IKEA is a terrific store with great selections and prices on furniture and housing items. I love going there and always pick up bargains.
I noticed they have child-care areas in their stores, with brightly-colored rooms full of toys. A place to park your child while you shop.
I just read a news article reporting that IKEA's in Australia now have spaces in their stores for boyfriends and husbands. The spaces are called "Manland." They have big TV's showing sports, comfortable couches to lounge in, and free hotdogs. Women-shoppers are given a buzzer that goes off in thirty minutes to remind them to retrieve their man.
What do you think of this? Clever joke? Useful idea? Reinforcement of the worst of sexism?
Personally, I don't know why anyone, male or female, wouldn't enjoy creating and decorating their home. It's an inherently fun activity.
I think it's a "cute" idea if you don't really dig too deeply in to some greater significance or meaning. I think it's something that really isn't meant to be taken too seriously.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm with you. I kinda feel like creating a living space should be done by all of the parties that live there. And - if you don't want to participate - stay the hell home. AND heaven help you if you start complaining about whatever was selected and brought home!
I think this is a really, really awful idea. It absolutely reinforces sexist notions... of course they're going to get publicity with it. But I too do think that decorating one's home is fun for everyone regardless of gender. (Though the fact that he has such a tastefully decorated home was one of the things that pleasantly surprised me about the boyfriend because most guys I knew at that time weren't too interested in decorating their own living spaces... possibly because there is indeed the cliché that this is a woman's job, possibly because most of them are rather geeky people who care more about science than about home decor...)
ReplyDeletehahaha ... I think it's a great idea. It definitely reinforces sexist notions, but not in a bad way. *These* particular sexist notions don't limit someone (see my post on being pretty and smart) and I don't think they are negative, per se. They cater to both sexist notions -- that women can't make decisions and hem and haw and have to twirl and swish and think of every consequence before purchasing -- and the notion that men can't deal with that. For ex, there are few men who understand my desire to get a *good* picture and can put up with me to get said *good* picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful concept, but poorly executed (ie: named). For example, when we go shopping with my father, even as adults, we could definitely use a space like that. He has to compare every product, ask every sales associate umpteen million questions and hmm and haw for hours before making the simplest purchase. Believe me, I could use a "manland" for those times!
ReplyDeleteI don't quite get why Ikea necessarily needs one. Sure, my husband did survive a 3 hour fabric shopping excursion last weekend, but certainly came out of it overwhelmed. When our Ikea opens (12 more months!), I'll likely bring him along... but I'll likely also do "pre-shopping", checking out things online before finding them in store. I know he'll appreciate if I've narrowed down the options from 22 down to 3, and then make the final decision, with his input, from the actual store.
I love IKEA and thankfully my guy also enjoys going to IKEA with me. He has to live in our home as well, so he wants to have a say in the furniture and home goods that he'll be surrounded by. But everyone is different and some men, or some women, may prefer to watch tv and eat hot dogs when their legs get tired. Maybe they just need a name change?
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Agreed it is a nice idea, and one that is terribly named. Shopping can be exhausting and I know I would love to see this at Ikea so I could just take a little break when needed. Bizarre too is that this is from a Swedish company, as Sweden sis a fairly egalitarian society.
ReplyDeleteAnd I actually do not enjoy decorating my space--my brain just doesn't work that way or something. My boyfriend is far better at it than i am and is always the driving force behind Ikea trips, so clearly this wouldn't work for us!
I think it is a fun concept. I might go hang out there too, when I need a little break while shopping! Hopefully they have a Big TV and some wine in there too! :P Don't think it is meant to taken too seriously. At least I don't.
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I just think the bottom line is having fun with your partner. You know? If they don't want to be with each other, then why would they go out to IKEA together? It's very strange to me. I love being with Ian even when he's doing something that I'm not that interested in. If I think it would be boring for me, I don't go. I do my own thing.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's still kind of funny.
xoxo,
Tracy
Good topic for discussion. I heard about this too, but I'm not sure what to think. Sexist? Yeah, kind of. Is it necessary? Sometimes it really is.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they could set up a "Womanland" in Game Stop so I could have a place to get a latte, a massage, and some scrapbooking supplies while my husband looks at video games.
Meh, I think it's sorta funny. I'm sure we'll read about something just as silly soon enough. :)
I think it's hilarious. I'd really like one of these for fashion stores because honestly, I put my boyfriend through way too much of "oh, this is cute" and "just fifteen more minutes!" while clothes shopping. It's a little sexist, but it's also a little true. They really need a woman-care section, though. I may take a ton of time with clothes, but my boyfriend takes even longer while grocery shopping. YOWZA.
