Friday, May 15, 2009

I Don't Have The Balls To Speak For My Entire Gender

I guess you can call this a counter point: In case you missed it, Dell Computers launched a new site directed at women. Meet Della.

Della is evidently pissing women off everywhere. And, those women are saying something about it. Loudly, boldly, and all over Twitter. Running the risk of offending somebody, I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Kindly shut up.

All day long I hear women bitching that marketing isn't directed at women. Women who make the majority of the buying decisions in households across the country. And guess what! When Dell does direct marketing at women they then bitch that it's insulting.

It reminds me of the pain reliever campaign that tried to speak to the mommy world and insinuated that maybe, just maybe they had back pain from carrying their little ones in slings all day long. Mommy's everywhere railed against it and how insulting it was.

Really? Was it insulting? Or did your back actually hurt from carrying that little bastard around all day long. Because I don't know about you, but my kid is heavy and my back is a mother fucker at the end of the day, thank you, I will have a pain reliever with my beer when junior goes down for the count.

So, yesterday I tried to dig in a little bit and find out what was so insulting about Della. I'm not going to name anyone here, because I'm not representing anyone else, I represent my opinion only. But I was told that this site assumes that we're not as bright as men. Really? Is that what it is saying? Or is it saying that we like things in pretty colors? Because that's what I think it's saying.

And guess what? I fucking love pretty colors. And, when I clicked on the button to build my own computer guess what that sonofabitch did! Just guess? It started asking me technical questions, just like I was, dare I say it? A man! GASP!

Yes, once you go to order a computer on this site it asks you all kind of questions about what you want your pretty pink laptop to have for brains.

I guess what I'm saying ladies, is please stop speaking for our entire gender. I never felt like Dell was telling me I needed to have a huge set to order from their site. I felt like they understood that yeah, I like my shit pretty. Just because I bleach my hair, have boobs and wear the color pink every fucking day of the week, does not mean that I don't understand the tech world. I don't understand the tech world because I just DON'T! So when the tech world gives me a site where I can pick out whatever I want, just like a man, but with pretty colors all around, well... I'm kind of pleased about it. When the marketing world realizes that yeah, my back kind of hurts from lugging my big kid around, well gee, thanks for noticing.

They never said that I was less of a man because of it. They just told me they get it and if I don't like it then I'm more than welcome to strap one on and use the regular old site just like any dude, or any woman who just doesn't dig the Della site.

And, someday I hope that I can stand up for our gender and say, "yes, I like to bake, yes I like Hello Kitty, yes I want a free spatula with that, thank you! And now, I don't give a shit how much ram I have, can I get on Twitter? Can I blog?" Because I'm just a dumb shit girl who likes what I like.

Just like all the fuss over Twitter this week with their change in reply views, I have this to say: It's all free folks! It's free! The Della site is a choice, you don't have to see it. Twitter is a choice, you don't have to use. And frankly? I think you'd bitch if they hung you with a new rope.

Let's take it down a notch and realize the intent was not to insult. So don't treat it like it was:



Oh and PS? I work in marketing. Shhh.

32 comments:

yellaphant said...

AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!!

Johnae said...

FINALLY someone said it! That was well stated. I mean who cares if a computer company wants to sell pretty laptops. I really don't think they are demeaning to women.It's just a computer, sheesh.

Logical Libby said...

I think the thing that most women don't like about the Della campaign is that it insinuates we get upset over stupid little things and blow them way out of proportion.

Which we sooo do not...

Carrie @carrieloves said...

Amen sister, a-stinkin'-men!

MommaKiss said...

love this

that's all.

Reverend Ghost said...

Um, atta girl, Betsey. That was bitchin.

Laura said...

I think we as women can achieve so much more if - instead of worrying all the time about how we are being treated - we would worry about how we are treating other people.

I am sick to death of thinking about MY feelings and MY needs. What a freaking bore. Outward focus will save the world, people. I'm not even kidding.

Thanks for the Lovecats. Bob soothes the soul. Not that I needed it or anything.

Anonymous said...

Women make decisions based on different criteria than men--that's no secret and the people at Dell know it. I hope they sell a bajillion of these. They have a huge facility in Nashville and we don't need another business going under.

erin said...

I love pretty colors too. I'm totally distracted by them. Right now, I'm staring at my all black dell and I'm a little upset that it's not totally cute.

Well written post too!

for a different kind of girl said...

Word, sister. Word.

Also, my knees hurt like a bitch. Can I get a little somthing for that, too?

Gwen said...

Bless you for posting this, really. Women are different than men. We are. And that's Ok. It doesn't mean we are less, or silly, or unimportant. It's ok to be different than a man. It's ok to have different problems.

I'm a woman. And sometimes I wonder what the hell it is that women want. Do we want to be treated the same? Do we really? Do we want to be handled gently? Do we want to be respected for our differences? Or do we want to pretend those difference don't exist at all. It drives me crazy sometimes.

Rassles said...

Well, think about it this way: Everyone that doesn't Twitter has no idea what you're talking about.

The reason ad campaigns geared towards women are like that is because they fucking work. We know they work. That's why Dancing With The Stars and America's Next Top Model will be on TV for years and Dollhouse won't get renewed.

Women respond to pretty and simple. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Besides, the women that wouldn't respond to Della? They use Macs. ZING.

Mrs. Booms said...

Rassles: Exactly what I was thinking too. On the Mac/Dell front.

