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ARE YOU WHAT YOU EAT?

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Guy Briggs

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May 31, 2002, 6:15:05 AM5/31/02
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This came recently from an honorary Guerrilla Girl:

I am a college student at Truman State University and I would like to bring
up an interesting male-dominant product. A couple of weeks ago, I tried to
think of a female childrens' cereal character. After brainstorming, I went
to the store and realized that out of the 20 cereals that have some sort of
character on the box, 20 of them were male. This just intrigues me, a
product which shouldn't be marketed to male of female, I just can't figure
out why. Anyways, such a small bump in the road to equality, and yet it
seems to be so deeply rooted in our culture that we don't even realize it.
Here are the characters/cereals I found:

Honey Comb ------------ Male Bee
Fruity/Cocco Pebbles -- Fred and Barney
Golden Crisps --------- Male Bear
Cookie Crisps---------- Male Dog and Policeman
Trix------------------- Male Rabbit
Cinnamon Toast Crunch-- Male Chef
Franken Berry---------- Frankenstein
Count Chocula---------- Count Chocula
Coco Puffs------------- Male bird
Nes Quick ------------- Male Rabbit
Honey Nut Cheerios ---- Male Bee
Lucky Charms ---------- Leprechaun
Frosted flakes -------- Tony the Tiger
Honey Smacks ---------- Male Frog
Corn Flakes ----------- Rooster
Coco Krispies --------- Male chimp
Rice Krispies --------- Snap, Crackle, & Pop guys
King Vitamin ---------- King Vitamin

John Jones

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May 31, 2002, 7:22:31 AM5/31/02
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"Guy Briggs" <Earlyyears...@btopenworld.com> wrote in
message news:ad7if8$bd3$1...@helle.btinternet.com...

> This came recently from an honorary Guerrilla Girl:
>
> I am a college student at Truman State University and I would
like to bring
> up an interesting male-dominant product. A couple of weeks ago,
I tried to
> think of a female childrens' cereal character. After
brainstorming, I went
> to the store and realized that out of the 20 cereals that have
some sort of
> character on the box, 20 of them were male. This just intrigues
me, a
> product which shouldn't be marketed to male of female, I just
can't figure
> out why. Anyways, such a small bump in the road to equality,
and yet it
> seems to be so deeply rooted in our culture that we don't even
realize it.
> Here are the characters/cereals I found:
>

I guess women (who do most of the grocery shopping) just prefer
to see male characters on their serial boxes.


Guy Briggs

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May 31, 2002, 10:38:54 AM5/31/02
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"John Jones" <enuf...@nothanks.invalid> wrote in message
news:X1JJ8.833$jf.2...@twister.midsouth.rr.com...

I guess the men (who do most the advertising) just prefer to be self-centred
pigs.

I'm so ashamed of my gender.


Stephen Morgan

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May 31, 2002, 12:16:45 PM5/31/02
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In alt.feminism, Guy Briggs wrote:
> This came recently from an honorary Guerrilla Girl:
>
> I am a college student at Truman State University and I would like to bring
> up an interesting male-dominant product. A couple of weeks ago, I tried to
> think of a female childrens' cereal character. After brainstorming, I went
> to the store and realized that out of the 20 cereals that have some sort of
> character on the box, 20 of them were male. This just intrigues me, a
> product which shouldn't be marketed to male of female, I just can't figure
> out why. Anyways, such a small bump in the road to equality, and yet it
> seems to be so deeply rooted in our culture that we don't even realize it.
> Here are the characters/cereals I found:

We could focus on any genuine injustice and we choose to look at boxes
of breakfast food.

> Honey Comb ------------ Male Bee

How do you know he's a male bee? Aren't all bees except the queen male?
The queen has nothing to do with the honeycomb's construction, so it
should be a male bee.

> Fruity/Cocco Pebbles -- Fred and Barney
> Golden Crisps --------- Male Bear

How do you know it's a male bear? I mean, how do you tell in a cartoon?

> Cookie Crisps---------- Male Dog and Policeman

Well, I've never seen a police*woman*. And how do you know it was a male
police dog? I mean, this is designed for children, he can't be
indecently exposing himself.

