Op-Ed: &pizza is a Male-Dominated Space

For far too long we, as a society, have allowed &pizza to wage its war against women. Spatially, &pizza functions solely as a male-dominated space, upholding the patriarchy and perpetuating antiquated gender norms. &pizza's extreme gender stratification has been identified as one of the main obstacles in influencing women's decisions to eat there and forms the basis for their historically low participation in the pizza industry.

First, we must address the macho nature of &pizza's rhetoric. Every week, consumers are bombarded with text messages from &pizza. Some examples of such messages are "How Does A BIG Juicy Pie for $5 Sound??" or "Looking for a good time?" These messages carry a sexual connotation and reinforce a patriarchal gender dynamic between the consumer and &pizza.

Next are &pizza's insistence on using phallic boxes to carry its product. Even the product itself (an oval pizza) has been bastardized from its original feminine form, the circle.

Lastly, &pizza's infamous $3 pizza deals make a mockery of the economic challenges faced by women, obviously referencing the gender wage gap.

"&pizza's very existence reinforces the gender binary, in which different genders feel compelled to perform via different behaviors as established by previous norms," says Judith Butler, famed feminist theorist, political philosopher, and &pizza critic.

The only way to achieve equality for all is to eradicate the &pizza establishment.