Are emojis sexist?

[Tennis]

Many favourite female emojis only wear pink, few play sports and none are represented in professional roles. A campaign from Always brand wants to start this conversation.


Women can’t be police officers, detectives or construction workers but can be brides, princesses or bunny ear-wearing dancers.

At least, according to emojis.

This issue of gendered stereotypes perpetuated by emojis and the subtle limitations stereotypes placed on young girls is the focus of a video and survey from Always brand feminine hygiene products. The video — part of a campaign to promote confidence in young girls — shows girls sadly realizing many of their favourite female emojis only wear pink, and that few are playing sports and none are represented in professional roles.

The Always survey, conducted by MSLGROUP Research utilizing Research Now Panels, included responses from 1,000 American women aged 16 to 24 who were asked questions about their attitudes toward and use of emojis. The online questionnaire found that 75 per cent of respondents want to see female emojis portrayed more progressively and 67 per cent said the available emojis imply girls are limited in what they can do.

“If you scroll through the emoji options ... there is a lot of pink and hearts and lipstick, kisses, a pink purse — a lot of emojis that are very stereotypically girly,” said Heather Payne, CEO of HackerYou, a Toronto-based programming boot camp. “Why isn’t there a police officer with a female haircut?”

Payne called the perceived stereotypes “super subtle.”

“A lot of people wouldn’t even notice until the moment you’re trying to use an emoji that represents (you),” she said. “If we’re trying to move society forward, it probably makes sense to have emojis that represent everybody.”

So why can’t Apple just pop a ponytail on the side of a police helmet?


This would be a welcome step forward for Debbie Gordon, director of the Centennial College’s Kids Research Centre, a think tank that creates positive media content for kids, who said it’s “hugely disappointing” gender modifiers weren’t available earlier.

“Show me some emojis with girls in a lab coat or doctors or engineers or architects,” she said. “Shake it up. Reflect the real world.”

https://beta.thestar.com/life/2016/0...is-sexist.html

Never thought of this before. She does make some great points.

[Fawkess]

Is sexist too?

Also who the fuck really gives a shit about Emojis that much?

[PosPosPos]

Basically, making a mountain out of imaginary molehills.

[Blur4stuff]

women only have long hair?

[Themius]

Basically, making a mountain out of imaginary molehills.

So you don't think having females in no professional roles and generally in pink isn't at least a form of unconscious sexism?

[xChurch]

Can't anything be unisex anymore?

[Dreknar20]

Never thought of this before. She does make some great points.

Complaining about something as trivial as emojis is kinda proof that feminism is done and over with. Mission accomplished. Time to go home.

[PosPosPos]

So you don't think having females in no professional roles and generally in pink isn't at least a form of unconscious sexism?

.....it's just emojis.

It's not even remotely reflective of real life, there are plenty of female police officers and detectives around here, for one.

Construction workers not so much, but that's because it's very physically demanding - this is not a slight on females, it's just biology.

[Underverse]

Um, I thought emojis were asexual?

But apparently a ponytail now makes you a girl while the lack of one makes you a boy?

More gender role stereotyping, brought to you by Tennisace.

[Fawkess]

Complaining about something as trivial as emojis is kinda proof that feminism is done and over with. Mission accomplished. Time to go home.

They have not hit that mark quite yet

Once they start talking about inanimate objects being sexist I think that's the end

[Underverse]

So you don't think having females in no professional roles and generally in pink isn't at least a form of unconscious sexism?

Who's to say that the other emojis aren't female?

Have you checked their genitals?

Have you run SRY pathway deep sequencing??

[Guy4123]

[apepi]

Reflect the real world.

But there is not a lot of female scientist, engineer, or police women.

[Fawkess]

Who's to say that the other emojis aren't female?

?

What about the Stop sign and other objects?

We gotta branch out and start seeing if EVERY emoji is sexist

[Dreknar20]

good god they clearly only have Asian and native American emojis.

This is a wrong of the highest caliber and most be rectified immediately.

[Fawkess]

good god they clearly only have Asian and native American emojis.

This is a wrong of the highest caliber and most be rectified immediately.

It also appears all the emoji's are bald and thus do not reflect woman

[Underverse]

What about the Stop sign and other objects?

We gotta branch out and start seeing if EVERY emoji is sexist

I mean it doesn't have a ponytail so...

[Tennis]

Is sexist too?

Also who the fuck really gives a shit about Emojis that much?

The Star is the number 1 read newspaper in our country. Watch your attitude.

[Fawkess]

I mean it doesn't have a ponytail so...

They gotta put Female versions of every emoji now

Chairs, Tanks, needles. stop signs, you name it!

[Ayla]

As time goes on, I feel like humanity is on its way to a Vulcan type species. Human emotion is just too ridiculous at this point.