Trolling Target Customers

[telephone89]

Target is going genderless for 2 depts, toys & bedding. This guy decided to pretend to be Target.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/mike.melgaard/media_set?set=a.10204632162916001.1073741829.1592910007&type=3&pnref=story

You have to be logged into FB to read all of them, but a few also got posted to various articles
http://www.buzzfeed.com/javiermoreno/a-guy-posed-as-a-target-customer-service-rep-on-facebook-to#.nb6zKA8mK

Target shut down in Canada, so I really will never encounter this, and if you agree or disagree with the policies, man his trolling is funny. He pisses off some people bad! Anyways, I got a laugh, wanted to share.

 

[amc80]

Those are hilarious! But, I think someone has too much time on his hands...

 

[katharath]

Ok that was great, thanks for sharing!!

 

[House Cat]

Why do these hateful, "non PC liking" people think that they are the only group of people in the world? They kept referring to themselves as 80% of the buying market or that Target was giving into "just a few." Don't they understand that they are a DYING BREED? The millennials are coming of age, with many of them already at voting age, and they are demanding a different culture. Target sees this... Like it or not, a more accepting, tolerant future is on its way.


Very funny though... I laughed my rear off!

 

[ame]

Target is going genderless for 2 depts, toys & bedding. This guy decided to pretend to be Target.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/mike.melgaard/media_set?set=a.10204632162916001.1073741829.1592910007&type=3&pnref=story

You have to be logged into FB to read all of them, but a few also got posted to various articles
http://www.buzzfeed.com/javiermoreno/a-guy-posed-as-a-target-customer-service-rep-on-facebook-to#.nb6zKA8mK

Target shut down in Canada, so I really will never encounter this, and if you agree or disagree with the policies, man his trolling is funny. He pisses off some people bad! Anyways, I got a laugh, wanted to share.

You beat me to posting this, but I was in HYSTERICS laughing at my desk reading some of them. THE BOB CLARK was the one that had me nearly hyperventilating. "They don't know who you are!"

And Rhonda and her $120 a year.

 

[KaeKae]

Why do these hateful, "non PC liking" people think that they are the only group of people in the world? They kept referring to themselves as 80% of the buying market or that Target was giving into "just a few." Don't they understand that they are a DYING BREED? The millennials are coming of age, with many of them already at voting age, and they are demanding a different culture. Target sees this... Like it or not, a more accepting, tolerant future is on its way.


Very funny though... I laughed my rear off!

My guess is that the people around them think similarly. (or they truly believe the people around them think similarly.)

 

[momhappy]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

 

[House Cat]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

Have you been to Ikea? It doesn't specify a girl's or boy's section for toys or bedding. People don't have a problem discerning the more feminine items from the masculine items. Plus, the gender neutral items are adorable. I have a feeling Target will look a lot like IKEA.

 

[chemgirl]

Funny, but weird.

I honestly never noticed that bedding and toys are separated by gender. You mean I was making a statement with my Ninja Turtle bedding? Sweet.

 

[momhappy]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

Have you been to Ikea? It doesn't specify a girl's or boy's section for toys or bedding. People don't have a problem discerning the more feminine items from the masculine items. Plus, the gender neutral items are adorable. I have a feeling Target will look a lot like IKEA.

Yes, I've been to IKEA and I like them. For me, it's not about thinking that I will have a problem discerning boy & girl items if Target goes genderless. I just don't see anything wrong with labeling what's typically feminine items as "girl" items and what's typically masculine items as "boy" items. Many stores offer "boy" choices, "girl" choices, and gender-neutral choices and I think that's perfectly reasonable. One of my children was NEVER into the typical gender stuff, but I wasn't offended by the labels in the Target store as I shopped there. Instead, I purchase many gender-neutral items (and you're right, many of them are adorable ).
Like I said before, I don't plan on boycotting Target as a result of their decision, but I just find it unnecessary. I don't see it so much as becoming more tolerant - I see it as becoming more and more overly-politically correct. It's gotten to the point now where we can't even call pink, princess-themed bedding as "girl's" bedding. It does't mean that a boy can't like/buy that bedding, but I don't see anything wrong with labeling it for the majority who actually buy it.

 

[ihy138]

This is amazing.

 

[momhappy]

Funny, but weird.

