The Most Unintentionally Sexist Attempt to Empower Women
The European Commission has a problem. First of all, they're being featured in a Cracked article despite nobody here being anything more than vaguely familiar with the organization. That means this entire piece is destined to be filled with half-truths and misinformation. On top of that, they've been tasked with getting women interested in science despite clearly having no working knowledge of how to appeal to women.
As part of their campaign to make Bunsen burners and beakers appeal to broads, the EC released a new promotional video called "Science: It's a Girl Thing!" It opens with a stereotypically model-esque male scientist caught totally off guard ...
... as a team of women descend upon his ridiculously stylish lab ...
... to steal his science ...
... and use it to make lipstick!
Actually, scratch that. They're not all there to work. Just this chick ...
Everyone else is there to strike ...
... poses ...
... and laugh ...
... while Science Face here ...
... puts the finishing touches on a batch of makeup for the rest of the ladies.
Not just any makeup, though. It's FIBER OPTIC makeup!
But don't go thinking this video is one of those typical Internet rants that are all about complaining without offering any real solutions. See, the EC knows that women's lack of interest in science boils down to one missing puzzle piece. That, of course, is gigantic sunglasses.
It doesn't take a scientist to know that women don't do ANYTHING that can't be done while wearing large sunglasses. So how do you trick them into thinking they're still being fashionably shallow while at the same time getting them off their lazy asses to help out with some of the science around the house?
Come on, there's no way that's going to make any sort of difference to anyb ...
... never mind. Looks like that fixed everything!
As you can probably imagine, this video has sparked a fair amount of controversy with people who, for some reason, feel that this is a sexist and demeaning portrayal of women, no matter how good the intentions may have been. In response to the outcry, the EC has removed the video from their site and refocused their strategy to get girls interested in science on a different medium ... the list-based article.
We don't know a lot about science, but we do know one thing. List-based articles are a horrible way to get anyone to take anything seriously. You might as well be smashing watermelons, science.
