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Loopywafflehead ([info]loopywafflehead) wrote in [info]otf_wank,
@ 2012-08-27 18:31:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:feminism: you're doing it wrong

It's a ladies pen, for ladies


Many thanks to the anon on wank_report for this one!

Bic have released Bic For Her, a line of pens for just ladies. They are your everyday ballpoint pens except that the outer casings are in pink or purple, so that is how you know who can use them.

The first customer review is from Andrea, who is a very clearly a Bic employee:

OK - so I admit it, I have a pink diary, pink laptop and even a pink phone. But now I have a really good quality pink pen!! - It is really comfortable to use, writes smoothly and lets face it, it is great to have a pen that is distinctive. It stops your friends from pinching it as you immediately recognise that it is yours!! (although as it comes with 11 others, I have given my BFF one! Great price for 12 pens of this quality.


She gets called out for being a plant. Reviewers then proceed to have lots and lots of fun in the comments. A small selection of reviews:



1. My man friend helped me to order this product as he said it would be very useful for me, and this morning it dropped onto my doormat. I was very disappointed to find that this isn't a pair of shoes, an oven, or dishwashing soap. I don't really know what you expect me to do with it/them, to be honest - which is a shame, because I like the colours. I've arranged the thingies into a pretty glass vase for now xoxoxox


2. I am a huge fan of the gender binary. Without it, it's very hard to work out who to oppress … I write things, but not often enough to require 12 pens. Seriously - the only feminine person I can think of who produces that many words is Barbara Cartland, and she lies on a chaise longue while someone else writes down her dictation in any case. How many thoughts do you think I have in my pretty pretty head, bic?

Even if I did have a moment of wisdom, I would feel ashamed, keep it secret and hope like hell it would pass before anyone noticed.


3. As a MILLIONAIRE AUTHOR of BESTSELLING TECHNO-THRILLERS, I have to say that I was very disappointed with this pen. Whenever I tried to write punchy, in-your-face prose about the nuclear payload capabilities of the B-2 Northrop-Grunmann stealth bomber, I found myself instead writing about shopping, cocktails and friendship. And when I tried to write the title 'OPERATION CRISIS POINT' at the top of the page, I found myself writing 'DIARY OF A THIRTYSOMETHING' instead. Is Jeremy Renner gonna want to star in the movie adaptation of that? IS HE HECK.


4. I feel I must complain in the strongest terms about the sexism of this item. Where are the "For Him" pens? How can I embrace my masculinity, when there is no pen for me? Am I destined to just watch all of the women around me falling into a sparkly dream of ponies, crochet and butterflies, while I pace angrily here, unable to access the manly world of construction vehicles, barbeques, motor racing and science? I can barely adjust my crotch, I am so angry.


5. I can't help but be disturbed by the phallic symbolism of these pens. As a lady of refinement, the last thing I want to do is to be seen holding something resembling a gentleman's "member" in my expensively manicured hands. What happens in the bedroom is one thing but what happens in public is another!


6. Before I bought this product I couldn't write but now I'm an engineer. Mind you, I only design pink, flowery bridges, motorways and sewers. Blue ones would be wrong wouldn't they.


7. I can't recommend this product at all. I didn't pay attention to BIC's blurb and didn't realise they were designed for female hands and not male ones. It just didn't work but when I gave one to a female colleague she had no problem using it, obviously BIC are onto something here but I don't know what it is.

All was not lost however, I found that by removing the ink cartridge the outer layer is great for smoking crack as the rubber sleeve prevents it slipping from my fingers once I'm blazed.


8. I bought this pen (in error, evidently) to write my reports of each day's tree felling activities in my job as a lumberjack. It is no good. It slips from between my calloused, gnarly fingers like a gossamer thread gently descending to earth between two giant redwood trunks.


9. I tried these on a whim, and I have to say I wasn't very impressed. The applicator mechanism is far too fiddly, and the plastic tampon inside far too thin (not to mention uncomfortable and non-absorbant) - I'm sure there must be a knack to using them, but I couldn't find it. They also stained my knickers blue for some reason. I really wanted to like these, but it's back to pads for me.


10. How could I have missed my own deep inner need for such a product? It's just perfect for ramming straight up the hogs' eye of any sexist man I happen to be oppressed by - no more tabasco-dipped nasty old medical catheters for the misogynists in my life!


11. Pray, what is a 'pen'? I do like it so, because it is so pink, but I remain ignorant as to its practical use. Father says not to ask questions because it might give me wrinkles, and to carry on practising my charming giggle so I can one day ensnare a Duke - but I cannot help but be intrigued by the delicate pinkness of this curio. I can only assume that because it is pink, it is intended for a woman's useage. I am a woman, therefore perhaps I should have this pink so-called pen?


12. Despite the hype, and the colour, and the talk of buttons and tips moving in and out, this was the worst dildo ever.

ETA: The people on Metafilter are also having a jolly good laugh over this.



(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]sepiamagpie
2012-08-27 08:26 pm UTC (link)
Those reviews make me happy.

However, am deeply worried. I am a boy and I recently opened some ponies that were pink and purple. Do I have to get rid of them now or can I just paint them blue?