I honestly never noticed that bedding and toys are separated by gender. You mean I was making a statement with my Ninja Turtle bedding? Sweet.

It's funny you say that - one of my daughter's had all of the original Ninja Turtle action figures, play sets, etc. because she loved them. I think we still have them all in a box somewhere!

 

[wildcat03]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

Have you been to Ikea? It doesn't specify a girl's or boy's section for toys or bedding. People don't have a problem discerning the more feminine items from the masculine items. Plus, the gender neutral items are adorable. I have a feeling Target will look a lot like IKEA.

Yes, I've been to IKEA and I like them. For me, it's not about thinking that I will have a problem discerning boy & girl items if Target goes genderless. I just don't see anything wrong with labeling what's typically feminine items as "girl" items and what's typically masculine items as "boy" items. Many stores offer "boy" choices, "girl" choices, and gender-neutral choices and I think that's perfectly reasonable. One of my children was NEVER into the typical gender stuff, but I wasn't offended by the labels in the Target store as I shopped there. Instead, I purchase many gender-neutral items (and you're right, many of them are adorable ).
Like I said before, I don't plan on boycotting Target as a result of their decision, but I just find it unnecessary. I don't see it so much as becoming more tolerant - I see it as becoming more and more overly-politically correct. It's gotten to the point now where we can't even call pink, princess-themed bedding as "girl's" bedding. It does't mean that a boy can't like/buy that bedding, but I don't see anything wrong with labeling it for the majority who actually buy it.

Why should it have to be labeled? Yes, maybe girls will continue to gravitate towards pink princess bedding and boys will want spiderman, but there's no reason they need to be labeled as such. I can certainly see a situation where a child sees a bedding set he/she likes and would like to choose but is deterred by the labeling. The people who post on this forum tend to be fairly well-educated and probably much more open-minded than the general populace, but I have definitely been walking through Target and heard a child ask for something and heard a parent respond "That's for girls! You can't play with that!" So perhaps removing the gender labeling will be the first step in a long process of changing the older generations.

 

[ame]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

I also laughed out loud at the Snickers one. OMG he ruled so hard.

Lets not ignore that the guy who did this is SMOKING HOT.

 

[momhappy]

Someone posted this today on FB and I thought it was funny. My personal favorite was the Snickers comment...
I don't agree with Target on going "genderless"
It's not that it bothers me to the point of boycotting, but I think it's rather ridiculous to think that our world is so PC that we can't even say "Boys Bedding/Girls Bedding"
You can't say a darn thing anymore without offending someone and it's getting old. Fast. I'm all for a more tolerant future, but not this way.

Have you been to Ikea? It doesn't specify a girl's or boy's section for toys or bedding. People don't have a problem discerning the more feminine items from the masculine items. Plus, the gender neutral items are adorable. I have a feeling Target will look a lot like IKEA.

Yes, I've been to IKEA and I like them. For me, it's not about thinking that I will have a problem discerning boy & girl items if Target goes genderless. I just don't see anything wrong with labeling what's typically feminine items as "girl" items and what's typically masculine items as "boy" items. Many stores offer "boy" choices, "girl" choices, and gender-neutral choices and I think that's perfectly reasonable. One of my children was NEVER into the typical gender stuff, but I wasn't offended by the labels in the Target store as I shopped there. Instead, I purchase many gender-neutral items (and you're right, many of them are adorable ).
Like I said before, I don't plan on boycotting Target as a result of their decision, but I just find it unnecessary. I don't see it so much as becoming more tolerant - I see it as becoming more and more overly-politically correct. It's gotten to the point now where we can't even call pink, princess-themed bedding as "girl's" bedding. It does't mean that a boy can't like/buy that bedding, but I don't see anything wrong with labeling it for the majority who actually buy it.

Why should it have to be labeled? Yes, maybe girls will continue to gravitate towards pink princess bedding and boys will want spiderman, but there's no reason they need to be labeled as such. I can certainly see a situation where a child sees a bedding set he/she likes and would like to choose but is deterred by the labeling. The people who post on this forum tend to be fairly well-educated and probably much more open-minded than the general populace, but I have definitely been walking through Target and heard a child ask for something and heard a parent respond "That's for girls! You can't play with that!" So perhaps removing the gender labeling will be the first step in a long process of changing the older generations.

