18 January 2009

Proof positive that Borders is for women

| johnboy
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[First filed: January 17, 2009 @ 11:39]

Back in 2006 I theorised that the Borders bookstore in Civic is set up to sell to women and not to men. Some of you foolishly poo-pooed me.

Yesterday, while trying to find my girlfriend in Borders amongst a crowd of other women who look unsettlingly like her (no rushing up from behind for a tickle attack in this heavily decoyed environment), I discovered conclusive proof of my theory.

In the section clearly marked as “Rugby” I struggled to find a single book on the sport.

There are books on Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehman, Steve Waugh, Andrew Symonds, and lots of Wisden publications. Dan Carter has somehow snuck in amongst the cricketers, but he cuts a lonely figure in there.

Case closed.

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Are my opinions really always that unpopular?

Apparently not always, but people are just routinely suprised when we agree with you…

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=site%3Athe-riotact.com+%22Jakez+is+right%22+OR+%22with+Jakez%22&meta=

Skidbladnir said :

I’m with jakez for once…
If the next article from Jb is about the price increase of scatter cushions, though…

LOL!

HAHA why does everyone always say ‘I’m with jakez for once’? Are my opinions really always that unpopular?

AngryHenry said :

Can women have intellectual hard-ons?

– Sorry I had to ask.

Only in Thailand.

I’m with jakez for once…
If the next article from Jb is about the price increase of scatter cushions, though…

jessieduck said :

AngryHenry said :

Can women have intellectual hard-ons?

– Sorry I had to ask.

Yes.

Well then, does that make us all d*ckheads?

AngryHenry said :

Can women have intellectual hard-ons?

– Sorry I had to ask.

Yes.

Can women have intellectual hard-ons?

– Sorry I had to ask.

The irony of this thread is how girly the complaint is.

OH NO heaven forfend, the rugby section is out of sorts. Whatever shall we do.

Borders gives me a gigantic intellectual hard on. The range of books is fantastic and if that makes me a woman, well give me a skirt and a handbag.

Skidbladnir said :

justbands said :

Regardless, it’s not only Borders that is for women when talking retail.

Bras and Things is also clearly woman-targetted-retailing.
If it was male-targetted, it would just be called “Bras”.

I doubt it would even be called “bras”, perhaps frilly lacy things?

lux said :

My disinterest in sport is not due to my gender. I know plenty of women who enjoy watching and playing sport with the same enthusiasm i’ve seen in men. I also know many men who could not care less about either cricket or rugby.

I’m trying to push home MY point that johnboy’s original conclusion (that some poorly organised shelving of titles indicates that it’s a shop pandering to women) is inherently sexist.

Nah, it’s just one blokes observation I reckon. Based on generalistation of course, but statistically I think you’ll find it is fact that men enjoy sport more than women (maybe moreso watching sport as opposed to participating) and there seems to be a pretty pathetic sports section in Borders so whilst you might see his article as ‘sexist’, I would say that it’s fair.

And it’s especially fair in the context of trying to instigate some kind of conversation on the topic.

Skidbladnir said :

Depends.
Are any of them bodice-rippers, or Jane Austen?

what is wrong with jane austen?

I read it, and so does my wife.

not because it is jane austen, but because it is one of many books i am currently wading through to enjoy for myself.

no bodice ripping, though.

Damn. Were we being men again? Shame on us.

To be (slightly) fair on johnboy, he hasn’t been overtly sexist in weeks now.

Pffttt now i remember why i haven’t visited this site in ages.

sepi said :

lux – welcome to the riotact!

Where Sepi never gets tired of complaining and nothing’s ever quite right for her.

lux – welcome to the riotact!

Depends.
Are any of them bodice-rippers, or Jane Austen?

I own hundred’s of books, for the record, and not one of them has anything to do with sport.

I’ve bought books at Borders too.

Should I be confused about my sexuality here people?

Skidbladnir said :

Amazon has no aisles.

They’re just super wide… Too hard to notice.

> If it was male-targetted, it would just be called “Bras”.

Or perhaps “Bras & things in them”?

justbands said :

Regardless, it’s not only Borders that is for women when talking retail.

Bras and Things is also clearly woman-targetted-retailing.
If it was male-targetted, it would just be called “Bras”.

> I know plenty of women who enjoy watching and playing sport with the same enthusiasm i’ve seen in men. I also know many men who could not care less about either cricket or rugby.

Of course, that’s true…but it’s not the norm. Generally speaking, men are more likely to be interested in rugby & cricket than women, much more likely. A book store that had men as part of its target market would not such a fundamental error/oversight.

My disinterest in sport is not due to my gender. I know plenty of women who enjoy watching and playing sport with the same enthusiasm i’ve seen in men. I also know many men who could not care less about either cricket or rugby.

I’m trying to push home MY point that johnboy’s original conclusion (that some poorly organised shelving of titles indicates that it’s a shop pandering to women) is inherently sexist.

