Hey guys,

I've seen a lot of different opinions on this, and I'd love to see if (for once) I can get some sort of general consensus.

When writing copy, one is usually pretty sensitive to the power of words, and the consequences of failing to use the best ones.

In writing copy, I often find myself writing with men in mind unless the product is specifically targeted towards women.

What winds up happening is that (in my second draft) I often find myself trying to reword things to be more 'socially acceptable'... I took this advice from Bly's book, The Copywriter's Handbook.

I try to get rid of any words that could be perceived as sexist or favoring men over women.

I realize though that Bly's advice my have been influenced by the period of time in which it was given.

Do you have any advice insofar as copywriting etiquette is concerned? Any examples of other politically incorrect issues that you've had to contend with?

I figure that this is especially timely given how offended women were about the Playboy Mansion Salesletter...

So what do you think?

I think you have to write for the intended audience and the others be damned.

If your target prospect is a one-legged dwarf, who's an engineer and has two kids, one cat and one dog, that drives a 1972 Chevy Impala with gray primer on the right rear fender then your sales letter better be of a tone that connects to that person. And if a 6'3", woman who plays professional basketball reads it and is offended-- tough shat.

as far as sexism goes, I think it's hard to avoid it 100% when you are writing to a target market.

A lot of the sports ads on television, for example, are annoying and sexist. But so are the ads targeted at women--where men are belittled and depicted as clueless, clownish, childish chumps.

I am not "clueless".

What you guys have said jives with what I've been thinking...

I'm glad I'm not out on a limb with my thinking...

Truth be told, I very rarely get peeved about anything to do with gender. I don't think one way or the other about it.

Unless something is blatantly and harshly offensive, I don't think twice.

Which is why I asked this question, to see if there was something I might have been missing.

Hearing other voices sounding with my own is definitely encouraging and reassuring.

But otherwise the clown shoe fits?

Omar,

When I started writing in the sixties I always used he and him and it was perfectly acceptable. No one thought anything about it. Today, it's not acceptable in any situation (with the possible exception of writing for a men's publication.) This is not political. It's the accepted style. And style should be followed.

Omar,

I've always thought of this way: If you worry about offending everyone in your copy then you connect with no one with your copy.

You need to laser lock on your target market. Hit them with their verbiage... the way that they talk... express the types of feelings and frustrations that they feel. Help them feel that you understand completely where they are coming from.

Of course, I'm fairly non-PC. As Dennis Miller says perfectly... "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

My 2 cents,

Mike

I'm with Mike on this one. Figure out your majority target audience and write to them like you were sitting in front of them. Political correctness has no place in copy.