> Trix------------------- Male Rabbit

How do you know he is?

> Cinnamon Toast Crunch-- Male Chef

Well, most top chefs are men, realism in advertising.

> Franken Berry---------- Frankenstein

Maybe he was half and half.

> Count Chocula---------- Count Chocula

Yeah, weird. I'd expect to see Minnie Mouse on a product called "Count
Chocula".

> Coco Puffs------------- Male bird

You can tell by the way he walks.

> Nes Quick ------------- Male Rabbit

Only if you can prove it.

> Honey Nut Cheerios ---- Male Bee

Male bees make the honey. Wouldn't want the female bees taking credit
for something they didn't do, would you?

> Lucky Charms ---------- Leprechaun

Of therefore indeterminate sex.

> Frosted flakes -------- Tony the Tiger

Okay.

> Honey Smacks ---------- Male Frog

How do you know it's not a female toad?

> Corn Flakes ----------- Rooster

Because they crow in the morning, not because they're male.

> Coco Krispies --------- Male chimp

That's an orangutan.

> Rice Krispies --------- Snap, Crackle, & Pop guys

Pixies, supernatural beings without sex.

> King Vitamin ---------- King Vitamin

--
You bleed the people so that you may stuff your own fat pockets. [...]
I'll not be quiet, the poor of England have been quiet too long, while I
have breath in my body and blood in my veins I'll fight for the poor
people of England.
-- Hugh Laurie

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ncavalier/feminism/

Stephen Morgan

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May 31, 2002, 1:27:16 PM5/31/02
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In alt.feminism, Guy Briggs wrote:
>

You sicken me.

John Jones

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May 31, 2002, 2:05:34 PM5/31/02
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"Guy Briggs" <Earlyyears...@btopenworld.com> wrote in
message news:ad81tt$3b4$2...@helle.btinternet.com...

If you've got something more substantial than low-class name
calling, let's hear it. An ad executive who ignored the
desires of his market would soon become an ex-ad executive with
all the persuasiveness of a... a... well, a Guy Briggs.


>
> I'm so ashamed of my gender.

Don't worry, they don't claim you among their ranks anyway.

>
>


Dan

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May 31, 2002, 10:26:51 PM5/31/02
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"Guy Briggs" <Earlyyears...@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:ad81tt$3b4$2...@helle.btinternet.com...

Then kill yourself.

D
>
>


is...@bibble.com

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May 31, 2002, 11:35:38 PM5/31/02
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"Guy Briggs" <Earlyyears...@btopenworld.com> wrote in <ad7if8$bd3$1...@helle.btinternet.com>:

and most of these cereals are bad for you
>

Max Burke

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Jun 1, 2002, 1:38:04 AM6/1/02
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><is...@bibble.com> wrote in message news:28D+8$4...@netnews.attbi.com...

And feminist complaining that this is an 'equality' issue is?
IYO of course... [just to keep the debate on track]
--------------------------
# Feminism is simply an ideology justifying women receiving 'maximum reward' for
minimum effort based on the premise that being female, they deserve to be
rewarded for being female......

--
mlvburke@#%&*.net.nz
Replace the obvious with paradise to email me.

See Found Images at :
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~mlvburke

Rich

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Jun 1, 2002, 11:26:47 AM6/1/02
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Guy Briggs wrote:

[...]

> I'm so ashamed of my gender.

You should be ashamed, of yourself. I will not
accept any shame from you.

Rich

is...@bibble.com

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Jun 2, 2002, 2:11:25 AM6/2/02
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"Max Burke" <mlvburke@%$%#@.nz> wrote in <95ZJ8.5473$7N.8...@news02.tsnz.net>:

actually, max, my point was that if anyone should be complaining it should
be men complaining that htey are being unequally associated with something that is bad
for you - i thought that was pretty on track)

Max Burke

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Jun 2, 2002, 6:26:59 PM6/2/02
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><is...@bibble.com> wrote in message news:QUb+8$p...@netnews.attbi.com...

>> "Max Burke" <mlvburke@%$%#@.nz> wrote in
<95ZJ8.5473$7N.8...@news02.tsnz.net>:

>>> I am a college student at Truman State University and I would like to bring

So you think that a complaint based on sexist attitudes is justified WRT these
products?

