‘This is my third time…’: Woman tries to buy caulk at Home Depot. Then worker asks her an insulting question
One DIYer experienced an all-too-common phenomenon when shopping at a home improvement store: Assumptions based on her gender. Missy Fierro (@missyjfierro) went into Home Depot to buy some caulk, only to receive what she thinks was a condescending question.
What happened at Home Depot?
In a viral clip with more than 169,000 views as of writing, Fierro films herself walking through the aisles of Home Depot while holding some caulk.
“This is a question for men and men only,” she begins. “When you buy caulk at Home Depot, or any home improvement store, do they ask you if you have a caulk gun?”
Fierro says this is the “third time” she’s been asked by the worker if she knows caulk requires a caulk gun to apply.
“Of course, obviously,” Fierro retorts. The Mary Sue reached out to Fierro via email.
People don’t think it’s that deep
While some female commenters commiserated with Fierro, the majority assured her the worker wasn’t being gendered.
“It’s a valid question,” a top comment read. “People genuinely think it’s a squeeze tube. Like toothpaste.”
“Yes,” another user echoed. “And as someone who has been in the construction field my whole life, I don’t mind because I know its their job to be helpful and sell more. its not an attack on my knowledge / capabilities.”
Another user added, “They’re just trying to be helpful. Men experience the same kind of stuff buying female stuff.”
Some users who worked at hardware stores dropped their two cents.
“As someone who has worked at a hardware store. We are trained to make sure you have everything. Like teflon tape or pvc glue for plumbing, or paint brushes if they buy paint,” they said.
However, some reports may suggest there is at least some discrimination among stereotypically “male” stores like Home Depot.
‘This is why men should just come in themselves instead of sending their wives’
In a 2023 article by WJAR, a report by Lombardo Homes revealed that, “Seventy-eight percent of women say they really enjoy doing DIY projects, but nearly half of them, so around 40%, say they’re actually treated differently in hardware stores than men are.”
The spokesperson told WJAR that, “One in five said they felt judged for asking for help, three in five say they’re treated differently by contractors as well.”
It’s no surprise, then, that women are venting their frustrations about this in forums. In a Reddit post uploaded to r/TrueOffMyChest, one woman wrote, “In case you were wondering whether or not sexism actually still exists, I got told at the Hardware store today that I should probably let my husband handle this project so I don’t hurt myself.”
She says the project was hammering.
“Guess I should stick to needlework and other, safer, more feminine pastimes,” she wrote sarcastically.
One commenter shared her own experience of trying to look for a specific bolt at Home Depot.
@missyjfierro I know they’re just trying to be helpful but damn do you ask everyone that?
♬ original sound – missyjfierro
She says how an older gentleman employee took the bolt from her and said, “This is why men should just come in themselves instead of sending their wives.”
In the end, the worker realized she was right and the store did not carry the right bolt.
It seems customers aren’t the only ones reporting sexist encounters at stores. In a 2015 lawsuit, Home Depot agreed to pay $83,000 to female workers who were discriminated against. According to the case, “women were funneled into cashier jobs while their male co-workers landed higher-paying sales jobs.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Home Depot via email.
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