Lady-Friendly Doritos Are the Latest in Unnecessary and Confusingly Gendered Products

[demmiblue]

Source: The Mary Sue

Can I just pour the broken and shameful deliciousness of the chip crumbs in my mouth in peace? The newest unnecessarily gendered product is the lady-Dorito, following the tradition of lady beer, razor boobs, lady pens, and other products that don’t understand how women can enjoy foods or operate items that men also use with their confusing and elusive lady hands. The “lady-friendly” Doritos chip will be smaller in size, “make less of a crunch noise,” and come in a packet “specifically designed to fit inside a handbag.”

Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, said:

“When you eat out of a flex bag — one of our single-serve bags — especially as you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don’t want to lose that taste of the flavour, and the broken chips in the bottom … Women would love to do the same, but they don’t. They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavour into their mouth.”

More: https://www.themarysue.com/lady-doritos/


Oy!

[Iggo]

1. Oh my god. OH MY GOD!

How completely insulting!

Please tell me this isn't real.

[lagomorph777]

33. Soft-bake Doritos?

Ew. Are they pink?

[lunasun]

51. real

[CTyankee]

2. I had to google "razor boobs."

[demmiblue]

5. Yeah, I hadn't seen/read about that one before!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Bookmarking for home reading

I gotta see what this is.........

[lagomorph777]

34. Yeah, can't even imagine WTF

[TBA]

3. I will bet you a steak dinner they will cost more.

[nolabear]

4. Dafuq we dont!

I will cut you if you try to take my delicious little crumbs away. (BOY I wish we had some ladymojis around here!)

[logosoco]

6. Aside from the obvious WTF ness about this...

just what are they doing to the chips to make them less crumby?

Chips in a bag are always going to have crumbs at the bottom.

[MagickMuffin]

7. Flavour

You mean all those chemicals that are soooo full of flavour???

NO THX

[LisaM]

27. IKR? I find Doritos confusing and unnecessary! :)

I much prefer plain corn chips.

[procon]

8. Its just smart marketing.

A lot of women buy smaller, bite foods like miniature cookies and candy bars, or we order a half dozen little sliders instead of one giant burger. All those reduced size products are neater to eat for women in a public setting when we are trying to preserve our good clothing, manicures and makeup, while we think looking cool and sophisticated. Image is important, and no one wants to be seen eating like a pig and chowing down on two-fisted, truck driver sized portions in public, like we do home.

Those convenient little bites are a lot less messy than the full sized portions, so we can pop a little bite sized Dorito in our mouth and talk without worrying about that dusting of orange nacho spice falling on our white silk blouse and coating our lips.

[SharonClark]

9. Did you forget the sarcasm tag?

[procon]

12. No, but maybe you should be more observant next time you go shopping, yeah?

Seriously, its basic supply and demand marketing. Look around the supermarket shelves, they are stocked with a wide variety of smaller sized convenience foods. Obviously consumers want these products and are willing to buy them, and manufacturers are eager to take their money.

Its not just convenience that attracts customers to buy smaller sizes, people are always on the go and we eat on the run. Many people are trying to be more health conscious, so a splurge on that little bite sized Oreo or Snickers bar doesn't ruin their diet plan. If you have little kids, look at all the choices available from mini sized snacks, to single serve portions, and that means less mess for everyone.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

11. I wonder if its a demo for the Japanese market?

For example, check out this link: https://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/a-japanese-burger-chain-made-face-masks-so-women-can-eat-bur?utm_term=.ex11nB5vK#.sdLmpr4R1

[procon]

16. Now that's a clever way to get around cultural stigmas.

Here in So Cal there is a burger chain called "Fat Burger". No self respecting woman in her right mind would eat their because of the fat-shaming culture in the US. Actually, they make a pretty good, juicy hamburger, but the name is so off putting I won't go there on my own.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

24. I prefer In N Out

But yeah we know what you mean about Fat Burger. On one hand, that name lets you know what you’re in for and on the other hand it lets you know what you’re in for.

In S. Nevada we have a small chain of vegan and organic cafes called “Skinny Fats.” I guess it implies great taste without guilt?

[procon]

30. Love In N Out! Wish they made a giant sized burger, but I'd

have to haul the dang thing back home where I could unleash my inner man and chow down like a hungry lumberjack.

