Tuesday, September 25, 2007

What women want?

I had an invite through for the launch of something called Diva TV. It's a new channel I presume, though it says nothing on about what its content is, only that the party is being held at a 'gorgeous' venue and there will be some 'delicious' bar staff on hand to serve 'Diva cocktails' and a 'soul diva' to belt out a few numbers. I'm assuming it's aimed at women.

Already I'm irritated. For a start, the word 'diva' is horribly overused, mainly wrongly used and represents the worst of the lazy marketing, PR and journalism of today. Any female singer is now a diva, anyone who behaves grandly is one too. So obviously, all women should aspire to live this trashy, Jordanesque lifestyle.

The invite has five little pictures on it: lipstick, shoes, a half-drunk glass of white wine, a washing machine (inexplicably with wings) and, er, an umbrella. So this is clearly the woman's world. All women like shoes don't they. That's right, like all men like football. It's the media's default setting.

How old hat this is. Sex And The City finished yonks ago, didn't it? It's like read B&Q are rebranding to attract more women, and are using hte slogan 'let's do it!' to make themselves more female friendly. Is there such a thing as targetting women anymore? Don't women do DIY anyway? Do they need to be lured in with a special slogan?

Women are bright enough to make their own minds up about what they want to do. The women in the office I've showed this too think it's patronising and old-fashioned.

This channel is doomed.

4 comments:

A Kitten in a Brandy Glass said...

If I'd just seen the name, I would have thought it was a TV channel based on Diva the magazine for lesbians. A bit like Nuts TV but with more clothes on, perhaps. But the presence of cartoon washing machines seems to rule that idea out...

Clair said...

The way many women are going these days, it will be spot-on. There's a piece in The Times today that says 63% of teenage girls say their number one choice of profession is 'glamour model'.

I like shoes, lipstick, frocks, Cosmopolitans, pies, DIY, obscure records and pub quizzes. What kind of freaky woman does that make me? Not a Diva, that's for sure.

Mondo said...

Equally I can't stand the mens version of this sort of brand bracketing - like all we want is Andy Mcnabb action thrillers, car chase and machine gun movies or the sort serious faced men's mags that went out of date with loft dwelling Yuppie TV ad's, lecturing about this season's watch, scarf, cardie is.....

TimT said...

Do you think the washing machine might be an oblique reference to the rumoured female practice of (how can I put this delicately?) sitting on top during the spin cycle and enjoying the ride?

I still can't quite see where the brolly fits in, though. (Oooh, no, stop it, titter ye not, etc, etc.)

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