And yeah, any show I like never gets renewed either.

And haven't you heard? EVERYONE uses Twitter.

Sarcastic Mom said...

But it would be PRETTY FUCKING AWESOME if you got some extra RAM for free just for having a huge set.

Just sayin.

Marion in Savannah said...

I detest Dell, but it has nothing to do with their aiming marketing my way. I detest them because I've had one of their machines for 4 years. I'll never forgive them for the longest day of my life trying to reason with their customer "service" department in Bangalore. Also, the damn boat anchor will suddenly slow to a crawl for no discernible reason...

My next machine will be custom built by the nerd shop in town, more RAM, more storage, better in every way, and for about $800.

/rant

Miss Yvonne said...

My life would be fucking complete if I had a pink computer.

Not Afraid to Use It said...

THANK you for clarifying. I was wondering what the fuck was going on on Twitter yesterday. I'm off to check out the Della site and daydream about a shiny, new laptop.

And by the way? Fuck the whole idea of getting free RAM bc you've got a big rack. I'm a B-cup, and there are plenty of men who would whoop me in a wet T-shirt contest. Then again, if a man has bigger tits than I do, maybe he deserves free RAM.

Not Afraid to Use It said...

Oh, and I meant to add that if the computer companies were REALLY smart, they'd make the laptops so that we could pop the shells off and put new ones on kind of like you can do with mobile phones. Now THAT would fucking rock.

formerly fun said...

I am also over here lamenting my black della, fuck, I want a bright green laptop with a big hello kitty on it--and I am a hardcore feminist.

For men's marketing--they put extra shit and buttons that don't do anything and it speak to a lot of guys love of gagetry--not that women can't like it too. You know there are going to be some 'mos out there rocking candy pink laptops with their purses, uhm, I mean messenger bags.

Sarah G said...

I had no idea about this issue until you wrote about it but I agree with everything you said. Rock on, sister!

Also, what do you think of Mad Men? Just started watching it on DVD and I think it fucking rocks. But curious about what you think.

Rachael said...

You are a goddess. The word goddess.
OMG! Dell implied that I like to cook dinner and look up recipes! And so what that I actually DO like to cook dinner and look up recipes, that is offensive.
And Sarah? Madmen ROCKS.

Xjaeva said...

Oh no
not pretty laptops

I was expecting it to be all pink and purple and cutsy hello kitty or whatever...it's actually pretty classy...

Kelly McCausey said...

Love, love, love what you said! I agree. I get annoyed when people seem so determined to find offense where none was intended.

Melissa Stover said...

oh you're hilarious! came here from allison worthington and laughed through the whole post. you're so right. some people just like to bitch.

maggie, dammit said...

I'm with Rassles on the Mac thing. ;)

Oh, and I love your guts out.

Anonymous said...

I went to check out the site before I read the rest of your post and I have to say I came to the conclusion you did. The site is fresh, but not overly girly. I clicked on the Products link and watched the video in the sidebar - yes, there were asthetic components (the models with the notebooks) but there were also intellectual components, as well. The video included the specs of the laptop as well as just the pretty pictures.

Blues said...

I get this.

How is pink and and flowers and stuff demeaning?

It's all the crap we have in our brains about what these colors and images symbolize to us that make people raise a fuss over it.

For some reason this makes me think of childcare and housework and how there are a many a "feminist" out there who wouldn't stoop to this kind of work and want so much more out of life. But the problem is that our society - men and women, including so called feminists undervalue this kind of work and that's why it is so badly paid and for the "underliberated". I've been given shit from other women for having a cleaning lady, kind of like I'm not helping woman work her way up in the world and I'm contributing to keeping her down in her menial labor. But what if I respect what she does and think she gets paid pretty decently and that she shouldn't be looked down upon for what she does? Then what, muthafuckas?

Dude, I think I just got way off topic.

I like pink and and flowers and heels and girly junk. To me, those things are absent anything other than what they are: Pretty shit I like.

Anonymous said...

OMFG bitches get the fuck over it. You queens demand attention in a dramatic fashion then you complain about it when people pay attention because they don't measure up to your self-righteous attitudes and expectations.

One reason why I can't stand many women.

Gypsy said...

Just an aside: Dollhouse got renewed. Maybe we're winning and we don't know it?

Bimbo Baggins said...

Well said Booms! Well said.

Anytime I see something that's not commonly made in pink, I freak out and want it just because its pink. Do I need a pink hammer? No. I also definitely do not need the $200 pink softball bat and bat bag... But its pretty!

SciFi Dad said...

I agree with everything you said. I also think that this Della branding thing is targeting a different demographic: not the blogging/twittering crowd, but the technophobic "computers are for men" crowd. It's not about the people who are offended, it's about Dell wanting MORE women like them.

Rassles said...

Okay, so I've been letting this simmer, and now I think I've got it:

The thing is this: it's annoying that people think that being stylish and working out and displaying femininity is a like a character flaw or something.

I mean, I don't do that shit. But that doesn't mean I think that valuing those things is a sign of weakness. It's marketing catering to stimuli that gets a positive response.

Women are being just as sexist by thinking that the activities shown on Della are stupid. If you like it, it's not stupid. Bottom line. Feminism isn't about being like guys, it's about feeling comfortable being a chick, no matter what activities you enjoy and lifestyle you lead.

Aaaaaaannnd sorry I didn't let this go. But I've been all serious lately, I think.