[meadowlander]

13. Women who want to look cool and sophisticated in public

don't eat Doritos in the first place. They are marketing to people who won't buy their product anyway and pissing off people who do - girl geeks who snack mindlessly while gaming and like tilting out the crumbs because it shows they can keep up with the guys.

[demmiblue]

21. Another...

Lol... out of the woodwork they come.

[meadowlander]

32. What do you mean by "they"?

[procon]

22. Clearly you attend different events than the rest of us avid Doritos munchers.

No one is saying one size fits all. If you need the crumbs, eat the crumbs if that is what you think makes you more competitive.

[meadowlander]

35. ?

I was joking BTW. If you want to serve Doritos at gala openings, be my guest. I've never seen anyone try to look "cool and sophisticated" by eating Doritos but YMMV.

[Blue_Adept]

14. Agreed

A lot of the outrage about this will be from people that don't even realize they've been using "for her" products that just weren't labeled as that with all the bite-sized stuff and the like.

This is also something you see in other cultures, Japan in particular as I believe is mentioned elsehwere in one of these topics.

Different people, different needs. The branding of it is what will draw the ire. But I already know one of my daughters will be excited about this.

[RobinA]

42. Yes

I don’t buy bite sized stuff but many is the time when I’ve used something and thought, Well, this is obviously designed for a man. Recently I have this problem at the gym. My current gym has machines where the weight increment when you increase the weight is too big a jump for a female. My last gym had machines where I had to contort myself to make adjustments because it was made for someone (men) with longer arms. And I’m 5’7”, so I’m not tiny.

I have no problem with gendered products, and generally consider it a plus. If I don’t like the stuff for girls I’ll buy the stuff I do like. If they guess wrong about what people want it won’t sell and that will be the end of that. And I friggin’ hate Doritos.

[cwydro]

49. I am only 5 foot 3, but I have never encountered that problem at the gym.

Last edited Tue Feb 6, 2018, 09:52 AM - Edit history (1)

[obamanut2012]

15. you have got to be kidding

wtf did i just read

[Blue_Adept]

17. Please explain what's inaccurate in his post

[procon]

23. You read what's common knowledge to anyone who goes grocery shopping.

Really, you haven't noticed all the smaller, bite sized products that are filling the supermarket shelves these days? I'll bet you even think that those little packages of cute "baby carrots" were gown that way.

[Lindsay]

26. I refer to those mini-carrots

as lathe-turned.

(But I'll buy 'em when they're on sale because they're a nice size for roasting without having to cut my own.)

[LanternWaste]

18. I don't think 'smart marketing' denies sexism in this case...

I don't think 'smart marketing' denies sexism in this case... no doubt, they both fit comfortably together in the same branding attempt.

[procon]

25. Nope, branding the products as "sexism" is a stretch.

It might be way down on someone's list, but just because a lot of women are concerned about their perceived public image, does not make them wrong. We each have our own character traits, and what is important to some women is not a fault just because you disagree with their choices.

Besides the convenience, or the image, there is also health and dietary choices -- for men and women -- where maybe a little splurge is enough to satisfy that craving. I'll day kids too, those tiny pieces mean less mess. So let's not get too hung up on false labels, yeah?

[demmiblue]

19. I totally thought that your post was satire.

Holy shite!

[flamingdem]

20. Please boycott this garbage

Thanks

[Tipperary]

28. And no doubt it will be priced higher. I always buy mens shaving products because they are

cheaper than women’s. Haircuts, dry cleaning - the list is long for how women’s prices are higher.

[TlalocW]

29. I look forward to getting one of my best friends - a female Doritos fan - a bag of these

When are they available?

TlalocW

[3catwoman3]

31. Less crunch?

Dorito flavored gummies can't be far behind.

[OnDoutside]

36. If they crunch up that bag, could they then call them Lady Bits ?

[ColoradoBlue]

37. So dumb

As a woman, I have absolutely no qualms about crunching OR licking the nacho cheese flavor off my fingers. My husband, on the other hand, wouldn't be caught dead licking Doritos off his hands in public. Like the article says, there may actually be a market for some of these things but why make it gender-specific? So stupid.

[RobinA]

44. Because Generally

if it’s not gender specific it’s targeted to men.

[crazycatlady]

38. I'll admit to owning gendered headphones

While it sounds like an odd product to gender, I have found that earbuds made for women (Yurbuds brand) are amazing. They're the first pair I've had that fits me right and does not fall out while running. They're designed for smaller ears.

