Perhaps, dear readers, you have already heard about Bic’s new “for her” line of ball point pens. They are nice and soft so as not to damage a woman’s delicate hands, and come in appropriately girly colors. Oh bless.
Okay, stop laughing. Take a deep breath and calm down. While this is definitely a “what were they thinking” kind of product, one may perhaps understand where they were coming from by examining some of Bic’s other products. They do produce pink disposable razors “for women” which are purchased most enthusiastically by the fairer sex. So why not market a special pink pen just for women?
Makes sense, right? Well…no. We’re not buying it, both literally and figuratively. However, while these women’s pens are totally stupid and utterly sexist, they have produced a number of hilariously ironic reviews on Amazon. This one is my favorite:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a pen.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a stationers, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their salespeople. However, this has not always been the case for young ladies.
“My dear Mr. Hodgson,” said my lady to me one day, “have you heard that Bic are making writing tools for ladies at last?”
I replied that I had not.
“But they are,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”
I made no answer. Surely this could not be true, why would a woman have need of such a thing?
“Do not you want to know who will buy them?” cried my wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it,” I said.
This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know, a well known online retail establishment have been selling these, and it has encouraged young Lizzy to attempt to write down her fanciful ideas . Apparently a young lady from a nearby town has even done so and attempted to write a book!”
“What is her name?” I asked her.
“Austen.”
“Is she married or single?”
“Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A man could never want to marry a young woman who thinks anything she has to say is so interesting it could need to be written down,” said my wife, most accurately.
And so it was that I assured her that there would be nothing to worry about, that women do not need special pens, no matter what Mr. Bic may think, and that nothing would ever come of this young ‘Jane Austen’ girl and her flights of fancy.
The End.
P.S. Lizzy says she is a bit fed up of pink and purple, when do we get some in a nice floral pattern?
I’ve considered this at length,
And here is what I think,
The pen is mightier than the sword,
Even if it’s pink.
Be that as it may,
If you use a girly pen,
It will make you gay.