So I’m idly leafing through the Sunday NYT when an ad jumps off the page of the magazine at me.
It’s a knife block. Shaped like a Gumbyesque male figure. With all the knives sticking through it. Called “The EX.” With two women smiling and admiring one.
So I can’t help but visit the web site, to find that it comes in a dozen colors, including hot pink and brushed nickel.
And has a companion version full of stainless steel skewers.
And does *not *come in a female version, because I guess that would be misogynistic or promote violence/hatred towards women or something.
But…
But…
You can get the knife set separately. For, I suppose, do-it-yourself versions…
Jesus Harold Christ.
[I refuse to become part of their viral marketing effort, so I will obfuscate the five-letter website: R * I * C * S * B dotcom.]
I looked up the product you’re referring to. Maybe I’m an idiot, but it looks like a neuter figure to me. How it is you’re identifying it as specifically male?
It’s funny. The ad will raise some eyebrows and would raise more if the figure was clearly representing a woman. Not all that interesting for an average day in the 21st century, but thousands of years from now anthropologists will see it as evidence that we practiced ritual sacrifice, so it’s worth it.
I’d bet the product and ad, as-is, will provoke little response; I was moved to make a comment because I study such things more closely than most.
But if it was an evidently female figure… there’d be torch mobs and hashtag campaigns and vigils and howls to the moon.
But then, men as “exes” are shit on by nearly every facet of society and law anyway, so who cares… we all know that women exes are always the victim escaping oppression, so yay for Knifey Boy.
The ad as is might get a response simply from those horrified by violence. If the genders were switched there’d be some noise, but the rest of that is just your thing. I don’t really care how many women want to stab me to death.
You know I have dreams about a different society where men aren’t oppressed… where men can vote and own property, can be judged more by what they do that what they look like,can even be CEOs’, Judges, and professional athletes (and not be accused of neglecting their family when they are).
I even – and I know this is crazy, just a fantasy to make me feel better, not anything I actually expect to come to pass – imagine a society where a man could be President of the U.S.!
But as I said, that’s a crazy idea given how much men are oppressed in our society.
[I’d put a rolleyes smilie here, but the board one is smiling too much. Is there a really annoyed rolleyes? Also, acknowledgement to Jon Stewart for stealing his bit]
IM didn’t say “men are shit on in our culture” - he said “men as [current spouse/others]”… following on my comment about “men as exes.” Very select case, not a sweeping whine about how bad men have it.
Anyone who thinks men have a fair shake in divorce proceedings or the social aftermath have never been divorced nor been close to someone who has. It’s a hugely uphill battle, especially if children are involved, and it’s rarely the woman who loses all the joint friends and acquaintances.
As for IM’s extension, how much present humor (or “humor”) is based on how stupid/untrustworthy/generally shitty men are as partners?
