Why The Bic Pen For Girls Is The Most Ridiculous Thing. Ever.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT.

Bic has released a new pen specifically designed to fit a woman's hand. Oh, and look, it comes in pink, and purple, and baby blue. Now I can finally stop asking my boyfriend to borrow his big, bulky pen to make a grocery list or write some recipes and use my handy, delicate Bic for Her!

...are you kidding me?

The idea that Bic decided to launch a new line of pens just for women is hilarious.

So What Were They Thinking?

It begs to ask the question... what on earth was the marketing team thinking? I mean, it made me curious so I did some research...

Bic sells cheap pens. We all know that. It's also well known that some women are inclined to spend a little more on gender specific products. We already spend hundreds of dollars on tampons, make-up, nail polish, and creams, so why not spend a little more on pens? I'm sure Bic decided it would be very profitable to design a sleek, small, pen for women because they knew that women would spend almost double on them.

Gender Stereotypes

As children, we are socialized in accordance to our sex. The word "gender" is a socially constructed term (masculinity and femininity), while "sex" is your biological determination. When a baby girl is born, what's the first thing you see in the hospital room?

Whether it’s the pink and purple balloons everywhere, giant fluffy teddy bears, or floating butterflies, you get the idea. You pierce her ears as soon as possible, and dress her in cute little pink outfits adorned with ladybugs and butterflies. The first toys she receives are usually tiny, skinny dolls with minuscule shoes and purses to accessorize with, baby size make up kits or tea sets, or stuffed animals with big eyes and tiny bodies.

I hate the color pink. My mother used to beg me to wear skirts and dresses, carry around cute little purses, and accessorize my hair with bows and ribbons when all I wanted to do was play in the mud with my brother. When a girl doesn't fit this particular stereotype of being a delicate, doll player, she's labeled as a tomboy. The problem with gender stereotypes is that they shut out anyone who doesn't fit under its umbrella. Not every girl likes ponies and dress up, and not every boy likes toy trucks and monkey bars.

So when a pen is created that's specifically designed for women, who are typically characterized as having small, delicate hands (if not, they're labeled “man hands”), and is made smaller and available in colors commonly considered feminine, does that not raise a red flag? Does it not scream sexism? Society tells us that women should be small, slender, and petite. This alienates women who happen to be 5'11, with big "man hands," and whose body types are not classified as slender. It creates the notion that bigger, tall women are unattractive. So if this new pen is too small in my hands, does it make me less of a woman? If the big, bulky, manly pens we have are a perfect size for my hands, does it make me manly?

Food for thought, my friends.

Here are Some of the Amazon.ca Customer Reviews...

So is it sexist to send newborns home in pink or blue blankets then? Could it be that the market determined that young girls or women had a decent demand for pretty pastel pens, and that guys rarely did? And yes.. women's hands are generally smaller than men's.. or is it not okay to acknowledge that? That's why women's golf clubs and plenty of other products are generally designed with that in mind. Don't get me wrong, I get that gender-specific pens is a real stretch but should Bic not be allowed to advertise to a target market?

If there is a market for smaller, pale colored pens, then smaller, pale colored pens should be created. However, don't marginalize women and alienate men in the process.

Someone has answered my gentle prayers and FINALLY designed a pen that I can use all month long! I use it when I'm swimming, riding a horse, walking on the beach and doing yoga. It's comfortable, leak-proof, non-slip and it makes me feel so feminine and pretty! Since I've begun using these pens, men have found me more attractive and approchable. It has given me soft skin and manageable hair and it has really given me the self-esteem I needed to start a book club and flirt with the bag-boy at my local market. My drawings of kittens and ponies have improved, and now that I'm writing my last name hyphenated with the Robert Pattinson's last name, I really believe he may some day marry me! I'm positively giddy. Those smart men in marketing have come up with a pen that my lady parts can really identify with.

Some people have a fantastic sense of humor!

And then there's this comment...

I can't find a switch to turn it on, and it didn't come with batteries. This is not the "for Her" product I was expecting. At all.

Oh, and this one:

First of all I'm a male. I picked a pink one up by mistake to write a quick note... Next thing I know I'm sitting down to take a pee. Be careful.

Bic is ruining marriages!

I found one of these in my husband's shirt pockets and another one in his car! We are divorcing now. Thanks Bic for ruining my marriage.

I'm done.

Photo via Bic Pen