Mikhaila S. let me know about this Ikea ad:
It’s interesting that we can immediately identify that they’re supposedly talking “like guys” (they’re talking about detailing and flat-screen TVs and using words like “baby” and a deep voice–obvious man-talk!). But of course, they’re talking about things women care about–closets. Because that’s where we care about quality and comfort. [For the record, I didn't mean this as "how dare they!"--just a funny little exaggeration of how we think men and women talk.]
Random, non-sociological story: once, when I was a senior in high school, a rich family in Oklahoma City had a pool party for kids at my school (long story). It was the first time I’d been in the home of anyone who was truly wealthy, as opposed to just wealthy by my standards (I thought anyone with a house made of rock or with wood floors was rich, but I also thought Red Lobster must be the type of restaurant rich people like to go to, because I’d heard it cost $20 a person or more to eat there). Anyway, I was walking around these people’s house (they told us we could) and went into a bathroom and they had a TV and phone in there. I started looking around and noticed that every room had a phone, and most had TVs. All of the bathrooms had TVs and phones. This totally blew my mind. I decided it must be customary among the rich to sit around chatting on the phone and watching TV while peeing.* I didn’t want to think beyond that. Anyway, when they talk about getting a big-screen TV in the ad, I remembered that. There’s no other point to the story.
Thanks, Mikhaila!
* Even now I cannot swear it isn’t. Although having iPhones probably opens up the ability to chat or watch TV while you do your business to a wider swath of the population.
