Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Prophecy One

When you’re gluten free, baked goods are hard to come by. Yet, I still try. One morning I noticed a new donut shop on the way to work and decided on a whim to stop by. I didn’t see any mention of gluten free donuts on their menu, or a sign in the shop, so I asked the lady behind the counter.

“Gluten free donuts don’t sell well, so you have to order them 24 hours in advance.”

I’d long ago resigned myself to the fact that one does not simply walk into a donut shop and buy gluten free donuts. But – a product not on your menu that you don’t advertise and that has to be special ordered 24 hours in advance doesn’t sell well? Who’d have thunk? And I just had to wonder if it would have been as simple as walking into a donut shop and buying a gluten free donut if they had, you know, actually told anyone they had them. So, do gluten free donuts not sell well, or did they (intentionally or not) set those donuts up to fail?

Prophecy Two

My cousin used to work the athletic equipment department in a retail store. Every week the manager ordered 5 pairs of neoprene weights. Every week, all five sold out within hours of being stocked. And the rest of the week, customers asked for them every day. Yet every week, the manager only ordered five pairs. Why?

“Neoprene weights don’t sell well. We only sell five sets a week.”

She couldn’t convince the manager that if he just ordered more, he would sell more. Though corporate may have required that he prove there was demand before they’d ship more. But how could he do that if he never had the opportunity to stock them? Could one simply have been able to walk into the store and buy neoprene weights?

Prophecy Three

The US Women’s National Soccer Team just won their second consecutive World Cup. They had to sue because they aren’t being paid the same as the men’s team – not even close. Part of the argument?

“Women’s soccer doesn’t bring in as much revenue as the men’s.”

Yet, I have to wonder if women’s soccer is being given the same opportunity to grow as the men’s program. Two major tournament finals were scheduled the exact same day as the Women’s World Cup final, despite the World Cup game begin scheduled well before the other two. Those organizations claim it was an oversight. Would they have simply “overlooked” the Men’s World Cup final date?

Self-Fulfilling

One does not simply look at the revenue numbers; one also has to look at what the numbers are hiding. The mechanics of inequality are rarely ever simple.