ReplyDeletewww.atavisions.com
I think this is excellent marketing, but the name is truly unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings here.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I noticed while in NY was all the men standing outside HM or just leaning against the windows waiting for their other halves... in my case i usually shop without a male companion as most of the time he gets bored. Now, when it comes to home items I usually want an opinion and think it is only fair as he lives in the same house...
At the end i think its kind of funny but i think it totally works and is a good idea, i'd make some adjustments through.
Lorena
It's a little stereotypical but amusing none the less! Speaking of kids - the kids section in IKEA has given me ample inspiration in my own "grown up" rooms! Two of my favorite light boxes come from the kids department... you should check it out next time you shop!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inherentstylela.com/
I think it's a clever idea, but also a bit ridiculous. I know better than to take my husband shopping. He has little patience for even glancing at my online shopping, and entering a store he'll grab what's on the list and nothing else. BUT I know my bestie can spend all day long digging through the thrift store racks and arguing whether this dress is "Totally Gaga" or "LOL 80s!"
ReplyDeleteI think it's better to respect your shopping partners, but if they must come along, having a spot they'll be entertained isn't a bad idea. Of course, this doesn't work if it's a person not interested in sports. Or hotdogs. But hey B+ for the gimmick.
being a woman myself, I am going to say it..Do you know what a pain in the ass it is to go shopping with a woman?? *giggles* there are times where I dread going shopping with a woman. My philosophy, go in, look around, grab the item that you need, leave. If you need to browse the store..GREAT..Rule of thumb. You should not be trying on 50 million items just to see what you look like in all of them. You should Not be spending more time in a store then necessary...go in...get OUT!!!
ReplyDeleteIkea..Love that store, my whole apartment is IKEA just because of the price and functionality of everything. Living on a very low budget on own, and having to furnish everything, I have come to respect and love IKEA.
"Park your kids" Yep..get rid of those little buggers, either keep them in the kids area, or keep them in the ball pit, they will drag a person down especially in an attention ADD/ADHD type environment.
Brilliant idea to have the "Manland" many trips to Ikea with a man has brought us to sit on the couches and talk, but to keep him with a tv in a relaxing atmosphere probably would have been better :-) men tend to make fools of themselves in IKEA (and i got the pictures to prove it!)
Any type of Sexism, or stereotype is based on some form of truth..so manland works! I love the idea, i think they should bring that here with more and more stores.....Try go bra shopping and underware shopping with a man. There is a reason they have comfortable couches that face away from the bras...and usually face either a wall...or a big priced sale sign or advertisement..(SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES-men with wallets buy more stuff)
Hmm, I kind of hate decorating, and I certainly hate trips to IKEA. I think the marketing is sexist but the idea... of a space where those who are bored to tears by these things can chill out, is rather a good one. I remember when I used to go to IKEA as a kid with my family, they had a "ball room" for children. But when I got too old for that I had to stick with my parents and it was sooooo borrrrring. And I still hate that stuff!
ReplyDeleteThere's a pub in the town centre with a sign outside offering a "Man Creche...leave your man in here with us while you go shopping". It never fails to make me titter, our town's full of poor bemused menfolk being dragged around the shops. x
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious!! My Husband wouldn't go for it though. He enjoys shopping in Ikea with me. They need Man land in Women's clothing and shoe stores, those are the places that my Husband hates to shop with me.
ReplyDeleteDude, we were JUST at Ikea yesterday! I love that store so much, I can't even. I actually knew about the "guy area" awhile back because they have them at the outdoor mall by my house. I think it is funny, but at the same kind kind of sexist. Especially since Kyle loves Ikea as much as I do, he gets mad if I go without him.
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda funny if you take it in a tongue-in-cheek way. The buzzer might be a lil over the top, though. lol My husband HATES going to IKEA with me...mostly because it's so crowded, I want to look at EVERYTHING (which takes a looong time), and he's afraid I will get carried away with my purchases (his fears are not unfounded based on past experience!). I don't think even Manland would entice him to go. hehe BUT he always goes with me if I really want him to...a labor of love. :) Me, I could spend hours in there just soaking up the atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteGood idea, bad idea? I can't make that call, but what I do know is it's never a good idea to drag a grumpy man along with you. I never force mine to do things that make him unhappy, life is just too short. If I want to shop, I just leave him at home. We are after all not joined at the hip. The upside to this is I don't have to sit freezing my a$$ off at a football game. Win-win.
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