Real Women
Having worked in advertising a bit, I was intrigued by the ongoing debate about the representation of gender in bicycle advertising. At first, I was inclined to be offended too. But then, as I was watching the cyclists in my neighborhood, I realized something: the media really has us women figured out!
For example, I saw this very cute woman with a bike downtown:
Specialized did some solid market research because I actually stumbled on a couple of Bike Nurses offering cycling men a hand!
Of course, the lady cyclists out on the town were very stylish.
But, of course, it’s not all about the clothes.
Which sure makes laundry and getting ready in the morning so much easier.
Man, nothing brings out the butthurt like the pictures poking fun at CC. XD Especially hilarious to anyone even passingly familiar with your work are the accusations that you are a “bitter spandex racer.”
It seems this discussion is going to go the same way that so many others have gone:
Dude: Yo bro, there’s not enough chicks here. We need more chicks!
Dude #2: Hey, there’s some chicks. Let’s ask them how we can get more of them involved in [cause of the week].
Women: Make your spaces safer, or at least slightly less hostile for us.
Dudes: You women never talk about what we think you should be talking about. Here’s what you should think blah blah blah blah and also you’re prudes.
THREE WEEKS LATER
Dude #1: Yo, why aren’t there any chicks in our club?
A girl hit me with her tits on purpose the other day. No party was offended.
i think your sarcasm at the representation of female cyclists was lost on some readers. i think everyone can agree that while some normal women do bike in tight dresses and heels, no one actually rides a bike in g-strings like in those memes with girls and fixies. that type of advertisement is aimed towards guys. luckily, bikes that are aiming for female consumers are more accurate in depicting female cyclists (sweetpea bicycles, terry bicycles, plenty of commuter bike brands).
Seriously? This is NOT COOL. Why does the girl in the skirt and heels have outsized boobs and looks dumb? Why is the other girl always wearing glasses and a ponytail and has a very modest bust? Way to go promoting the idea that busty ladies are good only for sexing and staring at, and that a flatter chest somehow correlates with intelligence.
Anyway, guess what. I ride my bike in pretty polka-dotted dresses and heels and a matching ribbon in my hair. I also wear a ponytail with that ribbon, and glasses, and have a figure that’s slim rather than voluptuous, and am a bookish girl into painting and history–who LIKES TO WEAR DRESSES. And yes, I know how to ride my bike. And I will bike in my dress because I’m going to a party and my bike is more eco-friendly than my car and faster than public transport. Or because I just want to wear a dress, because it’s comfy and cute and it makes me feel nice. And I’d rather not have people like you make insulting and unfounded assumptions about what it says about me that I’m dressed “pretty” because of it.
Cool post–I feel like an idiot for not already knowing about the Bechdel Test. I’m glad women are speaking up about this and taking the lead. I’d love to see better marketing aimed at real women and less focus on selling gear to MAMILs (middle aged men in lycra). In the long run, women have to drive that change by speaking up and by putting their money where it will do the most good.
Sadly, the only change I’ve noticed related to marketing is that some of the MAMILs are now MAMIHJs (middle aged men in hipster jeans). Happily there are more women on the road these days, but they seem better supported by the blogosphere than by the marketplace.