Commercial from Bic is predictably sexist, and more than a little creepy.
by Imran Siddiquee
The Huffington Post commented on this commercial earlier today:
“The commercial operates on the assumption that young women NEED pink pens. In fact, the tween girl featured in the spot is so desperate for a pink pen that she actually rejects an assortment of black and blue pens in her time of writing utensil need. And the Bic Man who finally hands her the pink pen she requires gets a chaste kiss on the cheek for his efforts. “With its fabulous styling and smooth writing, Bic For Her is the only choice,” says the voice-over.”
It’s also worth noting that the “Bic Boy” is kind of idolized by the other teenage boys once he hands over the “magical” pink pen. And then receives a kiss on the cheek. To me, the commercial is strangely being framed from the perspective of the boys rather than the girl – as in, “give girls pink pens and they will like you.”
Is this a big market of pen shoppers? Teenage boys looking to impress girls?
I’m guessing the pen company was already producing this ridiculous commercial long before the (hilarious) skewering “Bic for Her” received from Amazon.co.uk shoppers:
Nevertheless, the fact that this product continues to sell (and, apparently, at a higher price than “regular” pens), means we should continue to let them know that we’re #notbuyingit. We have yet to track down an official Twitter for the company, but in the meantime, post a message on their Facebook page.
Not buying it! These ‘girly’ products perpetuate the idea that women are vacuous, without a legitimate place in the academic world. There’s a further, more subtle suggestion here that the pink pen is more valuable because it is prettier — an extension of how we have been taught to value beauty above substance, especially when it comes to girls and women. It’s a familiar marketing formula that encourages girls and women to concentrate our greatest efforts on our outward appearance, and distracts us from cultivating the qualities that matter most: character, integrity, compassion, community, sharing knowledge, developing our ability to think critically, and promoting and protecting the rights of women everywhere. Apparently, we should subordinate our personal development to the tireless pursuit of attaining the narrow ideal of beauty, and therefore femininity, that is being peddled to us continuously.
I find products and campaigns of this kind to be condescending, equivalent to a patriarchal pat on the head with a smile that is amused by me, but neither respects nor values me beyond how I may be objectified or exploited to satisfy the needs of that male establishment. The ceiling is not only glass, it’s mirrored and lit by flourescent lighting, too.
Yes, this commercial is frustrating…however having worked with teenage girls as a mentor both here and abroad..I CAN tell you that young girls will like those pink pens, ha…heck, I like that pink pen. It would have been better to just show a group of girls enjoying their rad pens (of whatever color) while they write, create and be their awesome selves…rather than what BIC chose to do.