"Lady-Friendly" Doritos May Be In the Works,Twitter Reacts
By Mike Iavarone III
February 5, 2018
Doritos has revealed they are going to launch a new “lady-friendly” version of the snack that are less messy and more quiet to eat. PepsiCo — the company that owns Doritos — has claimed research has found women do not like to lick their fingers or crunch loudly when eating in front of others.
Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, was prompted by Stehpen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio, about how men and women eat chips in a recent episode released on January 31, 2018. Below is Indra's response to Stephen's question:
DUBNER: I understand that men and women eat chips very differently. Can you tell us the differences?
NOOYI: When you eat out of a flex bag — one of our single-serve bags — especially as you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don’t want to lose that taste of the flavor, and the broken chips in the bottom. Women would love to do the same, but they don’t. They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavor into their mouth.
DUBNER: So is there a male and female version of chips that you’re playing with, or no?
NOOYI: It’s not a male and female as much as “are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?” And yes, we are looking at it, and we’re getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon. For women, low-crunch, the full taste profile, not have so much of the flavor stick on the fingers, and how can you put it in a purse? Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.
Women’s campaigners have slammed the unusual move as a “tired gender stereotype.” A spokesman from the Women’s Equality Party said that “Companies that perpetuate these tired gender stereotypes will continue to lose out on the single biggest consumer group: women."
It is not that people are opposed to new approaches to innovate well-known products. The issue seems to be when general claims are made about how one gender acts in a given situation.
This wouldn't be the first unisex product mass-marketed toward women. In 2012, we saw a release of pens marketed toward women. The Bic for Her pens claim to have, according to the description on Amazon, an "elegant design" that's "just for her" and a "thin barrel to fit a woman's hand." The reactions to the Bic for Her pens were very similar to "lady-friendly" chips tweets we've come across.
The Twittersphere also couldn't help but voice its opinion on this topic as well. Check out some of the tweets below:
women: give us equal pay
— Ali Vingiano (@alivingiano) February 5, 2018
the world: look, a KFC female colonel!
women: we said equal pay
the world: doritos won't crunch anymore!!!
women: EQUAL PA-
the world: have you tried "BIC PENS FOR HER"??
I'm sorry Doritos to make what for who now https://t.co/4wErOkrhd8
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) February 5, 2018
Lady-friendly Doritos? Softer & less orange? Mmm. Can they apply same procedure to White House resident? https://t.co/PODftSbwjj
— Sally Phillips (@sallyephillips) February 5, 2018
In response to Doritos lady friendly crisps I shall be eating the biggest crisps I can find crunching really loudly burping and carrying a packet of crisps as a handbag
— kate ford (@kateford76) February 5, 2018
Has anyone at Doritos ever met a lady
— Danielle Sepulveres (@ellesep) February 5, 2018
Women: We want equal pay, respect, right to our own bodies.
— Jinath Hyder (@Jinath_Hyder) February 5, 2018
Men: We hear you! Have some Lady Doritos. pic.twitter.com/HBF4iuRxm7
Will Lady Doritos come in womanly flavors like “Nacho Salary” and “Moderately Cool Ranch Home” and “Sour Cream and Oppression?”#Doritos#LadyFriendlyDoritos
— T.R. Morley (@TheRealMorley) February 5, 2018
Eating an entire family pack of chips in protest of "lady-friendly" Doritos https://t.co/p3nzKbaEd2 pic.twitter.com/l5qO23lQKP
— The Mary Sue (@TheMarySue) February 5, 2018
People talking about Lady Doritos and I've been enjoying these for over a year now. Salty, but satisfying. pic.twitter.com/xSQYYqkjMC
— Veterans4🐸 AKA Crumbcollector (@DeplorableJWS) February 5, 2018
Photo Credit: Getty Images