[Iggo]

39. I get those. They're the best.

But I don't get them because I'm a woman, because I'm not.

I get them because they're the best.

[Iggo]

40. And it's not odd. It's dumb.

The ones they label "Men's" and the ones they label "Women's" are two different types of earbuds.

The "Men's" has that stupid hook over the ear, and the "Women's" doesn't.

I prefer the ones without the hook.

[crazycatlady]

41. I actually have two sets

The ones with the hook over the ear are for working out, the others for everyday use.

I have the hook ones in women's. I doubt they'd make men's in pink.

[Iggo]

43. Hmm.

The Target I shop at only has the hooked kind for men and the no-hook kind for women. (You can tell 'cause one box has the mean man face and the other box has the mean woman face....lol.)

[RobinA]

46. I Dont See Why

it’s dumb. I just received a pair of trekking poles for Christmas that are designed for women. The grip is sized for smaller hands and they don’t expand as far as the non- female poles because they don’t have to work for someone who is 6’4” so they are lighter. Pre-gendered poles were fit for a man and females could just deal with it. Same as the ear buds.

[dawg]

45. Honestly, it's about time they finally got around to making this product more female friendly.

Before I open a bag of Doritos, I use my penis like a club to break the chips into manageable bite-size pieces. Women can't do that! I've always wondered how women managed to consume the product. Now, they won't have to worry.

[RobinA]

47. I Think

you’ve hit on the exact reason I hate Doritos!

[dawg]

48. I know!

It just isn't fair.

[GallopingGhost]

56. .

[jmowreader]

57. That's what boyfriends are for

"Sweetie, can you do me a little favor? Use your enormous symbol of masculine domination to break up these Doritos. I'd just snap them in half with my fingers like I used to, but the chauvinistic cabal that runs the snack food company says we girls are too dainty for hard labor like that."

(Boyfriend beats the whole bag into nacho cheese-flavored dust with one of his size-fifteen basketball shoes.)

"Uhh...thanks. Before you sit down, could you get me a spoon?"

[demmiblue]

50. Chrissy Teigen and Kathy Griffin:

Link to tweet

The only quiet chips are stale chips. This Tuesday I’m voting #no on #ladychips

Link to tweet

This may seem silly to some folks but at one point or another most women are told that they're too loud, take up too much space, that we're too much. If Doritos is actually doing this it'll just represent the BS women have had to deal with at home and at work. #CrunchLouder

[lunasun]

53. #CrunchLouder

[Lunabell]

52. Funny tweet, by a man

Link to tweet

[lunasun]

54. Read Why humans like junk food . Doritos lovers have the chips on the brain

A scientist in America has broken down Doritos’ classic nacho cheese flavor to work out what makes the chips so irresistible.

When Doritos inventor Arch West died two years ago, his family reportedly scattered the chips into his grave. Such is the sanctity of nacho cheese.

If you find yourself addicted to the salty yellow chippies, don’t fear that you’ve got an overblown fondness for junk food.

Steven A. Witherly, a food scientist and the author of “Why Humans Like Junk Food,” has explained that nacho cheese Doritos are the archetype of addictive processed foods.

They’ve been engineered so you never feel like you’ve had enough. Here’s why:

The chips have the powerful savory flavor known as umami, and also what Mr. Witherly calls “long hang-time flavors” like garlic that create a lingering smell that stimulates memories.

crunch that

[Orangepeel]

55. No, PepsiCo is not developing "Lady Doritos."

http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/pepsico-shoots-lady-doritos-speculation/312267/

Speculation about a gender-specific version of the mainstream snack brand spread after PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, on a recent episode of the Freakonomics podcast, said the company was considering launching snacks specially designed for women.

"We are looking at it, and we're getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon," Nooyi said.
She never specifically stated that Doritos for women were coming. But news reports on the interview soon began carrying headlines of "Lady Doritos." And predictably, the story took on a life of its own in social media, compelling PepsiCo to shoot down the rumor.

"The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate," a spokeswoman stated in an emailed Monday evening. "We already have Doritos for women–they're called Doritos, and they're enjoyed by millions of people every day. At the same time, we know needs and preferences continue to evolve and we're always looking for new ways to engage and delight our consumers."