Female college students protest ‘sexist’ kitchen advertisement
A group of female college students protested a bulletin board advertising a kitchen with the words “your wife wants me.”
During the protest, the women held up signs saying “whisk away gender inequality” and “men can make their own sandwiches.”
The students said the billboard implies that “women are materialistic and portrayed as having no other value outside of the kitchen.”
A group of female college students traded textbooks for poster board as they protested what they deemed a “sexist” billboard that advertising a kitchen.
The Teakwood Builders Inc., billboard, which advertises a pristine white kitchen with the words “your wife wants me,” is located near Siena College in Loudonville, New York. But on Tuesday, a group of around one dozen women protested the billboard with a variety of homemade signs.
“Stir until equal,” read one sign.
“Bake the patriarchy,” read another sign.
“[The billboard] implies that men are the primary financial supporters of women and that women are materialistic and portrayed as having no other value outside of the kitchen,” Delaney Rivers, a Sienna student, told News 10. “This is especially egregious towards students at our institution as many of us are working towards financial independence in hopes to have successful careers and equality in our relationships.”
Several other signs said, “I prefer an office” and “whisk away gender inequality.”
Protesting the teakwood billboard on rt. 9 at 4:10 join us at the steps of siena hall ??
— Kelly Vandenburgh (@kelly_AnneV) March 24, 2015
Power couple @BrookeFane pic.twitter.com/r8g9cHd5xU
— Kelly Vandenburgh (@kelly_AnneV) March 24, 2015
I LOVE this! Well done, ladies. RT @MegFlatley Protesting sexism in our area #LikeAGirl http://t.co/B11x4bf4xN … pic.twitter.com/JlntY0xyuB
— Erica Grow (@ericagrow) March 25, 2015
In a statement to News 10, Teakwood thanked the college students for “drawing attention to the gorgeous Teakwood kitchen on the billboard.”
“A vast majority of Teakwood’s clients are women. Frequently they are the decision makers about major expenditures,” the company said in a statement. “This billboard—and the entire ‘Your wife wants me’ campaign is good-natured, tongue in cheek fun meant to appeal to women who have a sense of humor, a sense of history and healthy self-esteem.”
“We applaud the students involved in the protest for their excitement about their cause,” Teakwood said.
Sienna is a Roman Catholic liberal arts school in Loudonville, N.Y., with more than 3,000 undergraduate students.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @K_Schallhorn
