Kleenex ditch their ‘sexist’ Mansize tissues
KLEENEX is dropping its ‘Mansize’ branded tissue boxes following complaints that they are sexist.
The new boxes are to be renamed ‘Extra Large’ in a move that has proved controversial on social media.
And, following a backlash from feminist campaigners, Waitrose has apologised and promised to change the name of its ‘Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll’.
Details of the change by Kleenex appeared on the company’s official Twitter feed and followed complaints from customers. One of them demanded: ‘In this day and age, is it right for @KleenexUK to have a product that is MAN-sized? The world is changing, maybe they should too?’
Another customer challenged the firm on the Mansize brand, writing: ‘Really @Kleenex? Do women have different colds to men which mean they have different tissues?’
One mother suggested Mansize was sexist and outdated. She wrote: ‘Hi @KleenexUK. My four-year-old son asked me what was written here. Then he asked, why are they called Mansize? Can girls, boys & mummies use them?... He suggests you should call them “very large tissues”. It is 2018.’
Staff manning the company’s social media feeds revealed the change in name in response to customers, without offering any explanation. It reads: ‘Thank you for sharing your concern. We recently made changes to our Mansize branding and will now be labelled as Extra Large, keep an eye out in shops.’
The company failed to respond to requests to explain the name change. However, it appears to be restricted to the UK and will not apply in the USA.
The change has not been met with universal approval. One customer, Joseph Connolly, ridiculed the step.
He said: ‘In the light of this righting of a terrible wrong, shouldn’t Kleenex issue a heartfelt apology to women everywhere, who will doubtless have suffered unspeakable embarrassment, torment and lasting trauma from having been forced to suffer such blatantly sexist branding?’
The Waitrose Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll is one of a range of products developed by celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal.
The name comes from the fact it contains anchovy mayonnaise, similar to ‘Gentleman’s Relish’. However, it was branded ‘outrageous’ on social media. Amy Lamé, who is the mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s ‘Night Czar’ posted an image of the product on Twitter and said: ‘I never knew sandwiches were gender specific. I’m female but thankfully Waitrose let me purchase this anyway.’
Others were quick to pile in with criticism of the supermarket, with Sian Murray saying: ‘What a ridiculous name!’ and Nikki Alvey writing she was ‘disappointed’ with the name.
The roll costs £3.80, but is currently on offer at £2.85. The packaging features a picture of a cockerel dressed in waders holding a fishing rod with a fish at the end of the line. Waitrose describes the roll as: ‘The ultimate Caesar salad to go.’
The supermarket apologised and promised to change the name. A spokesman said: ‘It’s never our intention to cause offence – we’re not dictating who should eat this sandwich.’