> Perhaps more books are written about cricket than about rugby. Not knowing (or giving a stuff) about either sport, i couldn’t say for sure.

There’s plenty of books written about both sports. I think your response is kinda pushing home jb’s point. ie. Like you, they just don’t seem to care about it.

Regardless, it’s not only Borders that is for women when talking retail.

neanderthalsis9:55 am 19 Jan 09

lux said :

neanderthalsis said :

Bookstore for men:
– Sells books, not coffee…
– Run by the sort of person who, if they didn’t own a bookshop would probably have 14 cats.

My oven can cook anything… My oven can cook bits of oven!!! Manny, how’s that tower of soup coming along?

What’s this? Where are the turrets? It’s rubbish!

Skidbladnir said :

Amazon has no aisles.

exactly skid, I don’t have to fight my way with a double pram through the narrows just to buy some blasted kid’s book or a book on how to remain sane as a parent. (haven’t found one, any suggestions?)

neanderthalsis said :

Bookstore for men:
– Sells books, not coffee…
– Run by the sort of person who, if they didn’t own a bookshop would probably have 14 cats.

My oven can cook anything… My oven can cook bits of oven!!! Manny, how’s that tower of soup coming along?

Amazon has no aisles.

neanderthalsis said :

Bookstore for women:
– Brightly lit,
– Built in coffee shop,
– large section of glossy gossip magazines,
– Wall to wall Mills and Boons / historic bodice ripper books,
– Staffed by Arts students and emo’s / goths.

Bookstore for men:
– Sells books, not coffee…
– Run by the sort of person who, if they didn’t own a bookshop would probably have 14 cats.

a bookstore for me sells books. don’t care about coffee. If they have the latest Terry Pratchett books, even better. What i really want is a bookstore that has:

wide aisles
all the books I am looking for, even some very old books
quick service
massive catalog.

oh, wait. that is amazon.

neanderthalsis9:27 am 19 Jan 09

Bookstore for women:
– Brightly lit,
– Built in coffee shop,
– large section of glossy gossip magazines,
– Wall to wall Mills and Boons / historic bodice ripper books,
– Staffed by Arts students and emo’s / goths.

Bookstore for men:
– Sells books, not coffee…
– Run by the sort of person who, if they didn’t own a bookshop would probably have 14 cats.

peterh said :

now all i need is the arts degree.

Maybe someone working at the nearby KFC will let you have theirs for the price of a chicken nugget.

nyssa76 said :

I avoid Borders like the plague.

The only people I personally know who shop there are self-centred idiots with an Arts degree.

thank you very much.

now all i need is the arts degree.

I can clearly see a shelf label saying cricket, under those books.

But ewww..borders..

I avoid Borders like the plague.

The only people I personally know who shop there are self-centred idiots with an Arts degree.

y’see, women, like Borders, don’t get what’s happening here.

So it was shelved by an idiot. How does that indicate that it must have been a woman who did it? Or that it was done in a bid to appeal to women? … Are you insinuating that women are idiots?

Perhaps more books are written about cricket than about rugby. Not knowing (or giving a stuff) about either sport, i couldn’t say for sure. Yes, i’m a woman, and i don’t feel that this shelving misdemeanor is indicative of any particular trait belonging to women in general or their favoured shopping spots.

peter@home said :

I can’t say that the number of sports books has anything to do with it, but the numbers of women at the woden borders on a regular basis far out weighs the men. I see them, nearly every day when i go to woden, congregating out the front, or inside, perhaps borders carries more books on the oprah’s recommended reading list.

There’s a woden Borders now?

r1 said :

Woman spending money?????

Gee you must be mistaken

no, they do spend money, just not on their men.

Ori said :

Although the photo does also show a label with the word “CRICKET” for that row…

So maybe it’s the rugby union fans who can’t read in this instance.

For the record, we rugby league fans can read just fine. We’re also able to use capitalisation and punctuation correctly.

Although the photo does also show a label with the word “CRICKET” for that row…

Woman spending money?????

Gee you must be mistaken

I can’t say that the number of sports books has anything to do with it, but the numbers of women at the woden borders on a regular basis far out weighs the men. I see them, nearly every day when i go to woden, congregating out the front, or inside, perhaps borders carries more books on the oprah’s recommended reading list.

It’s funny, I don’t really see the correlation between badly shelved sports books and a store being only for women. Mind explaining that one?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:44 pm 17 Jan 09

Mine certainly does!

Women spend the bulk of family shopping funds.

… and the problem is ……. ??

seekay said :

Rugby league fans cannot read.

probably true. fans of rugby, or rugby union as you don’t seem to understand the difference, are able to read very well, considering that it has long been recognised as a university sport.

Rugby fans however, read quite a lot.

Rugby league fans cannot read.

I must concur that despite a long-term love of books, no male in our family has ever actually purchased a book from Borders on his own determination.

It is an exceedingly exciting shopping opportunity for the females, however ….

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