This isn’t my usual thing, but I keep seeing this ad, and it
drives me insane. So I guess it’s time for a little off-topic rant.
I apologize for the quality of the photo – it’s a cell-phone
snap from a newspaper page. I tried to find this image online and failed. However, I think you can see it well enough to
tell that it’s a visual compendium of nearly everything insanely annoying about
how people view men and women in the workplace.
First off, look at that office. It’s entirely white. Every
surface is white, even the floor. This “office” was obviously designed by
someone who has never set foot in one. No clutter, no coffee, and the only
color is provided by the HP products (of course) and the beautiful pieces of
paper they have produced, which have been neatly arranged on the wall by a team
of stylists. Just like in your office. But I can live with the all-white
office - I mean, Roger Sterling has one. It’s the people that really bug me.
Let’s look at the guy. Isn’t he cute? His hair is tousled,
his face a little stubbly. His shirt is
hanging out. He is wearing comfy clothes and shoes. He wears a wedding ring, so
we know he is unavailable. Now the woman. She has sleek, perfect hair. Straight
skirt. High heels. No ring. You might
still have a chance with her. He points out something to her, indicating that
he knows stuff. She listens, enraptured.
Now let’s think for one tiny second whether this ad would have
run if the guy were immaculately turned out, listening attentively as a woman with
an untucked shirt, messy hair and flat shoes pointed to something on a graph.
Then let’s all have a good, long laugh.
