Sexism at Eddie Bauer: Weird Signs of the Times
Women love shopping. Men love gadgets. So it was kismet when my boyfriend and I discovered the Eddie Bauer outlet; a store jammed with cool hiking gear and lots of pretty pigment dyed t-shirts.
And men DO love gadgets. My boyfriend is no exception.
So when he found a hikers water bottle with a complete survival kit jammed inside, he simply had to buy it darling. Someone (in China no doubt) had found a way to fit a flashlight, compass, waterproof matches, signal mirror, flare, first aid, tools, emergency blanket and more, inside a plastic water bottle and to package it all up for $19.99. The shear kitsch-iness of it impressed me and I had to grudgingly admit it did cover most of my “lost in the woods” wish list items. I didn’t check to see if the carabiner on the outside was a toy or the real deal, but who would be rock climbing with this kit anyway?
I didn’t tell him that I was pining for one of my own, but I did scan the store and spotted a shelf of them in the woman’s section. But I was in for a surprise when I picked up my kit. The first items I spotted inside the plastic bottle (mine was pink, his was blue) were a nail file and a sewing kit!!! God forbid I be lost in the woods with a missing button and a broken nail! The kit also had a pack of Kleenex, so when my man said “honey do you have a tissue”, I could say “well I didn’t bring my purse but luckily I have this survival kit here”. I hope the kit also had the other “assist your man” items such as chewing gum and tums (for the after effects of all those chili cheeseburgers cooked over the propane stovetop).
I know, I know, he’s the hunter, I’m the gatherer, blah blah blah. But…did it have to be so painfully obvious? Couldn’t I just have a pink compass and flashlight and maybe a compact mirror that could substitute for a signal mirror in a pinch? Well, that will give me something to look forward to when we pass the ERA!
Women love shopping. Men love gadgets. So it was kismet when my boyfriend and I discovered the Eddie Bauer outlet; a store jammed with cool hiking gear and lots of pretty pigment dyed t-shirts.
And men DO love gadgets. My boyfriend is no exception.
So when he found a hikers water bottle with a complete survival kit jammed inside, he simply had to buy it darling. Someone (in China no doubt) had found a way to fit a flashlight, compass, waterproof matches, signal mirror, flare, first aid, tools, emergency blanket and more, inside a plastic water bottle and to package it all up for $19.99. The shear kitsch-iness of it impressed me and I had to grudgingly admit it did cover most of my “lost in the woods” wish list items. I didn’t check to see if the carabiner on the outside was a toy or the real deal, but who would be rock climbing with this kit anyway?I didn’t tell him that I was pining for one of my own, but I did scan the store and spotted a shelf of them in the woman’s section. But I was in for a surprise when I picked up my kit. The first items I spotted inside the plastic bottle (mine was pink, his was blue) were a nail file and a sewing kit!!! God forbid I be lost in the woods with a missing button and a broken nail! The kit also had a pack of Kleenex, so when my man said “honey do you have a tissue”, I could say “well I didn’t bring my purse but luckily I have this survival kit here”. I hope the kit also had the other “assist your man” items such as chewing gum and tums (for the after effects of all those chili cheeseburgers cooked over the propane stovetop).
I know, I know, he’s the hunter, I’m the gatherer, blah blah blah. But…did it have to be so painfully obvious? Couldn’t I just have a pink compass and flashlight and maybe a compact mirror that could substitute for a signal mirror in a pinch? Well, that will give me something to look forward to when we pass the ERA!
2 comments:
its dirt cheap because the chinese cheap (they get psid like on cent per item manufactured) labour which include children allowed it to be so. So that 20 bucks you spent helped perpetuate and strenghten cheap/child labour in China. Why buy shit you don't need.
typo correction: "they get paid like ONE CENT per item manufactured"
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