Image - an advertisement with a diagram of a top view of a brain, the left side orange and the right side yellow. Text on the left side in an orange box says “Can you solve one of our puzzles?” and points to the orange left side. Text on the right side in a yellow box says “Can you explain it to your mom?” and points to the right yellow side. The bottom text says “We’re hiring hackers with people skills. itasoftware.com/careers”
ETA - Just noticed a yellow post it stuck on that says “My mom has a PhD in Math”
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I see nothing wrong with it.
In most cases, younger people are more exposed to technology (and the puzzles that would be connected to them) than their parents. How should/could this ad have been worded in order to make it neutral?
It’s sexist because it singles out a mother as the person who is least likely to understand a puzzle. If it said, “Can you explain it to your roommate?” or “Can you explain it to a third grader?” it would have been gender-neutral. Or even, “Can you explain it to your parents?” But it specifically indicates that your mother would be the worst at understanding.
That’s compounded by the fact that computer stuff, particularly hacking, is a traditionally male thing to do. It is sexist to suggest that women don’t “get” computers. And yes, also kind of ageist to imply that older women specifically can’t possibly understand a puzzle.
It’s not the worst, most sexist thing in the world. But it’s an example of casual sexism, which is still bad. Sure, some of our moms don’t get computers. I once found my mom poking the “Send” button on her monitor with her index finger (now she claims that touch-screens and iPads were her idea. True story).
But that doesn’t make it OK to say, “All mothers suck at computer things, and it is totally OK to make an ad poking fun at that.” If I have a son one day, I really hope he won’t consider me the most computer-stupid person he knows.
Easily butthurt people are easily butthurt. It’s a clever ad and people need to realize that we will always have stereotypes, generalizations, and cultural barriers. Things that casually poke fun at these are pretty much always among the most humorous and clever. This is just the way society works. Without these things, we’d all be exactly the same.
Derailing, dismissive, and enforcing the status quo? Wow, way to go for the turkey, bro.
BOLDED. Sorry, but this is a fair-enough ad and the sticky note is great too. I never thought it was sexist until some butthurt individual pointed it out and even then I’m not really seeing it. I usually do.
Don’t get so bloody offended all the time, people. Look outside and contribute to the solutions, not merely complaining about the problem.
Generalisations are generally correct.
Generalisations hurt people and make people feel like they are no good.
My mother is really awesome at using the computer but she thinks she isn’t because she’s “just a mother”. Shit like this reinforces it.
Thanks for giving this gendered bullshit the thumbs up. Not really surprised though.