Logically, your argument is sound, and I understand what you're trying to convey.  But when you look at products that aren't products for everyone, just for one gender only, you figure out it goes beyond  Â
Dr. Pepper's official slogan has never said it was just for men, it a was a commercial gag that didn't even last long.  It's not a product that is solely for one gender, despite what the commercials say, it's a soft drink (which, in my opinion it taste like gross, but it's as easy as not drinking it.  I realize for me it's about taste buds, not that it's actually gross.  If you like it, more power to you, more for you!) and as a woman, I failed to fucking care what they thought!  However, when men try to take something for themselves, like making a certain type of Dr. Pepper (and that's what it was, it wasn't Dr. Pepper as a whole, it was a variety of Dr. Pepper that men were taking for themselves that had a ton of calories and sugar, something that wasn't diet, or influenced by women trying to invent a body type they thought made them look beautiful instead of just loving who they were as people), and women threw a huge fit.
However, you never hear men going off the deep end because they can't use tampons. Â In fact, I've noticed that most men ignore commercials all together. Â The most my man has ever said to me about a commercial is "I want that.... except in Hitachi. Â Because Hitachi is awesome."
Gender roles, feminism, and equality are great... but they're being taken too far. Â And not by men, by fucking women. Â Women are the first to complain about everything, and feminists more so than anyone else. Â They're insulting to anyone who doesn't agree with them, and they believe it is their god-given right to be that way. Â Which, I suppose it is.
When a feminist sees a commercial that is aimed at men and only men, they have two responses: "Why are there no women? Â Women deserve anything a man does!" and "Haha, look at how stupid men are with their weak masculinity." (the latter is usually towards Viagra commercials, I've found) Â But when they see something that is aimed towards women, they freak out because "Why can't men wear pretty shiny dresses with fairy wings?" and "Those commercial people are being insensitive/sexist/inconsiderate!" "Equality is for everyone!"
Fact is, anyone can do what they want, but the point behind advertisement is to follow the social norms. Â Except, following social norms causes every fucking extremest out there to lose their goddamn mind. Â When one thinks about high heels, they think about women wearing them, never mind that men can wear them, or the fact they were originally meant for men. Â It's just how our culture has evolved.
No one said that men couldn't wear shiny dresses with fairy wings and high heels, no one said women can't drink fatty soft drinks, no one said that men couldn't use yoga ballet equipment. Â No one said little girls can't play with power tools, or little boys can't play with Barbie dolls. Â Commercials aren't made to force gender roles on people, they're around so you can see a human being with an object they want you to buy.
Fact is, no matter what, humans will complain about any advert because they want to cause a fucking scene and it's sick. Â If they want to feel empowered, good for them, complaining does that for them.
When I look at a commercial, I don't see men or women, I see humans. Â I see products. Â I see annoying things in the way of my favorite tv show. Â I hae to admit, I do complain about tampon commercials, Viagra, feminine products, male enhancement drugs, diet pills and powders and crap... Â But never do I think "Why aren't there any men in this tampon commercial?" or "Ew, that guy can't get it up, haha he's not a real man, he has no masculinity!"
The only thing I think when I'm watching a commercial is "When will this be over so I can return to my show?"