HOMEWORK: Due December 3

Given that Black Friday is just around the corner for this week I am tasking you with an assignment that looks at marketing and advertising.

1) Find a product that is unnecessarily gendered.  (That is, it is either specifically "designed" for a particular gender or advertised to a particular gender.  Think of products that include a "for him" or "for her" label, but you could also look for more subtle indications that a product is "gendered")

2) Bring into class (in a form you can turn in) an advertisement for, or listing on website (Amazon, Target etc) for this product.

3) Write a small summary of how this product is gendered, and argue why the gendering of this product is unnecessary.


Example:

1) Bic Pens For Her
2) (see below) and also see reviews at (http://www.amazon.com/forum//ref=ask_dp_dpmw_al_hza?asin=B004F9QBE6&cdSort=best)
3) This product is gendered as it is specifically labeled as being "for her" rather than for him, or for everyone - or more importantly as not having a gender.  We can further see the way gender is deployed in marketing and designing this product in the colors chosen and the description of the product.  The colors for the product are pastel/light colors and multiple colors.  The use of bright, multiple and pastel colors is associated with femininity in the American Culture.  The description also includes claims such as "Thin barrel to fit a woman's hand" and "Elegant design - just for her!"  These statements evoke the cultural structures that expect women to be elegant, small and delicate.  They presume a biological difference between men and women that extends from purely biological traits (a small amount of sexual dimorphism that could lead to slightly higher rate of small hands among women) to non-biological differences like a preference for color and "elegance" in pens.  Last, this product is unnecessarily gendered in that both men and women could benefit from a smaller pen, and pens work irrespective of color and sizing. The differences in this pen do not need to be associated with the gender of the user. 

For more ideas check out this video by Sara Haskins: