Great trampoline, ladies, but get a man to assemble it (says maker)
POSING confidently in an advert for a trampoline, this athletic-looking woman seems like she knows which way is up.
But according to advice written on Amazon by the seller, assembling the exercise equipment is a task that only men can handle – and women should not attempt to set it up by themselves.
In a description of the one-metre trampoline, sold for €105 on the US retail giant’s website, it says the product offers a ‘great jumping experience’ for children and adults because of 30 thickened bungee ropes.
But installing the elastic rope is apparently so ‘tricky’ that the vendor – which markets itself as Newan – says it is ‘not advised for a child or woman to install alone, additional assistance from men is preferred’. Newan also recommends calling on the help of a ‘strong man’ for a larger 1.2-metre version of the trampoline. The instructions unsurprisingly have not gone down well with female customers – with some leaving one-star reviews on Amazon.
One, writing under the name ‘Feeble female’, said: ‘I was excited to ask a man to help me put this together, because I am so frail and weak, but my 76-year-old landlord said he, too, is frail and weak. How will I ever be able to survive in this world?’
Matters were only made worse when Newan started replying to users questioning its advice on the site.
The brand responded to one message, saying: ‘The principle of installing a trampoline is simple, but because the elasticity of our rope is very good, this trampoline can be a bit tricky when installing elastic cord parts, it needs some strength.
‘Although we have a matching tool [for assembly], it is best to wear gloves when installing the elastic rope, so we recommend men first.’
This is not the first time Amazon has become embroiled in a sexism row.
In May the UN criticised artificial intelligence devices such as Amazon’s Alexa in a report which revealed the female voices used by smart speakers reinforce ideas that women are ‘subservient’ and ‘eager to please’. Newan could not be contacted for comment.