Amazon-dot-comm building gender constructs!

A Soul Sister and a Rebel Girl girl friend of mine, Nikki Gossell, posted this on her facebook with the caption: "Hey Amazon- thanks for telling me, as a college-aged female, what I should think is important besides textbooks."

Checkmate.

This Ad discursively places an expectation that all women are, or should be ultra feminine (according to society's standards/definitions). Little black dress wearing, lip gloss poppin', and high heel walkin'. Well, this is neither fair nor true. In fact, today I looked in the mirror and felt that my outfit was decidedly "male." I shrugged, decided I kind of liked it, and walked out the door. This is not self praise for my random Tuesday androgyny, it is simply to make the point that if LBDs and lip gloss were expected of me all the time, I would die.

This Ad is also disturbing because it is selling "girly things" in the same breath as textbooks. Given academia's sexism that still exists, I find it fascinating that Amazon found it appropriate to market text books.... with lip gloss. It is painfully stereotypical. Why doesn't Amazon sell me some Tampons while they are at all? "it makes perfect sense" right? I highly doubt that Amazon would market textbooks to a man by saying "It makes perfect sense to us that footballs, poker chips, and free weights should be sold in the same store as your textbooks.SMILEY FACE!"

So Thanks Nikki G, Soul Sister Rebel Girl, for recognizing that there are more to female college students than lip gloss.

<3

Another Soul Sister Rebel Girl, and a Communication Student at Western, Jessica Steinberg said this:

"Fucking awesome Nikki and Shelbs! I saw that dumb-ass sign too while rushing to class wearing a beanie, tall-tee hoodie, and yoga pants. If only Amazon.com had gotten to me sooner I might have been able to suit-up properly in night life attire. Also I couldn't help but notice this sign wasn't posted anywhere else on campus except the Comm building...Perfect advertising placement right? If you believe the stereotype that all Comm students are shallow girls looking to break into the corporate PR world. This is down right disappointing..."