Microsoft Pulls 'Sexist' Mad Libs-style Xbox One Campaign
Letter has since been pulled and is no longer available online.
Microsoft has come under criticism following a marketing stunt that some people have branded as sexist. The stunt involved a letter that was posted on Microsoft's Xbox One website and was designed to help gamers convince their partners that they should get an Xbox One. The problem was that many people felt this letter was geared towards helping men ask for an Xbox One or gain permission to purchase one for themselves.
Dubbed 'We Got Your Back,' the letter features blank spaces along with fill in the blanks/Mad Libs type suggestions to help users complete their letter. Unfortunately, some of the suggestions, along with the tone of the letter, came across as a little sexist. These suggestions include the implication that the person reading the letter prefers to knit or dance than play games. Naturally, female gamers were a little bit upset that this marketing campaign seemed to ignore their existence and took to Twitter to voice their outrage. Men also seemed surprised that Microsoft would let something like this go live. Microsoft then changed some of the default answers and apologized (CNet reports that 'knit' was ditched in favor of 'do your taxes early') but the letter didn't last too much longer and eventually disappeared altogether.
The letter in its original form was quickly branded as sexist and condescending on the Twittersphere, but Microsoft was no doubt trying to demonstrate the diversity of the Xbox One as a platform. Highlighting the fact that the Xbox One is not just for gaming has been Microsoft's tactic since the console's unveiling. Unfortunately, in doing so, the company implied that certain aspects of the Xbox One were only interesting to certain people. Not a clever move, especially since the ESA's 2012 numbers on sales, demographic and usage data for the computer and video game industry state that 47 percent of gamers are female. In fact, according to the ESA's data, women 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population than boys under 17.
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I asked my wife, who does Knit and game, if I could get the R9 290X last month. (She said no, my 7970 is enough) Little did I realize I was sexist.
M$ shouldn't apologize for trying to have a little sense of humor.
There have been multiple articles on Yahoo Finance about the "middle aged white male problem" tech companies' boards have. Can you imagine the media uproar if someone wrote an article about the NBA's "young black man problem" or nursing's "woman problem"? The media loves race-/gender-baiting everyone to boost ratings, even at the expense of society.
It's a joke that everyone's primed and ready to jump on every little thing. Sexism is a real issue, and this trivial BS just makes people look silly and clouds the honest issues that actually exist.
But welcome to the modern world. No campaign can truly cater to everyone. Like Dr Pepper 10s campaign saying its the manliest diet soda, meaning all others are feminine.
Again, welcome to the modern world where you have to make sure your advertisement has people that look like blank, colorless, sexless slates or you might offend someone. Then again that might offend someone still.
I asked my wife, who does Knit and game, if I could get the R9 290X last month. (She said no, my 7970 is enough) Little did I realize I was sexist.
M$ shouldn't apologize for trying to have a little sense of humor.
It's a joke that everyone's primed and ready to jump on every little thing. Sexism is a real issue, and this trivial BS just makes people look silly and clouds the honest issues that actually exist.
I asked my wife, who does Knit and game, if I could get the R9 290X last month. (She said no, my 7970 is enough) Little did I realize I was sexist.
M$ shouldn't apologize for trying to have a little sense of humor.
I am in the same boat. Although for my PC I don't ask as much as its my only hobby (aside from comics but I don't buy much) that I put a lot of money into.
My wife games and does know how to knit. But I ask her for most everything.
I guess people don't realize that wives tend to be the final word more often than not.
There have been multiple articles on Yahoo Finance about the "middle aged white male problem" tech companies' boards have. Can you imagine the media uproar if someone wrote an article about the NBA's "young black man problem" or nursing's "woman problem"? The media loves race-/gender-baiting everyone to boost ratings, even at the expense of society.
There have been multiple articles on Yahoo Finance about the "middle aged white male problem" tech companies' boards have. Can you imagine the media uproar if someone wrote an article about the NBA's "young black man problem" or nursing's "woman problem"? The media loves race-/gender-baiting everyone to boost ratings, even at the expense of society.
47% is stretched to include social networking games. Which I find is outrageous to see the feminists trying to use these stats on improper demographics.
I asked my wife, who does Knit and game, if I could get the R9 290X last month. (She said no, my 7970 is enough) Little did I realize I was sexist.
M$ shouldn't apologize for trying to have a little sense of humor.
Wow, way to go. Did you make sure to purchase her a new apron and vacuum cleaner for her birthday?!!?
/endsarcasm
Your post made me Lol.
This, all day, everyday.
1. Your wife/SO is a gamer and so are you. You/she doesn't need any help with the convincing.
2. Your wife/SO is not a gamer and you are. You need help convincing her that its ok to waste money on a toy.
3. Your wife/SO is a gamer and you are not. And they have much better ways of convincing you just like always and don't need a stupid madlib.
I asked my wife, who does Knit and game, if I could get the R9 290X last month. (She said no, my 7970 is enough) Little did I realize I was sexist.
M$ shouldn't apologize for trying to have a little sense of humor.
No, that was not sexist, but, it's alarming that you married your mom.
Why is this written as if it would be anything other than obvious? The total number of women aged eighteen and older is no doubt much larger than that of boys aged under seventeen.
In other words per that statement we have women aged 18 to 75 plus vs. boys aged 0 to 17.....
Of course there are more women gamers in that wide spread of ages vs. boys in that narrow band.
A better strategy is for the guy to locate her purse and retrieve his balls. Unless she's supporting you financially or you won't have money left for groceries, anyone in a normal relationship can go ahead and TELL their partner that they are buying a toy rather than ASK for permission. Maybe if the toy is a new car you should discuss it, but not so much a $500 game box.