Doritos has announced plans to create new, quieter crisps especially for women, that will be downsized in order to fit neatly into our handbags.
The mind-boggling โlady-friendlyโ creation, dubbed โLady Doritosโ on social media, is apparently the product of consumer research conducted by PepsiCo, the parent company of Doritos.
Speaking to Freakonomics Radio, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said women โdonโt like to crunch too loudly in publicโ or โlick their fingers generously [...] they donโt like to pour the little broken pieces, and the flavour, into their mouthsโ.
But weโre wondering who the women were that Doritos surveyed, because judging by the reaction on social media, a lot of people arenโt fans of the concept. Both men and women on Twitter have called the idea of โLady Doritosโ sexist.
Commenting on the product, a spokesperson from the Womenโs Equality Party said in a statement: โNo doubt some male consumers will welcome the chance to have a bigger package. But the idea of shrinking products for women, no doubt for the same price, is as old as the Ad Men making these decisions.
โCompanies that perpetuate these tired gender stereotypes will continue to lose out on the single biggest consumer group: women.โ
Meanwhile others on Twitter were quick to point out how ridiculous the concept of gender-specific food is.
A few on social media did point out that quieter crisps could be useful in certain circumstances, such as in the cinema, but these should be introduced โfor everyoneโ, not aimed at one gender.
Meanwhile a lot of people on Twitter called out the concept of โLady Doritosโ as one big publicity stunt, and it has certainly got people talking...
HuffPost UK has contacted PepsiCo, the makers of Doritos, for comment on the reaction to the announcement and is awaiting response.
What do you think of โLady Doritosโ? Take the poll below or let us know in the comments.