Oh come on . its just a joke!!!!!!!!!!!
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How does this change the fact that it’s sexist?
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Sorry, they’re appalling – but I had to giggle at a couple of them.
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You saying it’s just a joke isn’t going to make it any funnier for some of us.
“It’s just a joke” is right up there with “Lighten up” and “Don’t you have a sense of humour?” Yes. And it’s not the same as yours.
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