Samsung reveals GS4 with obnoxiously sexist skit
Of course there were jokes about eating too much cheesecake
Ladies, don’t you hate when a new phone comes out and you think you might want it, but you’re not sure because it’s all technical and stuff? Someone seriously needs to mansplain phones to us, or make phones that are so easy-to-use that even women can use them—AMIRITE?! Damn it, I’m sick of not having a phone that automatically tracks my weight and makes it easier for me to cook steak and potatoes for my husband! Viva la revolucion!
So, Samsung apparently didn’t know that the whole country is engaged in a large-scale discussion of equal pay, women in technology, and women in leadership positions—because the company just revealed its new Galaxy S4 phone with a bunch of sexist jokes about drunk bitches with annoying voices.
At the Galaxy S4 reveal Thursday night, Samsung surprised many with a bizarre dog-and-pony show featuring over-the-top actors who demonstrated the phone’s features via skits, rather than the usual dry explanation of the features. While many agree that the show was clearly meant to be satirical and poked fun at a number of stereotypes, one skit in particular struck the wrong chord with many people.
The skit featured a bunch of drunk bridesmaids gawking over the phone’s female-friendliness. Like how its Air Gestures feature allows you to control the phone without touching it. Why would you not want to touch your phone? The women literally whine the obvious reasons:
"Wet nails!" (whined with a pout)
"Sticky fingers."
"Sunscreen."
"I really don't want to put this drink down."
HA! Ladies like creams and nail polish and cooking dinner for their husbands.
And it didn’t stop there. One of the drunk suburban-mom-esque women demonstrated the phone’s eye-tracking feature, which pauses a video when you look away from the screen. What drew her eye away? A hunky gardener taking off his shirt. (Get it? Because she’s a sexless suburban woman who fantasizes about pool boys and gardeners to cope with her failing marriage? Ba-dum-ching!)
And then the emcee delivered the line of the evening: “While the women are cooling off...”
HA! Ha, ha, ha!
Then the S Health feature was revealed, and there were jokes galore about eating too much cheesecake and marrying a doctor (because doctors make hella money you know, and bitches be shoppin' all the time). There is one—and only one reason why women would be interested in a health-related feature. As one of the drunk bridesmaids explained “…weight!”
So I tip my hat to you, Samsung. You managed to take a much-anticipated phone unveiling and degrade it to a circus performance that alienated half of your users and reminded everyone that gadgets and technology are for dudes only.