Thortful collaborates with WMN studio on misogynistic issue
Misogynistic cards may seem a trifle strange with Mother’s Day looming on Sunday, 19 March, but online greetings retailer Thortful has deliberately launched them this week to shine a light on toxic masculinity.
Working with WMN, the female-led studio from creative agency CPB London, the Mother’s Day Cards From Misogynists project came to life after the team ran a nationwide poll which revealed that, despite a third of men admitting they’d called a woman a bitch before, 80% said they would never call their own mum the same thing.
Insulting a guy’s mum is considered the height of rudeness but women in general are considered fair game. What if mothers weren’t the exception, though? What if you took the traditional sugar-sweet Mother’s Day card and reimagined it as a card from a woman hater?
Using real phrases uttered by some of today’s most recognisable misogynists, the cards aim to get people thinking about the dangers of passing or casual instances of misogyny.
Available for sale on the Thortful website, all profits from the cards’ sales will support Hysterical, the annual charity exhibition of subversive art by women and marginalised genders, co-curated by Cheer Up Luv activist Eliza Hatch.
A special edition You Belong Behind The Kitchen Sink Happy Mother’s Day! card, with content curated by Eliza from her community’s submissions, is available, and the cards are also on sale until 25 March at the 2023 Hysterical exhibition taking place at the Bermondsey Project Space Gallery, London.
Helen James, co-founder of WMN and ceo of CPB London, commented: “These cards won’t melt many hearts, but they’ll certainly get the blood boiling. We advise people to think of them less as actual Mother’s Day cards (!) and more as miniature-sized pieces of subversive art designed to make us all stop, think and, importantly, challenge.”
Thortful md Pip Heywood added: “Too many of us are familiar with the effects of misogyny so being able to support such an important campaign is vital. While these little cards won’t be given to anyone’s real mum, we know they will encourage reflection on the impact of words and behaviours. We’re delighted to work with WMN to bring this crucial conversation to life.”
