MAC cosmetics Archie Comics line asks, "Are you a Betty or a Veronica?"

Sigh. Because, like, the whole gender role thing is binary. But, binary as in, are you Betty or are you Veronica. It hits stores February 7. More pix here. (HT: @marynmck)

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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http://twitter.com/SpenceJMNelson Spence Nelson

Haha wasn’t this same concept a rejected Sterling Cooper campaign? It was tired in fictional 1960-something.
Benjamin Palmer

I feel like this came from a Mad Men episode. (They actually did Jackie or Marilyn, but yea, it was this)
jandrese

Bad news Betty and Veronica, that is the gayest Archie ever. He’s so gay he has sculpted his hair to look like a muff.
- MaximumOvertroll
  
  Should’ve gone for the Hashtag Mullet.
- mikei
  
  Archie’s taste includes both snails and oysters.
- cdh1971
  
  Oh Reaally…
  
  /pricks up ears
http://twitter.com/coherent_light Scott Elyard

Well, I’m more of a Jughead anyway.
- MaximumOvertroll
  
  HIVEMIND!
  - http://abrightcontainer.tumblr.com/ manybellsdown
    
    We seriously all came to the comments just to say that.
    - Donald Petersen
      
      This. Leaving in a huff, lest someone accuse me of incipient Weatherbee-hood.
MaximumOvertroll

I’m Jughead.
- http://twitter.com/digitalArtform Joseph Francis
  
  I wanted to be, but I couldn’t find the hat.
Ito Kagehisa

That’s not Betty and Veronica from Archie Comics!

It’s Betty Page and Dyanne Thorne.
- http://profiles.google.com/marc.k.mielke Marc Mielke
  
  And Archie looks like Damien Lewis.
wysinwyg

I’m a Betty.

Wait, guys can answer too, right?
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  I don’t think that they’re referring to Sweaty Bettys.
tomservojr

MAC Cosmetics doesn’t ask that question—the Racked post (and source Fashion post) does. Unless we’re just outraged on the assumption that they’re asking.
Ramone

It’s worth looking at the actual products which use the comic art quite well. But yeah, those models are straight outta Vampire Diaries.
Matthew Schmeer

What, no Miss Grundy option? Really?
Michael A

Um. Its a collection based around the makeup style worn by the characters? Not the character’s/user’s personality/gendertype itself. What exactly is the problem?

If a football manufacturer marketed a football that was better for one style of throwing technique, and another ball better at a different technique, is that saying all throwers of footballs (typically male as they may be) MUST fall into one of these categories? Or that these balls could be purchased by those who happen to throw in such a style, to enable better throws?
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Bailey/1811406 Peter Bailey
  
  Indeed. What’s more — a lot of women like to look (traditionally and conventionally) pretty and wear make-up to do so. A lot of them are blonde or brunette. A lot of them have fond memories of old comics.
  
  It’s possible to enjoy traditional gender roles and existing archetypes of female beauty without forcing them on others.
V

The correct either/or question will always be ‘Ginger or Mary Ann’
- Donald Petersen
  
  Some of us go for the Loveys.
- doniphon
  
  Those of us whose television watching straddled the 1960′s and 1970′s may opt for “Jennifer Marlowe or Bailey Quarters.”
  - ackpht
    
    Bailey, without question. Jennifer was great to look at, but a bit… well, frosty; a bit smug. Those big lens-less glasses on Bailey…mmmmm.
  - gellfex
    
    For me it was Morticia or Jeannie………I lie, Morticia always won.
- deadbot
  
  Not ‘Betty or Wilma’?
  - http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
    
    Wait, what about Patty or Cathy Lane?? And they were at least different :)
  - JesseQ
    
    I’d go with Betty but I’d be thinking of Wilma.
Antinous / Moderator

Weren’t Betty and Veronica supposed to be different?
- daev
  
  I was thinking the same same thing, the image misses the whole good girl/bad girl vibe and instead says “Fuck it. Let’s have a threesome.”
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Given how much makeup they’re wearing, all three of them could be the same model.
http://deansli.st/ Dean Putney

They forgot Cheryl Blossom! Life isn’t so simple that you can just leave out the third option.
http://twitter.com/3148delCT Sara

Penny Century would’ve frightened the poor lad to death, but not before Maggie and Hopey got Doyle and Mike to kick his ass.
marilove

Ah, yes, the Virgin-or-Whore?! thing. HOW ORIGINAL!
- L_Mariachi
  
  You’re criticizing a dynamic between teenagers in a 70+ year old children’s comic book series for not having a nuanced portrayal of the various modalities of real-world adult relationships?
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    I’m not sure that asking for a better approximation than virgin or whore really constitutes a demand for nuance.
  - marilove
    
    Um. No… I was criticizing a 2013 MAC advertisement that is using a 70+ year old comic that no one reads any more to utilize the overused virgin/whore trope.
    
    I mean … dude.
pjcamp

Ok, Archie did not bling it up. Specially not with 4 earrings.
Jake0748

Yeah. As a geek kid who actually sometimes read Archie comic books – this has absolutely nothing to do with that.
BarBarSeven

Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank. Betty cannot be a skank.
http://www.facebook.com/ray.hall.7140497 Ray Hall

Stolen from a Mad Men episode!!
http://redesigned.com redesigned

What about Midge and Ethel?
- orangedesperado
  
  Yes, leave that Archie Andrews out of this, and lets have some diversity of body type and intellect.
Daemonworks

Totally a Betty.
Which is odd, as I’m a straight, cisgender male. Go figure.
Angela Stanbrough

Well, to be fair, Mac also has a Wonder Woman line coming out.
CLamb

No products for Archie?
Adam Goetz

dont worry Xeni, we are the change we want to create. we’ll get there but knowing the pit holes facing us is necessary so we can fill them and move on. no sighing needed but totally understood.
http://www.facebook.com/shannonleowheeler Shannon Wheeler

I can almost smell stale cigarettes and cheap perfume through that picture.
cdh1971

I’ll take the adorable Archie lookalike. I’m sure he’s about as into those two frau…cough…leins as I am.
numbskull

“We’ve been challenged by our fan base to give them wholesome entertainment and to make sure when kids go looking on the Net to find wholesome entertainment at our trademarks, they find it,”- Chuck Grimes, the 1999 vice president of business affairs for the company that owned the Archie brand
FAIL
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jan/20/business/fi-65256