ladies, don't you find this offensive?

smiley21 · #1 07-04-2004, 07:32 AM

while i was out yesterday, i noticed this truck. it was avertising a business called 'rent a wife'. it is a personal assistance company. i was very offended. of course, my boyfriend didn't understand why

companies like that set women back 50 years.

mmcat · #2 07-04-2004, 08:59 AM

i hear you big time
and yet...
cbs has a regular feature segment called rent a husband, purpose home repairs. he's kind of a dorky looking dude.

mu_agd · #3 07-04-2004, 09:08 AM

isn't that just another way to advertise a housekeeper/maid/cleaning service? if so, i see nothing wrong with it.

Kevin · #4 07-04-2004, 09:26 AM

The name of a business is setting you back 50 years?

I think you are assigning this business owner more credit than he or she is due. Really, it's just the name of a business, no big deal.

There are far more important things in the world to worry about than a company called "Rent-a-Wife".

smiley21 · #5 07-04-2004, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
The name of a business is setting you back 50 years?

I think you are assigning this business owner more credit than he or she is due. Really, it's just the name of a business, no big deal.

There are far more important things in the world to worry about than a company called "Rent-a-Wife".

i am just looking behind the name. it is like they are saying a wife's sole purpose is doing the cleaning. a 'wife' and a 'husband' is more than that.
maybe they weren't taking it that seriously, but really- couldn't they have come up with a better name?

PhiPsiRuss · #6 07-04-2004, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by smiley21
couldn't they have come up with a better name?

If they got your attention, then the name sounds pretty effective.

Taualumna · #7 07-04-2004, 01:04 PM

Like another poster said, there's a company called "Rent A Husband", for the sole purpose of helping you fix things. Isn't that basically the same thing?

Kevin · #8 07-04-2004, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by smiley21
i am just looking behind the name. it is like they are saying a wife's sole purpose is doing the cleaning. a 'wife' and a 'husband' is more than that.
maybe they weren't taking it that seriously, but really- couldn't they have come up with a better name?

You said that's what they were saying, they didn't.

I think you're searching here for something to be offended by. Seriously, there are so many things out there that deserve our attention. This is not one of them.

Peaches-n-Cream · #9 07-04-2004, 01:43 PM

I'm not offended. I wish that I had thought of it first.

smiley21 · #10 07-04-2004, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Taualumna
Like another poster said, there's a company called "Rent A Husband", for the sole purpose of helping you fix things. Isn't that basically the same thing?

yeah it is the same thing. i stated that earlier.

they got my attention, but what does that matter? i am not interested in using them if i need something.

but anyway, I don't like it. i just wanted to know what everyone else thought. apparently i am sensitive.

valkyrie · #11 07-04-2004, 02:55 PM

I think the concept of rent-a-wife (or husband for that matter) is offensive for the same reasons you do -- the implication that a woman's job is to clean (or that a man's job is to fix stuff around the house) is annoying. That said, there are a lot of other things in the world that offend me more -- but I certainly wouldn't hire any of these people.

sororitygirl2 · #12 07-04-2004, 04:21 PM

As a marketing professional, I see it as a catchy moniker that gets their point across quickly. But, I agree that they should have put more thought into the selection of such a name and considered that it could alienate a rather large market segment.

I find it to be a bit tacky, but it doesn't really offend me or anything.

AlphaFrog · #13 07-04-2004, 11:01 PM

I guess I'm kind of old-fashioned, but I see nothing wrong with a "wife" being placed in the role of cooking/cleaning and the "husband" being placed in the role of Mr. Fix-It, as long as it is also understood that both may have a career and/or his/her own social life.

Kevin · #14 07-04-2004, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sororitygirl2
As a marketing professional, I see it as a catchy moniker that gets their point across quickly. But, I agree that they should have put more thought into the selection of such a name and considered that it could alienate a rather large market segment.

I find it to be a bit tacky, but it doesn't really offend me or anything.

Good marketing plays upon stereotypes.

This isn't bad marketing at all. If someone is offended, they are digging purdy deep to be offended by something.

CarolinaCutie · #15 07-05-2004, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
I think the concept of rent-a-wife (or husband for that matter) is offensive for the same reasons you do -- the implication that a woman's job is to clean (or that a man's job is to fix stuff around the house) is annoying. That said, there are a lot of other things in the world that offend me more -- but I certainly wouldn't hire any of these people.

Ditto. This is the type of thing that I would roll my eyes at and think, "Hi. It's 2004, thanks." I also wanted to add that I think "Rent-A-Husband" is equally stupid. If I wanted a handyman (lol won't go so far as to say handyperson), I'd find one without such an idiotic name.