The latest in misogynistic injustice against women: having to look at a picture of a stove.
Feminist students at Siena College in Albany, N.Y., have been staging a protest. No, not against human trafficking or women being stoned to death by ISIS militants.
It's a protest against a billboard near the college featuring a photo of a gleaming state-of-the-art kitchen. The billboard, posted by Teakwood Builders Inc., a local contractor, also contains the tagline "Your Wife Wants Me."
Some Siena students found the billboard to be sexist and offensive, so they gathered under the billboard in protest on Tuesday afternoon.
They held signs that read ‘I prefer an office,’ ‘Men can make their own sandwiches,’ ‘Women left the kitchen decades ago,’ and ‘I can buy my own kitchen.’
Siena student Delaney Rivers said in an e-mail “[The billboard] implies that men are the primary financial supporters of women and that women are materialistic and portrayed as having no other value outside of the kitchen. This is especially egregious towards students at our institution as many of us are working towards financial independence in hopes to have successful careers and equality in our relationships.”
Um, how can someone be both "materialistic" and of "no value outside of the kitchen" at the same time?
The best thing about the Siena girls' "Bake the Patriarchy" campaign is that Teakwood isn't beating its breast with apologies. In fact, the company issued this statement:
"A vast majority of Teakwood's clients are women. Frequently they are the decision makers about major expenditures. This billboard – and the entire "Your wife wants me" campaign is good-natured, tongue in cheek fun meant to appeal to women who have a sense of humor, a sense of history and healthy self-esteem."
Teakwood has also launched a "Your Wife Wants Me" kitchen or bath design contest on Facebook:
Enter ‘before photos’ of your kitchen and bath and tell us why you want a new custom kitchen and bath design. You could win the opportunity to work one-on-one with Teakwood’s award-winning kitchen and bath designers. The free custom design includes CAD floor plan and elevation drawings and a design board featuring proposed finishes for your dream kitchen or bath. Teakwood Builders will estimate cost of the kitchen or bath project designed for the winner.
Naturally the feminist website Bustle is outraged at all of this:
Justifying an ad campaign by saying that they’re simply catering to their primarily women clients is anecdotal evidence steeped in relativism. By saying those who get the billboard are in fact good-humored and have healthier self-esteems, Teakwood further divides the rift between protestors and the company and insinuates those who dislike it are not good-humored and have low self-esteem.
Hmm, maybe I'm swayed by "anecdotal evidence steeped in relativism" (must be my weak female brain), but I'm a wife and I want that kitchen on the billboard.
Too bad Teakwood doesn't have a branch in Washington, D.C.