I guess by the same token - why should it not be labeled? When something is labeled for the majority, then I don't see an issue with it. If more girls purchase pink bedding and more boys purchase blue bedding, then I don't have a problem calling it "girls/boys" bedding. People will find pretty much anything to be offended by these days. If others have a different opinion, then that's fine too

 

[CJ2008]

I don't mind them going genderless.

If it keeps one boy or girl from not getting something just because "only boys play with that" or "only girls would like that" it's worth it.

And I don't it will be any less efficient...bedding is bedding - you go to one section, and you see what's there...I just think that we are so used to thinking "things for girls" or "things for boys" that for the most part we will still gravitate to pink and frilly for girls and blue and masculine for boys.

At least for a while.

What this will do for us on a deeper level I don't know - but maybe it will just remind us that it's OK for boys to cry and show emotion and not be attracted to action figurines or toy guns and that it's OK for girls to like toy cars and sports and not want to wear frilly dresses.

Maybe we will all be more of who we are meant to be without being influenced by expectations based on gender.

 

[VRBeauty]

People will find pretty much anything to be offended by these days.

I think that cuts both ways, as the posts to faux Target show.

I wasn't saturated in pink when I was little - different time and place. I was never particularly partial to pink either, which is probably good, since most shades of pink (especially those now associated with little girls) don't look good on me. I do remember liking pastels in the first grade however... which coincides with our move to the U.S.

Quite honestly, I've been wondering lately whether little boys and girls's color preferences would show a gender-based differences if they were removed from the culturally based preferences. Would most baby girls still gravitate towards pastels and rainbows, and most baby boys to navy and (Heaven forbid ) camouflage? How about toddlers and infants? I'm suspecting the hard distinctions have more to do with parents and grandparents, and their convenience and comfort zones, than with the kids.

 

[CJ2008]

Quite honestly, I've been wondering lately whether little boys and girls's color preferences would show a gender-based differences if they were removed from the culturally based preferences. Would most baby girls still gravitate towards pastels and rainbows, and most baby boys to navy and (Heaven forbid ) camouflage? How about toddlers and infants? I'm suspecting the hard distinctions have more to do with parents and grandparents, and their convenience and comfort zones, than with the kids.

Yes...

 

[House Cat]

I took my 4 year old granddaughter to the park last week. She was running around with my son's Star Wars blaster, shooting everything she could see, looking like a wild child and having the time of her life! There were quite a few ladies there watching their children. One lady was standing by a tunnel that my granddaughter was monopolizing. The lady asked, "Oh, is that your princess castle?" Dear granddaughter said, "NO! That's my NINJA CAVE!!!"

We all laughed. She has a warrior spirit and I love it!

 

[vintageinjune]

That was a great laugh for sure! I can't say I really care that they are doing away with stereotypical gender labels, it's not like people won't be able to find their preferred color or toy choices. It's kind of nice that they are saying " Hey kids, like what you like, no worries!". My 5 year old spider-man loving niece will be very happy, she's gets very grumpy when someone tells her she should be playing with "girls toys", instead of her building sets and nerf swords.

 

[ericad]

I think this is awesome, and Target is awesome and that guy is freaking hilarious AND awesome lol!

Do people think that, without gender labeling in the aisles, shoppers will be utterly lost as to what to buy for children? Like if I'm shopping for a kid's birthday party am I gonna have a stroke while wandering the aisles aimlessly because I can't figure out what the kid will like because the store isn't telling me where the GIRL stuff is? The stuff is still the same stuff, and the manufacturers' will still package it all the same (don't even get me started on THAT). I don't understand the issue people have with it apart from simply resisting change and, perhaps, believing that gender stereotypes should be forced onto children for whatever reason.

Target isn't doing this to pander to a minority of transgender people, as some of the braniacs had posted on the facebook thing. That's ridiculous. They are doing it because it's about damn time that we, as a society, stop forcing gender roles upon children. I'm a straight female but my gender identity has always been more on the androgynous to masculine side. But when I was a kid I was told that I can't choose drums as my instrument because "only boys play drums" (and I'm STILL bitter about it!) And I received gifts like an Easy Bake Oven and It's Sew Easy when I spent more time playing with my brother's hand me down Legos, Hot Wheels and little plastic green army guys. Who, by the way, commingled with my Barbies because I also happened to be Barbie crazy - it's about the only "girly" thing I liked. Had I experienced no societal pressure or subliminal gender programming, I would have chosen from EVERY aisle at the toy store. And ironically enough, despite being given nothing but "boy toys" to play with, my brother is gay and, despite mostly playing with "boy toys" I'm straight. Go figure - toys don't make kids gay!

