If we're honest, we'd kind of forgotten that discount clothing brand Madhouse existed. But this week they've pinged back onto our radars thanks to a horrendously sexist washing label in one of their products. Happy International Women's Day, y'all.
The care label, which Emma Barnett (who happens to also be one of our lovely guest debaters) discovered in her boyfriend's trousers, runs through all the usual info before adding the extra piece of helpful advice "OR GIVE IT TO YOUR WOMAN IT'S HER JOB".
"Some sexist remarks are funny; but some really aren't. The individuals and brands behind the offensive ones deserve outing and shaming. And just remember - the people pointing out these inappropriate comments can still have a perfectly decent sense of humour."
Madhouse eventually responded stating that they didn't know what was on the label and would take more care in future.
For our tuppenceworth, we assume it was intended as a 'joke' by the manufacturers in the same way that the Topman offensive slogan Tshirts were intended as lighthearted 'jokes'. But the problem here is that the "Ahahaha, we're all equals and adults so let's have a laugh about a silly sexist throwback remark" tone is rather diluted by the fact that women don't tend to feel we are all being treated as equal or that we are all on the same page with regards to household chores.
We haven't arrived at the point where the attitudes you're claiming to make fun of are truly obsolete and laughably archaic (hello, workplace gender gap) and so remarks like this, made to an audience of total strangers, rather than other people on the same wavelength, will simply add fuel to the pernicious idea that if we women are offended by openly sexist remarks we're being bad sports and putting an end to all forms of fun and banter.