Sexism: These Trash Cans Congratulating You for Throwing Your Trash Are Not unanimous

As you drive through Malmö, you may come face to face with a waste bin that will congratulate you on throwing your rubbish away. An attractive initiative on paper, but not in the best taste if you listen carefully.

Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city, has come up with a solution that is at least surprising: two bins that appeal to passers-by to make them aware of good waste management. These robot-voiced skips did not fail internet users, as can be seen from the comments below this YouTube video. Still a good idea? Unsure.

The fact that they resort to a “gadget” accessory as a subterfuge to convince adults to properly dispose of their trash can be irritating at worst and make people smile at best. But it is rather on the side of the voice of these dumpsters that the shoe pinches. Sultry, soft, sensual: all the sexist pitfalls are there. The trash can even go so far as to beep with pleasure (“Oh yes, again!”, “Mmm, next time a little more to the left”), just after someone dumps garbage there.

According to the American channel CNN, the project makes no mention of talking trash cans with a male voice yet. Do we mean by this that only a female voice is effective in convincing city dwellers to keep their city clean?

Unfortunately, it remains commonplace to use feminine attributes to transform them into ‘objects of desire’ for the sole purpose of attracting attention or generating sales. Type “sexist ad” into Google and you’ll find that misogyny ads aren’t the prerogative of the 1950s, unfortunately.

(ETX Daily Up)

Leave a Comment