On January 27, 2010, CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, unveiled his company’s latest technological wonder: the iPad. It took only a matter of minutes after the reveal, however, before bloggers, tweeters, and even news networks were cashing in on Apple’s obvious mistake, “The mocking goes along the lines of: Yes, the iPad is small, lightweight and slim. But can you swim with it?”[i]. Beyond the feminine hygiene jokes, others accused Apple of detectably not having any women in executive positions. As blogger Annie Colbert wrote, "With "iTampon" quickly emerging as a trending Twitter topic, it's probably safe to say that many women found themselves cringing as they asked, 'Do any women work at Apple?' "[ii].
While criticism of any new Apple product seems inherent, what was so shocking about the release of the iPad was the fact that national news coverage deemed this fiasco notable in their evening stories. CNN’s John D. Sutter wrote the article “iPad name draws feminine hygiene jokes”, highlighting the intricate details of the latest mockery and gossip revolving around Apple’s mistake. Yet this attention of one of the nation’s most important news networks begs the question, really CNN? Is this honestly the most important news going on in world?
Perhaps the iPad represents a more serious problem, however. Many female bloggers[iii] believe that this oversight is symptomatic of a much bigger issue: the lack of women working at Apple[iv]. Or possibly, these jokes allude to society’s preoccupation with the biological workings of the female body, yet another sign of patriarchy at work. To distil these iPad remarks down to a feminist battle, however, is a copout that blatantly overlooks the trends in today’s society as a whole.
While the allegation that no women work in Apple’s executive positions is shockingly true, it is not fair to say that had women been a part of this product’s creation, they would never have let such a name slip. This kind of thinking goes against the very idea that women’s biological differences should not limit or disadvantage them in any way. Instead of seeing iPad as an oversight, could it not be seen as a sign of progress? Rather than insensitive, the fact that the implications of the word did not cross the male executive’s minds is a sign that they are probably more mature than the rest of us. Besides, the only people who drew attention to this name are the same feminists who want menstruation to be seen as nothing more than an undeniable, biological fact.
Although Apple’s lack of female executives is embarrassing, the use of the name iPad is by no means indicative of this. Just as many women voiced their immediate realization of the joke, many others did not. Thus, even the addition of female executives would not have guaranteed a different result. Clearly Apple is cognizant of the female population in some way, as Steve Jobs has openly admitted to their employment problem, "It [lack of women] is a deficiency we have. We recognize it and we are trying to solve it"[v]. If women truly want to criticize Apple for its lack of girlpower, they must look to the mission and hiring methods of the company, not its brand names.
Thus if Apple’s executive team is not to blame, who is? The answer lies somewhere in the midst of America’s obsession with inappropriate toilet humour. As Merriam-Webster qualifies, the only definition for “pad” that comes remotely close to a feminine product is, “a piece of usually folded absorbent material (as gauze) used as a surgical dressing or protective covering”[vi]. Not only is it a stretch to immediately associate the word “pad” with a feminine product, but it is such a great departure from anything Apple intended the word to evoke. Stephen Hutcheon, an editor at The Sydney Morning Herald, noted that, “One could take "pad" to mean "home," which is where Apple CEO Steve Jobs hopes many people will use the iPad to read books, watch movies and the like”[vii]. Not to mention the fact that no one flinched at the technological births of notepads and thinkpads.
Clearly, it took imagination and effort to turn such a conventional word into a feminine taboo. If this is the kind of logic brand managers are up against, they do not stand a chance of avoiding the inevitable, inappropriate interpretation of words that Americans make a game of. Had Apple presented the iBall or iBone, undoubtedly the same, crass jokes would have been made. Therefore this reaction is not a reflection of our insensitive, chauvinist society, but rather that of our need to make even the most intelligent products sexual. Even before Apple released this product, Mad TV beat them to it, creating a comedic skit with the latest feminine product, the iPad! Of course when Mad TV coined the term, America laughed. When Apple officially used it, it was sexist and embarrassing.
This inability to separate toilet humour from feminism is dangerous, as it discredits the movement and the people behind it. If feminism applies to everything, it applies to nothing. What this means is that before women jump to their blogs or twitter accounts to bash the latest feminist outcry, they must critically decide whether or not the issue is truly targeting and offensive to only women or if it is a product of greater social trends. This kind of responsibility will not only maintain the integrity of the feminist movement, but also prevent the media from cashing in on the fun.
Is iPad an unfortunate name choice given the ease at which it can be mocked? Absolutely. Does the name mean that Apple hates women? Of course not! Again, before women catch themselves in a whirlwind of gossip and outcry, it is imperative to step back and acknowledge our propensity to make the appropriate inappropriate. Instead of making jokes about iTampons, women should appreciate the incredible and historic moment for Apple without making it about themselves.
[i] Chmielewski, Dawn and Alex Pham. “Women mock the iPad, calling it iTampon.” Los Angeles Times: 27 Jan. 2010. 11 Feb. 2010http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/women-mock-the-ipad-calling-it-itampon.html.
[ii] Sutter, John D. “iPad name draws feminine hygiene jokes.” CNN 28 Jan. 2010. 28 Jan. 2010 http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/27/apple.ipad.reaction/index.html.
[iii] Han, Phil. “Is the iPad name an iFlop?” CNN 28 Jan. 2010. 11 Feb. 2010.http://connecttheworld.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/28/is-the-ipad-name-an-iflop/.
[iv] United States. Apple Inc. Executive Profiles. 2010. 12 Feb. 2010.http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/.
[v] Fried, Ina. “Jobs defends Apple’s record on environment.” CNET News 21 Apr. 2005. 13 Feb. 2010. http://news.cnet.com/Jobs-defends-Apples-record-on-environment/2100-1041_3-5680152.html.
[vi] "pad." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010. Merriam-Webster Online. 14 February 2010 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pad.
[vii] Sutter, John D. “iPad name draws feminine hygiene jokes.” CNN 28 Jan. 2010. 28 Jan. 2010 http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/27/apple.ipad.reaction/index.html.
"Or possibly, these jokes allude to society’s preoccupation with the biological workings of the female body, yet another sign of patriarchy at work."
ReplyDeleteI definately agree with this statement. Why does everyone, right away, assume that ipad have a feminine connotation? Is everyone's head that much in the toilet? The word pad has several connotations-a pad of paper, a gauze pad, a cool trendy home? Why does everyone jump to the conclusion that pad refers to a feminine pad?
It offends me that feminists even brought this up-looks as if they're the ones who need to get their heads out of the toilet.