Ellen B. found this birthday card for sale in Dublin. The front cover reads “I wish for… intelligence, logic, and driving skills…”
Wait for it… … …
Gwen and my thought process as we moved from the first to the second image: “…’POOF’… oh it’s not… it better not… oh no it did!”
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 52
maggie — July 12, 2010
And my face:
D:
adam — July 12, 2010
Who the hell would appreciate that birthday card? I suppose it's in the "Misogynist's Birthday" card section.
Kandeezie — July 12, 2010
I don't even know what to say. X(
ashleyw — July 12, 2010
So which company published this amazingly bad card? Hallmark?
T — July 12, 2010
Ah whatever... this overt crap is dead. It's the same as the stand up comedians (both men and women) that trot out the same tired women and men are sooo different routines. They haven't been funny since Arsenio Hall was on TV and people don't show up.
(Well, except for the dimwitted types that are still saying "Pull my finger!" at age 50, but... what do you expect?)
Rachael — July 12, 2010
Yes, if you know, please tell us the maker of the card. I'd love to write a letter!
Andie — July 12, 2010
The greeting card industry is a veritable fount of gender based stereotypes and assumptions.
Ever tried to find a card for any of the following??
- any non-hetero friend
- a platonic friend of the opposite sex
- adult men not interested in golf, fishing or couch-potatoing?
- Adult women not interested in shopping, gossiping or drinking heavily?
The age-mocking cards are my personal favorite, in this culture where we worship youth. Seriously, turning 80 is an ACCOMPLISHMENT, not something to be made fun of.
Dr. Ivo Robotnik — July 12, 2010
The card-giver must be wishing he had an ice pack for his new black eye.
Liz M — July 12, 2010
Oh wow. I am as offended by that as if it had changed from a black person to a white person, which is a reasonable response, right? So why is this even ALLOWED? It makes me want to strangle something.
KD — July 12, 2010
There's a similar card where a woman wishes for success in her career and freedom from chores, and poof, she's a man. That one I found a little cute. I like to think that's not hypocritical, because those are things men tend to have more of, as a group, while the idea of women lacking intelligence, logic, and driving skills is pure misogynistic myth.
Odorunara — July 12, 2010
I had the same reaction as a you did. "They wouldn't! No, really?!"
I work a job that requires mental and linguistic gymnastics. I live in rural Japan, where the speed limit is a suggestion and people parking in the middle of the street to go to the bank is normal, so re-learning how to drive and bike to compensate has been a challenge. I do all of this, and I'm still a carrier of an second X chromosome.
This card company and the writer of card ought need to join the 21st century.
Ciaran — July 13, 2010
i do not understand what the big deal is. So it is a card, so what. I'm sure there are more important things for feminists to be worrying about
meerkat — July 15, 2010
This card is manufactured as a service to women. When someone gives it to you, you know you are absolutely justified in cutting him out of your life entirely. I'm sure it's in fine print on the back somewhere.
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