Bre B. sent in two strips from Sheldon Comics about marketing to men:
Bre says,
…they’re intentionally poking fun at the ridiculous need in marketing to expand a product’s appeal to men by making a neutral or even feminine item seem hyper-masculine.
It’s a great example, though of course over-the-top. I mean, obviously no company would ever use such obvious, ham-fisted, transparent tactics to market a product, so this is just hypothetical.
NEW: Stacia pointed out another strip in this series:
Notice that in this one, the lizard who usually says only “squee” now says “thqee.” Is this supposed to be a stereotypically effeminate lisp? As in, like, he’s gay now? Commenter Alison has a different interpretation of the “thqee” strip:
It’s funny that people think that the “thquee” is supposed to be an effeminate lisp- I took it for Flaco being so plastered with makeup his mouth was clogged. He’s even coughing out makeup dust.
In another comment, imnotemily pointed out this SNL sketch that plays on the idea of men doing feminine things, but insisting they’re doing them in a manly way:
