‘Control a woman’ toy causes outrage

Melbourne, March 16 (IANS) A `control a woman’ toy that looks like a TV remote control has caused outrage in Melbourne, with a woman complaining it has buttons a man may press to seek ‘beer, sex or food’.

Katie Robertson spotted the toy at a Borders book store being sold for $14.99, ABC News reported Tuesday.

‘There are certain buttons there. For example, the male may decide that he wants beer, sex or food. He may press a button in which he requires the woman to remove her clothes, cook, clean, leave, (or) say yes.’

‘There’s also a button in which you can increase her breast size,’ Robertson told ABC Radio.

She said that she was troubled by the item ‘mainly because it encourages a stereotype of women as submissive, who are to be controlled’.

Lauren Thompson of Borders said the item was intended as a joke.

She pointed out they were also retailing a ‘control a man’ remote that had sold out.

‘All I can say in its defence is that it is base level humour.

‘But it’s meant to be a bit funny, a bit of a gimmick, something you might buy for your best mate before a stag night or a hens night,’ Lauren was quoted as saying.

Britons spend 1 month of their lives looking for TV remote!

London, Sept 18 (ANI): Britons waste one month of their lives searching for the television remote control, a new study has found.

After studying 4,000 individuals, the researchers found that the average viewer loses it an average of 3.2 times a week and spends more than four minutes looking for it each time, reports The Scotsman.

That means each week Brits spend 15 minutes hunting for the device.

Kathryn Drought, of Sky, who led the study to launch the broadcaster’s Free Weekend Pass, said: “The remote control is such a well-used item in the nation’s homes.

“It’s one of those things we’re forever trying to find – normally down the back of the sofa.

“TV plays such a big part in our lives. It’s not surprising who is in control of the remote is such a hot household topic.”

Three in ten volunteers admitted hiding the remote from a partner or housemate, and 17 per cent have thrown it at someone in a fit of “remote rage”, the study found. (ANI)