Totally forbidden gender stereotype!
You’d think there were no real problems to be dealt with anymore, the way governments keep zeroing in on bulls*** like this.
In the United Kingdom, the government’s Advertising Standard Authority has acted to prohibit “gender stereotyping” in ads… because it “might be harmful to people” (http://www.mrctv.org/blog/uk-ban-ads-promote-gender-stereotypes).
How could it be harmful? It could “lead to unequal gender outcomes–” What? what the blazes are they talking about?–“in public and private aspects of people’s lives.” Which is silly, isn’t it, because if the government’s going to step in and regulate some “private aspect” if your life, it isn’t private anymore, is it?
What exactly is a “gender stereotype”? Search me. Any acknowledgement that there are men and women and that they aren’t exactly the same, aren’t interchangeable… but how, then, do you go about creating ads in which “gender stereotypes” do not appear? Sure, you can show people playing bridge, or some other activity in which “gender” is irrelevant. But, see, if you were to show a woman sitting at a sewing machine–well, that would be unforgivable! From now on, you can only show men using sewing machines. Oops–just created a new gender stereotype.
Do they have nothing more serious with which to occupy their time?
We don’t have a bunch of commissars in charge of advertising in our country–not yet we don’t. But even these dorks in Britain could surely find something more important to do, if they really put their minds to it: presuming they have minds. How about coming down on blatantly false advertising, eh?
But no–these are the whoopee crowd, our betters, the enlightened ones: and by thunder, they’re going to tell us what to say and what to think, and they are going to re-mold our culture in their own little know-it-all hands and bring forth Social Justice if it kills us…
As C.S. Lewis once pointed out, the robber will reach a point where he’s satiated; but the self-righteous do-gooder will never reach that point, will never have enough of meddling in other people’s lives. And if his ministrations are actually killing them, he will be quite unaware of it.
Actually, many toy companies in the USA have already been pressured into this kind of thing.
I love the C.S. Lewis quote. He obviously had a lot of insight into human behavior.
So. Let me get this straight. They’re concerned about gender stereotyping, but this is okay?
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2017/07/21/fbi-spy-toys-record-kids-conversation-amp-reveal-their-location/
Insanity runs rampant!
That smart toy thing really scares me. If someone finds a way to compromise those toys, and I wouldn’t doubt for a moment that has already happened, then pedophiles could monitor a child and have a GPS fix on their location.
Exactly, Unknowable! It’s horrifying! And yet, there will be parents who just can’t wait to bring these things into their homes and into the hands of their little ones. Terrifying!
A lot of people use high tech devices, not just smart toys, but Internet connected TVs and Blu-Ray players, without any notion of just how much information they are distributing about themselves, their viewing habits, etc. In my view, toys, such as these, are especially cynical, because the privacy and security of innocent children is at stake.
Dangerous! As I understand, internet-connected devices usually have ‘parental controls’ available. And I’m truly in the dark as to how these smart toys will work, but even if there are parental controls, what about GPS? I never have my GPS turned on – either on my phone or my laptop, and yet, they can locate me. I’ve even turned my wi fi off on my phone, and they still know what store I’m in! There seems to be a glitch in their safety mechanisms – whether accidental or intentional, I have no idea. My cynicism and life experience says it’s ‘accidentally on purpose’.
Cellular phones can be tracked by the cell tower they are inked to. It’s not quite GPS, but it’s close enough for advertising.
Thanks, Unknowable. That makes sense. It doesn’t make me happy, but it makes sense. Even George Orwell may be surprised at the level of control.
We say it so often, it’s almost become a truism–but it really is true. Their ideology is downright crazy, and so are they.
The intrusion is horrifying and dangerous.
IMO, the way that the Internet is currently being used has all but eradicated privacy.
While the West is obsessed with homosexuality, transsexuals, gender equality, feminism, and all the other Marxist tripe, the rest of the world is on the move. Jobs are moving overseas and they are rapidly catching up to the West. Meanwhile, we are focused on trivial things that don’t amount to a hill of beans. They say that all empires eventually collapse from the inside, apparently this is true of civilizations as well.
It seems Brexit did nothing to set the UK on the right path. Here’s another sad tale out of the once great British empire. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/07/21/an-adorable-5-year-old-sets-up-a-lemonade-stand-then-she-was-fined-200/
“We expect our enforcement officers to use common sense…” [cue for hysterical laughter]
At least they backed away from the fine, but turning on body cameras when approaching a five year old child is the act of a coward. I certainly would not want such persons protecting my neighborhood.
I wondered if they would have backed away if it didn’t get media attention.
My guess is that they would not have. I have to wonder what kind of man feels good about himself for bullying a five year old girl.
A liberal, big government man, that’s what kind.
Probably so. I can think of another description, but I’m going to remain polite. 🙂
The government stalks the landscape like a lion, looking he might devour.
Where have I heard that phrase before? 🙂
I borrowed it from St. Peter.