In fact, every time I take DD to Target, I make her walk all the aisles, because, despite my best efforts, she still says things like "Ew, that's boy stuff, I don't want to look at that." Well guess what? That's where all the building, engineering, epic battles of good versus evil, and sciencey stuff is at - all her favorite things. My daughter despises dolls and dress up and playing house. She is a math and science kid all the way, yet even with me as her mom, she was immediately deterred by the signage instead of just focusing on the toys. Because the store was telling her that the types of toys she likes are not meant for her.

We are a long way from achieving gender equality, but this is a start. Manufacturers need to also re-think packaging and how they market toys to kids - they would sell a lot more stuff by "neutralizing" their packaging. Toys should just be toys - let the children decide what they want to play with. Boys can play with baby dolls and plastic kitchens and girls can play with Star Wars action figures and light sabers. Take away the gender biased stereotypes and see how many kids expand their creative play into areas that they, or their parents, would otherwise not have explored. Perhaps if we did that, we would see more female scientists, mathematicians and engineers and more male homemakers, nurses and care givers. Now THAT would be a truly evolved society and I hope to see it happen within my lifetime.

So YAY Target!

 

[telephone89]

@ericad Parenting sounds so difficult! Another gal I know is having similar troubles - she wants her daughter to pick what she likes, regardless of it's gender association. The other day she posted on FB about her daughter not wanting to wear jeans, which her dad bought, because jeans are boy pants. She was a little exasperated, because, obviously jeans are not only for boys, but all the other girls wore pink and purple leggings and skirts. She told me a few weeks ago that she (the mom) is wearing jeans more often to try in her own small part to rid that thought from her daughters head.

I'm glad this was enjoyed by many! I spent a bit too much time during work hours reading it hehe...

 

[packrat]

I can see both ways on it. JD has an absolute FIT about Trapper playing w/"girl" stuff. I don't. Trapper doesn't see anything wrong w/it--it's a parent's issue. Not a stores, you know? JD's not going to go, oh well, Target has the swords next to the Monster High dolls, so it must be ok for Trapper to play w/the Monster High dolls, whew, it's so clear to me now. It's *his* issue, and until he can get it thru his skull, it won't matter if every boy on the planet is playing w/the MH dolls, it's a doll, and by nature, a girl toy, in his eyes, end of story. Both my kids will continue to walk all the aisles to see what sparks their interest, like they've always done.

Big announcements like that make it sound like there should be a parade and a ceremony for the company..just do it and be done w/it. A lot of people wouldn't have even noticed otherwise..and maybe therein lies the problem? Somebody's needing a pat on the back? I've never been to an Ikea. It wouldn't even dawn on me that there was no separation in bedding. I'd see a sign for "bedding" and go there. I might ask if they had "kids" bedding in a store if I were looking for something like dinosaurs or puppies or something.

 

[Maria D]

When my daughter was young her favorites toys were Brio trains, Beanie Babies, toy dinosaurs and Lego Bionicles. She had dolls that were given as gifts but never played with them. We shopped at Toys R Us and I honestly don't remember if the toys were sectioned off by gender but I don't think it would have mattered because we didn't browse - she knew what she wanted and we went to find it. This goes back 18 years and I think at that time, it was a lot more acceptable for girls to play with "boy" toys than vice-versa. A girl picking out a Bionicle for herself wouldn't raise eyebrows the way a boy choosing a pink kitchen set for himself would. I doubt it's much different today.

While she had no problem choosing "boy" toys, clothes were another story. She did not like girlie clothes in "girl" colors but she didn't want boys clothes either. I couldn't catalog shop because if she saw that her outfit was being worn by a boy in the catalog she didn't want it. Would have been a lot easier for me if the catalogs showed both genders wearing the same clothes and didn't decide navy blue was a boy's color.

 

[packrat]

Makes me wonder if that's where we're headed now...the clothes, I mean. B/c technically, isn't that gender stereotyping as well?