This Pharmacy Is Advertising a 7 Percent "Man Tax" and the Internet is Freaking Out

PHOTO: Alejandro Moreno de Carlos

You've probably heard of the pink tax, a turn of phrase used to illustrate that women pay more for almost every product—from shampoo to razors and deodorant—than men. But one independent pharmacy in New York has decided to do something about it: Thompson Chemists earlier this week advertised a seven-percent "man tax" on products, offering its female customers a seven-percent discount while keeping the cost of male-marketed products the same.

The Internet is freaking out. By which, of course, we mean mostly men.

Before we get back to Thompson Chemists, here's a little more background on the bigger issue: Last December, New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs tracked price discrepancies in otherwise identical products marketed to male and female consumers. After analyzing the prices of almost 800 products across 35 categories, the department found far-and-wide discrepancies in the prices of almost every product—even those with nearly identical ingredients and packaging. For example, according to the report, the average women's shampoo costs a whopping 48 percent more than products marketed to men.

Few companies have done anything to combat the pink tax. But last week, online retailer Boxed announced it will reduce the cost of certain women's products with higher price tags than their male equivalents, as well as reduce the sales tax amount from the list price of products priced with the luxury pink tax.

Thompson Chemists owner Jolie Alony told the Gothamist she launched her pharmacy's man-tax promotion in order "to bring awareness on how it feels to be a woman, so the men actually get to feel it."

Some customers seem to get it, Alony reports. "The women are very, very happy," she told the weblog. "Men haven't complained yet, they've just laughed." But online, the pharmacy has been the target of vitriol. Here's a very small sample of what has been said on the pharmacy's Facebook page:

• "Keep digging, you idiotic sexist Muppets. You're now going to learn the difference between fame and notoriety."
• "If you are a offering a discount to women and not to men, its a gender discrimination!"
• "If you had male costumers previously, then you won't for long because no self-respecting man will shop at a store that is basically spitting in their face."
• "There are more and more men these days who do not want marriage or kids, because the system is rigged against men. If I were a young man these days, I would never marry or have kids. You guys are a symptom of the misandry of modern times. If women have it so bad, why are their average lifespans so much longer?"
• "We all know that women have been receiving help for generations. We know that there are affirmative action policies, anti discrimination laws, etc. We know that at least once a day since the 80s we've had to listen to and learn about the unique challenges women face, whether it be on television or in person. Maybe people who get all these advantages and still can't manage to earn as much money as another group of people who not only gets no help, but is actually indirectly penalized by the help the others get, are simply a bunch of idiots who can't figure out how reality works."
• "Has there ever been a more widely disproven myth than the wage gap? How many hundreds of studies have to be done before f—king feminists realize it's complete and utter bullshit?"

Despite the backlash, Alony hasn't backed down. She told the Gothamist the length of the promotion is fluid, and it's unclear how long it will last. Until then, Alony says, she'll continue to make up the difference in cost (which amounts to the price of sales tax) herself so her female customers can save a little money—for now.

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Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/this-pharmacy-is-advertising-a-7-percent-man-tax-and-the-internet-is-freaking-out