You’re Sexist, Barefoot!

Scott,

I am usually a fan but I was rather disappointed by the way you described picking up your son from kindy in a recent column. To me your language came across as sexist, and I think we can all (especially someone in a position such as yours) be more careful in the way we phrase things. I have always recommended you to people (including my girlfriend just recently), but if your advice is going to come with a side of gender stereotyping, then that will come to an end.

Tim

Hi Tim,

First, let me put down the vacuum cleaner so I can type with both hands.

Okay, ready.

Tim, I’m guessing you’re upset about a column I wrote recently where I recounted a conversation I had with a mother at my kid’s kinder class: “are you in between jobs?” She innocently asked me. When I told her that I wasn’t, she replied, “oh, it’s just that not many fathers pick up their sons … in the middle of the day.”

I’d say that’s a classic case of gender stereotyping right there … but I actually found it funny. Though I admit if I was actually out of work, it might have knocked my confidence a bit.

Anyway, the guts of the column was about Australia’s biggest bank using its marketing muscle to send in cartoon credit card mascots to primary school assemblies. And that’s definitely something we should all be deeply offended and outraged about.

Scott