You're 'creating' an diversionary discussion about 'how bad' the products are in
themselves and saying men need to be 'annoyed' that men are associated with
them.
IOW you're defining the 'food products' in the same sexist manner as this
feminist is except you're using men as the 'victims' instead of women.....

We have a term for such arguments in this newsgroup; It's under the tricks and
lies to divert discussions heading in the FAQ.....
The question is; Is the advertising of these food products using 'male'
characters an act of discrimination against women (or men)?

As to the 'goodness or badness' of the products that is a matter of opinion and
probably the subject of a seperate thread.....

is...@bibble.com

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Jun 3, 2002, 12:13:28 AM6/3/02
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"Max Burke" <mlvburke@%$%#@.nz> wrote in <_YwK8.5753$7N.9...@news02.tsnz.net>:

you are making way too much of this. the original poster suggested this was against
women. my saying that *if anyone should be complaining* (you will notice the if) was
to say that it is a silly argument and does not as the original poster suggested create
a bad typing for women. my opinion is that it creates a bad typing for noone particularly
considering count chocula and countless others of them aren't even _people_. but if one
were looking for sexism in it the sexism would be against men.

but i will take by your statements that you don't feel men are victimized.

Max Burke

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Jun 3, 2002, 1:52:04 AM6/3/02
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><is...@bibble.com> wrote in message news:2ou+8$Y...@netnews.attbi.com...

>> "Max Burke" <mlvburke@%$%#@.nz> wrote in
<_YwK8.5753$7N.9...@news02.tsnz.net>:

snip....

> and most of these cereals are bad for you

>> And feminist complaining that this is an 'equality' issue is?
>> IYO of course... [just to keep the debate on track]

> actually, max, my point was that if anyone should be complaining it should
> be men complaining that htey are being unequally associated with something
> that is bad for you - i thought that was pretty on track)

>> So you think that a complaint based on sexist attitudes is justified WRT
these
>> products?
>> You're 'creating' an diversionary discussion about 'how bad' the products are
in
>> themselves and saying men need to be 'annoyed' that men are associated with
>> them.
>> IOW you're defining the 'food products' in the same sexist manner as this
>> feminist is except you're using men as the 'victims' instead of women.....

>> We have a term for such arguments in this newsgroup; It's under the tricks
and
>> lies to divert discussions heading in the FAQ.....
>> The question is; Is the advertising of these food products using 'male'
>> characters an act of discrimination against women (or men)?

>> As to the 'goodness or badness' of the products that is a matter of opinion
and
>> probably the subject of a seperate thread.....

> you are making way too much of this.

Hardly.....

> the original poster suggested this was against
> women. my saying that *if anyone should be complaining* (you will notice the
if) was
> to say that it is a silly argument and does not as the original poster
suggested create
> a bad typing for women. my opinion is that it creates a bad typing for noone
particularly
> considering count chocula and countless others of them aren't even _people_.
but if one
> were looking for sexism in it the sexism would be against men.

> but i will take by your statements that you don't feel men are victimized.

As far as it's male characters representing breakfast cereals? Not at all, just
like women aren't victimised when that happens.....

ishka bibble

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Jun 3, 2002, 1:20:05 PM6/3/02
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"Max Burke" <mlvburke@%$%#@.nz> wrote in message news:<cuDK8.5862$7N.9...@news02.tsnz.net>...

no, you were you ascribed a whole mess of crap to what i said that
wasn't there.


>
> > the original poster suggested this was against
> > women. my saying that *if anyone should be complaining* (you will notice the
> if) was
> > to say that it is a silly argument and does not as the original poster
> suggested create
> > a bad typing for women. my opinion is that it creates a bad typing for noone
> particularly
> > considering count chocula and countless others of them aren't even _people_.
> but if one
> > were looking for sexism in it the sexism would be against men.
>
> > but i will take by your statements that you don't feel men are victimized.
>
> As far as it's male characters representing breakfast cereals? Not at all, just
> like women aren't victimised when that happens.....

well we agree on that but then tell me what the parameters are. >

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