Retrosexism - Goodyear Tires
By Jess McCabe | 25 June 2008, 12:52
Via The Bilerico Project, this ad for Goodyear Tires from 1970 (according to YouTube) is actually kind of hilarious in how clearly it spells out the impression that women are in a constant state of panic on getting behind the wheel:
But now you’d had your chuckles, check out the YouTube comments. Eg:
Well back then they just told the truth (women can’t drive) TODAY they are scared to tell the truth because of litigation that may come up.
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frombosa said:
Oh for fucks sake!I am ridiculously sick of hearing bout women drivers = crap drivers!Even jokes about it really get on my nerves!!!I know plenty of male drivers and nearly all of them have been stopped by the police at least once because of the way they're driving. Some of them have even driven home drunk.I've never done anything like that, and the majority of my female friends haven't either. It's just another one of those situations where a man thinks "shit!!women are allowed to do things we're allowed to do,and they're doing it better then us.we can't have this,let's shoot them down!!!!" I wish these people would just fuck off,or...seeing as they're such "good drivers", drive off a cliff and do us all a favour!
By the way,I've had quite a bad day at work.
Posted on 25 June 2008 at 1:21 PM
Lara The Second said:
And yet, 93% of driving offences are caused by men.
Thank you "8 out of 10 Cats" for that statistic.
Posted on 25 June 2008 at 4:09 PM
Anna said:
if women drivers are so shit - why do women get lower insurance premiums than men?
Posted on 25 June 2008 at 8:32 PM
Leigh Woosey said:
Notice how she gives up the driving seat to the man at the end of the commercial. Presumably this was a reaction to feminism- asserting ultimate male superiority and control in a world where women were visibly contesting patriarchal assumptions for the sake of their independence.
Posted on 26 June 2008 at 10:57 AM
Eats Wombats said:
Speaking as a man: Yes, we all know that women have had a raw deal historically and that things are getting better, but few things alienate reasonable men more than wilful chippiness. I can see how this ad could be construed as patronising but it says rather more obviously to me: when the person you care for most is driving... you need to know the tires are safe.
If you really want sexist advertising with horribly stereotyped roles for women why not look at contemporary Japan?
Posted on 26 June 2008 at 10:58 AM
yeomanpip said:
Women are often worse drivers than men, although the balance is shifting.
Now, you've let your gasp out, let me explain...
Women are often worse because they are nervous of what their husbands or boyfriends might say, because of the 'brake foot' hitting the floor too many times when he's sat in the passenger seat, or the sucking of air through teeth, or the "CAREFUL LOVE!" comment, lets face it I could go on for pages!
Nowadays more women are independant, especially when they are young, they learn to drive, buy their own car and therefore drive better than men of the same age.
Hopefully never to have the confidence taken away from them by snidey nasty pathetic comments from their partners.
I might just go to youtube and put a video reponse in from my website, click on my name to see it.
Posted on 26 June 2008 at 6:36 PM
Aimee said:
I'd like to ask, why is that woman out on her own in the first place? I demand to know where her chaperone is!? What's happening to the world!!?? There's debauchery and the erosion of traditional values everywhere we look!
Har har.
Seriously, retrospectively, that's quite funny. I can always laugh at a bit of flagrant ignorance.
I'd like to add... I am a rubbish driver. This has nothing to do whatsoever with my ovaries, mammaries, vagina or the shape of my urethra.
Posted on 27 June 2008 at 4:03 PM