A billboard on westbound Business 40 between Greensboro and Winston-Salem is raising objections.
The sign reads, “Real men provide, real women appreciate it.”
The billboard belongs to Whiteheart Outdoor Advertising. President Bill Whiteheart, a former Republican member of the Forsyth County Commission, said his company is not sponsoring the message.
“The message is a paid message,” Whiteheart said in a voicemail message to Triad City Beat. “We understand very well, I’m sure as you do, the Constitution of the United States, and it is a ‘freedom of speech’ type message where the parties that have paid for that advertising are conveying a heartfelt message to the public.
“I have contacted them with regard to disclosure of their identity, and the response that I have gotten to share with you is that they will have a forthcoming announcement in the future,” he added. “And other than that, that’s all I’m permitted to discuss on their behalf yet.”
Whiteheart told TCB that his company does not “accept advertising that we consider in poor taste,” adding that he doesn’t consider the message from his anonymous client to be out of bounds.
But the billboard has upset people in the Triad who feel it delivers an antiquated, misogynistic, even transphobic message.
Kleur, a boutique and community makerspace in downtown Winston-Salem owned by Molly Grace, has created a Facebook event to protest what the sign represents.
“We are not protesting that the sign is capable of existing, or the people who put it up, or the ad agency, or the right to put it up,” the event page reads. “We are protesting patriarchy and sexism, and that this antiquated way of thinking about women exists at all. We are protesting the implied demand that women be silent and appreciate, regardless of whatever circumstances, their role as non-providers.”
The protest takes place on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. under the billboard, which is next to the Linville Road exit on Business 40 near Kernersville.
Grace recommends consulting the Facebook event before attending, as it will be updated with new information.
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I’d like the idiots who purchased this billboard and posted this antiquated, sexist, intolerant message to know that my girls have been raised to make the most of their God-given abilities, regardless of role and regardless of whether or not a man (or woman) is involved. Further, my son was raised to expect more of himself than to force a woman into a role she may not want or need. It’s actions like this and HB2 that have made our great state a laughingstock. It’s 2017, people. Act like it.
If you flip this around, is it sexist for women to expect men to do all the income producing work while they have the flexibility to be in the work world OR be at home. Men don’t have the same choices, or are stigmatized (more critically than a woman if she makes the so called “wrong” choice by society if they do? A double standard at play?
Nobody has to agree that the billboard fits their unique circumstances. It was simply one person’s opinion, albeit a more traditional one, and people can agree to disagree.
I don’t like HB2 either, by the way, but the billboard isn’t really a good comparison, because it’s just one person’s opinion, a person who has apparently chosen to spend some serious cash on expressing it (just like a big giant bumper sticker than some people aren’t going to agree with). HB 2 had the force of law behind it.
The only people who ostracize or stigmatize men who opt to be a stay-at-home parent are the troglodytes who put the billboard up in the first place.
The rest of us who have evolved past cave life have no problem with men or women choosing full-time parenting, working from home, working away from home, or whatever works best for each individual family.
I’d just like to know who paid for it so I know who’s not getting any of my money or attention or support, ever. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
“Real” men fight misogyny along with “real” women.
Good thing there’s no misogyny here.
Exactly- much ado about nothing. If you don’t agree with it, simply move on and get yourself to work, since you don’t want anybody providing for you! Nobody is stopping anybody from working 100 hours a week if they want to do all the providing for themselves they want. It’s silly.
Real women fight misandry and real men do too???
“Whiteheart told TCB that his company does not ‘accept advertising that we consider in poor taste,’ adding that he doesn’t consider the message from his anonymous client to be out of bounds.”
Wow, just wow. He does not consider that to be out of bounds?
Let’s amend this, shall we? “Real men provide A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR PERSONAL GROWTH. Real women DO THE SAME.”
Real men do the dishes. Real women appreciate it.
Real men change diapers. Real women appreciate it.
Good on them. This feminist perversion of healthy societal interactions will be the death of our people if we can’t get things back on track.
So put up a billboard in front of this one that reads “Men of Quality do not fear Equality”
I’d donate to that!!
So why aren’t men protesting because it’s “sexist” for “real women” to expect them to have to do all the providing? Double standard?
This is the kind of blatant anti-gigolo hate speech that should make us all feel ashamed! In America, every red-blooded man has the right to be a boy-toy if he wants to be!
I haven’t seen either ?