@Cairn Awaits MizJenkins: Oh, I get it. You're one of those "OMG ALL CRIME IS CRIME FOR A REASON AND YOU BROKE THE LAW THEREFORE I'M GOING TO BE JUDGMENTAL AND UPPITY".

@hilikusopus: I'm sorry, is there a reason why those should be mutually exclusive? A woman should have the freedom to do whatever she wants with her body, even if its participating in a social dichotomy we personally disagree with. Not to mention, prostitutes need the safety and police protection and health care that…

@MmeSosostris: I didn't say YOU felt that way, I was making a point about society's perception. Read my comment next time. And while you think that trotting out that demographic denies the horrors of prostitution, I disagree. We hear the stories all the time, and never does anyone say "Hey, it's a great idea, why…

@trouble-bubble: Paper trail through an agency means very little when a woman shows up on the dude's front door step. Where's the agency then? At least if the woman is handling her own correspondence, she can feel out the situation. An agency won't care whether or not they put you in a questionable situation.

@Cairn Awaits MizJenkins: Except for the part that women and men are going to participate in prostitution anyway, and CL actually made it a bit safer for the women.

@trouble-bubble: She actually went into great detail about how it was safer: girls and women are at most risk when they can't screen and choose clients for themselves, anonymously. CL enabled them to do both.

@MmeSosostris: And prostitution SHOULD be legal; pimps and maybe even agencies should be illegal.

@MmeSosostris: As much as I'd like to see that too, I take issue with your approach. There are many more "mythical" normal women working in the sex trade than you think, and if we worked to de-stigmatize it, there wouldn't be the perception that hookers are all worthless nobodies who have no value to society. That…

@hollygirl: "Extras" meaning more sexual favors, those of the contact kind. BDSM and Domming on a professional level generally does not involve actual sexual contact. In professional circles it would be frowned upon because it crosses the line not only between prostitute and Domming, but also between the nature of…

@Not_Polly: In my opinion it's EXTREMELY irresponsible to NOT put the blame on advertisers. Their portrayal of societal normalcy is to blame for a lot of ills. It's called social responsibility.

If there's anything this thread shows, it's that people of any gender and sexuality and race enjoy pink controllers. Maybe not one group as much as another, but almost any "type" of person could end up buying one of these. Now advertisers, act accordingly.

@thenino85: Wow, blame our gender for buying things that they've been told all their lives, by ads, are "for" them. Not like anyone is ever a product of their environment, eh?

@Cheshire_kat24: I'm surprised they didn't do that, in fact.

@CrustyCanuck: I actually bought my cousin a pink DS for her birthday for that very reason. Well that, and the dusty pink rose is bitchin'.

@Yasai.Taichou: "Video game ads that feature only males were not meant to suggest that games were for guys only. "

The fuck ever. Maybe if the "critics" had felt an ounce of depth in the movies whatsoever (you know, like the show had, even when it descended into materialistic lunacy after about the second season) the franchise wouldn't have tanked.

@girl_detective: I'm PMSing, so I know it's totally affecting my emotions right now, but when I saw it I did get a little misty eyed. My boyfriend was like "OMG what's wrong?"

@Soaptastic: There are plenty of ways to make gender neutral ads without getting all huffy and acting like people are asswads for wanting it. You're ignoring a very valid complaint that advertising often dictates the status quo to people who are too ignorant or vulnerable to recognize it as a facade and marketing…

@Soaptastic: "It works" is not a good excuse for the status quo. I personally don't care if it's deliberate or not.

@Not_Polly: "This placement was most likely the result of a Target designer saying "gee, what products do we have to feature that I can stick in this cart?" rather than "I should put some detergent in for Mommy and some ice cream in for daddy, because that's what they buy."