Nerine

Not withstanding the fact the New Zealand has a matriachal society with both a female prime minister and head of state, it is incredibly chauvinistic. Probably more so amongst the older males and within certain ethnic groups. Even though it boasts about being the first country to give women the vote.

When I first arrived in the NZ, fresh from a liberated and very PC Britain, I really noticed the difference in how women are treated by some men. After a while I guess I just learned to ignore it and carry on regardless .

At first I just noticed little things eg. I took my husband along to buy a car and I'd ask the saleman questions but instead of giving me the answer he spoke to my partner. I found this rude and quite frustrating.

I'd get a tradesman or contractor round to do some work on the property and he'd talk to me, then tell me to get my husband to phone him and agree on what work had to be done. Women obviously don't have the capacity to make such important decisions .

Then there are the blokey TV adverts! some of which would cause an uproar back in the UK. Tui ads (meant to be amusing) really do portray women as nothing more than simple sex objects. Women obviously don't drink beer either.

Then there's that really silly one with women in skimpy bikinis bouncing round on space hoppers...to sell soft drink to teenagers. Or how about the Burger King Bimbos? It's insidious and I think quite damaging for children to constantly see women portrayed in this way.

The Greens obviously think there's a problem too http://greens.org.nz/searchdocs/other9218.html too -see point 8 Gender Liberation.

whitesand

Yes, the adverts are strange at times. There seems to be a mixture of naivety and crudeness. The blokey ones seem silly and I hate those where they are shovelling food into their mouths. I also find that toilet roll advert rather crude.

Ted Logan

You should be lucky your not living in Australia.

Nerine

Funny you should say that! I split my time between Oz and NZ at the moment but will be in Oz full time soon.

Why do say that, surely you're not implying that the Ozzie male is worse than the Kiwi one?

Ted Logan

yip, I am

Avid

I feel the exact opposite! NZ men are amongst the most pussy-whipped I've ever encountered and the women are some of the loudest, bossiest harridans I've ever seen.

What a terrible world it would be if we all thought the same, eh?

Nerine

Not in my experience Ted, I know many Australian metrosexuals. The TV ads are every bit as bad though.

Avid, the Kiwi women have to be strong - look at the men they have to contend with. It's what made Helen Clark so great and Teresa Gatting so formidable.

And just because the males are "pussy-whipped" it doesn't make them any less chauvenistic. Maybe they deserve it

Ted Logan

You must have met my sister

Bellasmum

and it is right on the button.

turkeys

I've yet to land in NZ (we are due on Jan 25th) but I can testify that when I lived in Australia 10 years back the ads were unintentionally hilarious.

The Toohey's beer adverts epitomised the macho world they tried to create where true blue Aussie males were united by the amber nectar. If I remember rightly it went something like

'whether you're shovelling sand, or fronting a band, only Toohey's will do'
They were quite keen on giant billboard posters of sweatly labourers dreaming of beer too - do you get that in NZ??

turkeys

Just checked their website - they're still at it

'for the love of beer'
'geezer freezer - its a pom's worst nightmare'

http://www.tooheysnew.com.au/home.asp

Bellasmum

You will get used to cold beer. My OH now moans if the beer is not cold enough. but he has been in NZ 35 years

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq0PZl8JNcg

oolie

I just love your posts! You are a very funny man! What a shame you are not here in lovely Tauranga

teambwr47

Chauvinism.....women as sex symbols.....the same tripe trotted out the world over........get over it. Live your life as you want to and if you don't like the TV ads etc then don't watch them.

As for people not talking to you about cars etc....tell them there and then, make a point of it, i'll guarantee you a half decent car sales person will consider his customer contact 'qualified' if you do....my wife would speak up, but saying that she a bossy sort.....

I actually think the sex symbol thing can be of great use to the male society especially in an instructional capacity such as one i posted eslewhere on the forum, but hey why not repeat here.....

teambwr47

As the husband of a very successful business women i have to say she found more 'attempted' male chauvinism in the UK in her business dealings.

Much laughter was had in our household when she told me a male at her london office asked her in a 'i'm the next hot thing here' way to make him a coffee as if she was a office junior.

He was somewhat embarrassed when she very very directly informed him she was a partner in the firm..........

Since arriving here she has said that NZ is refreshingly relaxed in that manner as she sees it and is happier working at a senior level here than the UK and see's greater opportunities in NZ.

Maybe i can turn your post back on you slightly when women assume on a regular basis that only the mother can answer questions on, and care for, the kids......

Happened to us many times.