On Saturday himself and I were in the Stillorgan Bicycle shop looking at a new bike. I was wandering around with my little pumpkin when I happened across some horrible little car air fresheners, you know the kind with nude women on them. Now I am not a prude, but as a feminist I am fighting for gender equality. So I approached one of the sales associates. "Excuse me but do you actually sell a lot of these? Because as a customer in your store I find them offensive." He didn't really know what to say and mumbled something along the lines of oh yeah well it is the boss that stocks those. "Well tell your boss that this is offensive." I then held up the male counterpart, who was clothed appropriately in baggy swim trunks with a jacket flung over his shoulder. "How come this guy isn't naked?" He looked at me like I had two heads. "I think it is only fair if you are going to have naked women that you have a naked man. Maybe women want to see a penis." At this point the 13 year old assistant fixing a bike in the background laughed and rolled his eyes. "Ha I don't think you would be laughing if this was your mom." Wow that sure shut that kid up.
Later, himself gave out to me because he was slightly embarrassed about the whole thing seeing as he was buying a bicycle. What happened to the customer is always right? Seriously though if we don't continue to challenge these kind of things how is anything ever going to change? Well despite what my other half might have thought I am glad I spoke up, I wasn't embarrassed to point out something that I thought was wrong. Furthermore what kind of role model would I be for my daughter if I didn't practice what I preach?
