MEN'S HEALTH FORUM HIGHLIGHTS SEXIST BOOTS ADVERT

The Men's Health Forum (MHF) is really doing some good stuff and campaigning hard to ensure men's health needs are not forgotten. We will be looking at one of the issues they raised on health priorities in a little detail later on and also they put a marker down on missed appointments. The Chairman, Peter Baker, saying it could be down to waiting times or an inability to get time off work with the implication that there should be no blame game in saying men are lazy etc, the usual knee jerk reaction.

This week, they raised the issue about an advert making light of the women's magazine invention "man Flu" which is now de rigeur amongst feminist , chick-lit writers, columnists and anyone that wants to mock men - so tediously  'Sex in the City". You can tell MHF what you think on their website.

It reminds me of the infamous MFI ad. The key thing is, would Boots and whoever the advertising agency they paid to produce it, run such an advert with a man mocking a women with a cold/flu or suffering from her time of the month. No, but its men, so its OK then.

Posted by Skimmington

Comments

[Jon]

Tell MHF what you think, sure, but also tell Boots. Tell them you are disgusted that they think of men with such contempt, and that you will use another chemist in future. I just have.

The whole 'man flu' thing is basically symptomatic of another branch of feminist ideology - that it is impossible for men to be victims. So accuse them of making an excessive amount of fuss about their health, while at the same time clucking your tongue about how rarely men visit the doctors.

'Manflu', it really is as funny as cancer, because by discouraging men from worrying about their health, you are in effect propagating an attitude that will end with more men with cancer.

I detest the term.

[Air Jordan Shoes]

Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who dont smile^ $^d

[Glen Poole]

.....the nature of these ads makes more sense when you discover that Boots actually has a corporate commitment to predominantly favour women - se how here http://brightonmanplan.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/is-boots-ad-sexist/

[John Kimble]

I think the ad would be fine if men and women had equal access to healthcare and vaguely similar health outcomes.

At present no one takes men's health seriously, not women, not men, not the government and certainly not cancer charities etc.

Therefore the advert is more than just offensive. It's taking a serious problem and making it even worse but dismissing and mocking men's health issues.

[Steve]

I think the podcast deals with this advert exactly right. Actually what the guy in this ad is doing is the best thing.

[dr martens boots]

perfect posting.
Really nice writing.
As always your posts are very helpful.

[vibram fivefingers]

Thanks you for your support, all the information is just what i need.

[RB]

I complained about the "man-flu" Boots ad to the Advertising Standards Authority at the end of last year. I got a reply saying they had considered my complaint but decided that the advert would not cause widespread offence. They advised Boots of the complaint.
I also wrote to Boots to say that, as a result of their continuing "here come the girls" campaign theme, I no longer felt welcome or comfortable as a man in their stores. I got the usual platitudes back about this not being their intention etc.
However, we need to keep persisting by lodging complaints where they are warranted. It has been open season on men for far too long and we need to be as vocal and visual in standing up for men against this sort of sexism as the womens' movement has/is - or even more so!

[Thomas]

MMR webchat, today, 2pm, with Professor David Salisbury, Dept of Health ... up tips with the Boots Feel Good Forum, and you could win a £50 Boots voucher .... And, is it really acceptable now to suggest that men are so useless they can do almost nothing? ... I get the sexist point people are making but I like the advert.