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]ekaterinv
2012-08-27 08:30 pm UTC (link)
You have to get rid of them. Pink and purple are only for girls, and the deep pink and purpley-ness of those ponies will turn you into a girl if you keep them around. You get the entire rest of the rainbow, so suck it up.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]sepiamagpie
2012-08-27 08:33 pm UTC (link)
today is the worst day

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]yomikoreadman
2012-08-27 09:03 pm UTC (link)
I thought girls got all the pastels and boys were only allowed to wear them while they weren't old enough to dress themselves.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]ekaterinv
2012-08-27 09:10 pm UTC (link)
It was pastels when I was a little girl. But these days, girls get pink and purple ONLY. (My fiancé read this and brought up the time he went to a baby shower for what would be a baby girl, and he got something yellow for her, and it was literally the only non-pink toy or clothing there.)

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]white_serpent
2012-08-27 10:00 pm UTC (link)
I wanted green, yellow, white and brown for the baby (we did not find out the sex in advance). We were told by relatives that they could not possibly buy us any baby clothing because there was "girl green" h pink flowers on it, for example) and "boy green" (with trucks and blue things on it). So they pressured us into having a shower after the baby was born instead so they could buy appropriately. (My coworkers didn't seem to have a problem, but okay. I didn't deeply want a shower anyway.)

Then immediately after the baby was born, they bought us everything in blue.

So, yes: boys get the other colors, but it seems there's a whole lot of pressure to conform to Pink or Blue Only.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]miss_eponine, 2012-08-28 12:08 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiye, 2012-08-28 04:33 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiye, 2012-08-28 04:36 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]white_serpent, 2012-08-28 08:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2012-08-28 08:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]white_serpent, 2012-08-28 09:25 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2012-08-28 10:08 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ghostmaster, 2012-08-28 11:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]alya1989262, 2012-08-29 11:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]white_serpent, 2012-08-29 06:50 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiye, 2012-08-29 09:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2012-08-28 09:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2012-08-28 09:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tiye, 2012-08-29 09:56 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2012-08-29 09:58 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]janegraddell, 2012-08-30 02:19 pm UTC

[info]the__ivorytower
2012-08-28 01:58 am UTC (link)
My Christening blanket from my mother's doctor's wife was yellow and white. I loved the hell out of that blanket and I only lost it because it got eaten in the Family Drama that happened a few years ago. I met that woman much later, because she was the anesthesiologist who put me under for my wisdom teeth. She was so nice then, too. ^^

/nothingtodowithpens

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ekaterinv, 2012-08-28 08:48 pm UTC

[info]staroverthebay
2012-08-27 11:28 pm UTC (link)
Don't listen to the haters, Sep! Pink is the new black!

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]roachspit
2012-08-28 04:49 am UTC (link)
Pink, purple, and ponies are all for girls. Just avoid P-words in general.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]wankismyfandom
2012-08-28 05:17 am UTC (link)
Yes. Like penises.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]full_metal_ox
2012-08-28 11:56 pm UTC (link)
Thank you for obligingly providing me a cue to cite this website.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]librarianmouse
2012-08-30 04:44 am UTC (link)
I don't know if that's actually the funniest thing ever or if it's just the cold medicine. Anyone?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]roachspit, 2012-08-30 04:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]singe, 2012-08-31 03:38 am UTC

[info]librarianmouse
2012-08-28 05:27 am UTC (link)
Like penis.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]yattara
2012-08-28 10:53 am UTC (link)
Pasta, pizza, and pancakes. We also get all the best foods.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]sepiamagpie
2012-08-28 01:12 pm UTC (link)
Everyone beat me to the penis joke

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]roachspit
2012-08-28 04:12 pm UTC (link)
Penis doesn't make you girly. Penis makes you gay.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]tangentialone
2012-08-28 03:26 pm UTC (link)
...and pens.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]roachspit
2012-08-28 04:14 pm UTC (link)
Pens are for girls, obviously. Didn't you read the packaging?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]cmdr_zoom
2012-08-29 05:49 pm UTC (link)
"... that's 'the pen is mightier.'"
"Suck it, Trebek!"

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]paladin
2012-08-28 08:18 am UTC (link)
It's terrible that you have exposed yourself to these incorrectly-gendered ponies. Please send them to me for proper disposal. Thank you for your compliance.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]veleda_k
2012-08-28 01:39 pm UTC (link)
Have you been hit by an attack of feelings? These are girl pens, after all. Emotions are a sign that your masculinity has been compromised. You may need to go out into the the woods and weld something (preferably while eating red meat) until they go away.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]full_metal_ox
2012-08-30 08:23 pm UTC (link)
And that's a suitable cue for me to launch a rant about another stationery item that (at least in the U.S.) seems to be regarded as inherently gendered.

Six years ago, a young man of my acquaintance requested a diary for his eighth birthday; little did I suspect what an epic Fetch Quest lay in store. The cover motifs all ran to things like flowers, women's fashion and cosmetic items, sweet pastels, and female-targeted licensed characters*. It took me no fewer than eight stores, in the course of a mile-and-a-half walk, to find something that wasn't stereotypically "girly", settling for an anchor upon a ground of blue-and-white stripes.

Way to encourage boys to Use Their Words.

*Note that had the boy himself ever expressed any taste for that sort of thing, I wouldn't have hesitated to buy some.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]kosaginolegion
2012-08-31 10:24 pm UTC (link)
Well, for what it's worth, his younger brother might. Given he ever decides he needs to write things down. At the moment I doubt it.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]anthologia
2012-08-29 05:00 am UTC (link)
GIVE THEM TO ME


I mean.

You must donate them to a worthy cause!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]nursewretched
2012-09-09 06:25 pm UTC (link)
I'm a worthy cause! :D

(Reply to this)(Parent)


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