Numerous feminist blogs this week are commenting on American Airlines' launching of their new website tailored just to women. This seems to me to be a ridiculous idea from the start, but I can understand it running through a marketing department's collective brain: We need more women customers! How can we possibly bring them in? I know, give them their own website!
Alright. I think this is stupid and sexist, but that is the way marketing works--it is seeking to reach the greatest number of people so it makes sweeping generalizations which it thinks will appeal to the most 'generalized' American woman who is likely to utilize air travel.
Then, however, I saw the comparison of the search engine portion of the "men's" American Airlines website and the new "women's" American Airlines site. Multiple blogs have posted this visual, which makes it very clear how American Airlines views the capabilities of women versus those of men. Obviously, according to AA, not only do women clearly prefer pink, but they also require a much more simple module in order to search for their flights because women aren't smart enough or complex enough or technologically savvy enough to use the regular module. The site also has links to information about health, families, and the charities AA supports, assuming that women are essentially nurturing, more health conscious, have a family, are expected to give of themselves (focus on charities).
Most importantly, however, this new website establishes male as normal, rational, expected, and primary, and it designates female as secondary, less than rational, and other. The primary American Airlines website is this traditional "male" website. It does not designate itself as the "Men's" website--dedicated to connecting men via their weekend golf getaways, as the women's web site includes links to "Girlfriend Getaways" and "Travel Smart and Chic"--rather it excludes women by the very creation of a women's site.
The existence of this website and its contents is disturbing, albeit not entirely surprising. However, what is most disturbing is that the website was undoubtedly launched after multiple surveys, market tests, and focus groups. There were most likely many "real" women who gave their opinions and suggestions for such a website. This is a symptom of entrenched patriarchy--how much women perform their gender (as do men, of course) to its prescribed characteristics. On the blogs there seem to be several voices who consider this site ridiculous, but I will be surprised if anyone outside the fringes of the media will have a problem with it.
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4 comments:
Maybe the real message here is that women are so special and magical that they require a special website to communicate with them on an elevated level. Guys, on the other hand, can make do with the lame, obsolete website. We are capable of only menial functions, Shopping and Girl Power Reading Lists are so far out of our league. Envision, if you will, a world from which women run the show; dealing out swift justice from sleek, pink or purple internet websites, streamlined and filled with expert fashion advice. Such a paradise, a pipe-dream, you say? Closer than you think, I say, closer than you think. In the meantine, I bet shEbay is gonna kick ass!
The first thing I thought of when I read your post was happy meals at McDonalds. When you order a kids meal, they normally ask you girl or boy? That way, whatever child you're ordering for will get the toy that fits their gender. Now, for adults booking flights, they're still asking the question...girl or boy? Kind of ridiculous that this marketing scheme even happened at all.
Let's not give ebay any ideas Mr. Pike..
erica, you bring up a great point--the continuity of gender-specific marketing. It begins with the baby hats and blankets--wall paper borders and mobiles with airplanes versus unicorns or flowers, and it continues to childhood toys (even in happy meals). It is no wonder that we cannot imagine or tolerate anything or anyone which is outside the gender binary--it is pounded into our heads every moment of our lives, beginning at birth. Of course it seems natural.
But the very repetititious insistance on reinforcing the strict gender binary illuminates its constructedness and instability. Repetition implies absence--if you must repeat something over and over, it is to convince yourself it is there when it is not--it is true when it is not.
Eric, I agree that you are making a great point.
I looked at the website and i was freaking shocked. It is so unbelievable how different it is for the woman to order a ticket and the man to order a ticket. The women's pink web page is simple and easy to use-straight forward and clearly does not take any brains to use. The men's web page is blue and has all these different taps to choose from and as men they are has so many more option. I think that is such a great example of how women are seen as inferior to men. They are less likely to be able to figure something confusing out---bullshit!
Like Erica said, this idea is totally ridiculous that it made it through the marketing-but then again i would be interested to see the demographic of women that they used for this marketing study. Mmmm. The website clearly "fits" the gender roles here. Great job people! You have done well (sarcasm).
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