"Ally McBeal" has been off the air for 10 years, yet its trend of unisex bathrooms hasn't taken off elsewhere. Most areas of the world belong to people of different genders — even the grocery store.
True, women might spend more time in the produce area while men stare at the meat counter until they can figure out what to buy. But women shop for men and men shop for women, so at some point, they should end up in all the parts of the grocery store.
In most animal species, male and female versions eat the same things. Whatever the male members of the species eat, the female species eats the same thing, and there aren't philosophical discussions about gender roles and what you eat. Women eat meat and men eat salads, just not as often as the opposite gender.
Marketers feel the need to gear specific products as if the other gender couldn't possibly bother with the product. We've seen this with Dr. Pepper Ten and Trop 50. Dr. Pepper Ten is for men and only men because it's a diet drink with more than 9 calories of high-fructose corn syrup. Trop 50 is orange juice with Stevia thrown in; it's for women and only for women.
Women might go for Dr. Pepper Ten -- still low in calories, but with a bit more flavor. Men might like Trop 50 -- still has orange juice. But the advertising is so targeted that you would feel uncomfortable drinking the "other" drink.
A press release for Ruffles Ultimate Potato Chips and Dips describes the chips as "an unapologetic bro-centric snack with deeper ridges and real pieces of meat." "Ultimate" and "bro-centric" = girls not allowed.
Another difference: women targeted advertising is usually smart to its target audience. Men targeted advertising tears down its target audience.
The "man aisle" at the Westside Market at 110th Street and Broadway in Manhattan feeds into this gender isolation that is a part of advertising toward men. When you break down the "man aisle," you find that this is more of a "party central."
cereal -- Wheaties pretty healthy
Ramen noodles -- young people regardless of gender
Chips Ahoy -- more females than males buying cookies
two mainstream light beers -- not targeted at men
Condiments are universal. Condoms are worn by men, but are often bought by women (in case the man forgets).
The other consideration is that women easily walk into men's worlds much easier than men can walk into women's worlds. Women can wear a man's shirt and it can be really sexy. A man wearing a women's blouse has its place, but it's not the same.
The "man cave" only works if only men will shop in that area, along the lines of treehouses with 10-year-olds. Uh, women like to party, drink beer, grill out, and eat chips. The grocery store, like food, is unisex.
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