Diaper advertising is sort of mystifying in general. They could stop all of that BS and just do an ad saying "We're the cheapest diaper that will actually contain poop blowouts" and have that be that.
@Sunny Bundy: @colormeroutine: Ok, I see your point but when do you stop it? At 3, 6, 13...? If you dress and play with the idea of toddlers being "cute" when they dress and act like adults then it becomes REALLY hard to say that it is no longer acceptable when your pre-pubescent child does.
@MissyMcCLung: well if this diaper was designed to look like a glittery thong then yes, I'd say over the line for sure. But, it's denim. I really don't think there's anything inherently sexy about denim. Or about that pose she's making; it's just sort of sassy.
@MissyMcCLung: In the 60's this ad would have been adorable. Unfortunately, while modern audiences should see this as silly and fun, our obsession with youth and cashing in on the "sexuality" of prepubescent girls blurs that line. It's a reflection of our culture that we don't see 13-year-olds posing and strutting as a silly little kid experimenting and PLAYING. Instead we have marketers, fashion designers and producers telling us those 13-year-old kids are what grown women are supposed to aspire to become.
When a culture flips the "kids mimic adults" model on its head it makes satire or even absurdity hard to execute.
"At the turn of the 21st century, Coppertone revised drawings of the Coppertone Girl so that they would be less revealing in an era of heightened sensitivity regarding pedophilia. Some recent versions show only the girl's lower back, as opposed to her buttocks or wearing a T-shirt, a hat, and holding a bottle of Coppertone while the puppy is shown pulling on her shirt."
BTW, check this gem: "The original Coppertone logo was the profile of an Indian chief, but to become more politically correct, Tally Embry Advertising in Florida was hired and their ad men created the little girl and the pup."
I always wonder abouth the parents that are letting their daughters do these ads or movies where they are super sexualized. How are they justifying it to themselves?
@RayneDear: have you seen the shit some of these parents BUY for their kids - string bikinis on toddlers, halter tops, low rise leans, mini-skirts!? Frankly, I don't think these parents are thinking on that level.
First of all, the whole premise is creepy. Hard to handle vs easy to handle? Gross.
Second of all, from a practical and literal standpoint, jeans and t-shirts are way easier to "handle" than dresses. Dresses require ironing and hanging on a hanger and probably can't withstand several wearings. Jeans and t-shirts do not require ironing, can be hung or folded and jeans at least can probably be worn 2 or 3 times before they're dirty.
Oh Cheap Stock Site Image Search.. the stressed out designer's last hope after the client has turned down the really good stuff from Getty because it's so expensive.
Good ol' CSSIS, is the only one who can deliver an image search result of "girl, young, handle, happy, sad, fun, caucasian only" and puts those two selections together for an unbeatable price.
Agencies, late-working creative teams, and the Giant Client's decision by committee would be lost if it weren't for cheap, fast stock pictures to throw together last-minute coupon door drops.
*pours one out*
Jezzies, don't hate the ad game, hate the worked to death players.
@Blazing_Scribbles: Why of course, sir, that is a perfectly reasonable explanation! How silly of us. We'll stop nagging and go back to our knitting now.
Is there a similar ad featuring little boys? Because I'd still be annoyed, but able to carry on with my day. As opposed to right now, when I feel like knocking heads off. I think I'll start with Tropicana HQ.
I think what they wanted to do was make it women but knew they couldn't do that. That would be toooooo sexist. So they made it little girls. Problem solved!!
"easy to handle?" Well, what do you want her to do?
I was the girl on the left. I want my future daughters to be the girl on the left. I wanted my students to be the girl on the left. I want all the girls in my life to be the girl on the left.
It drives me batty when anger, assertiveness, unhappiness with the way the world is, and rejection of all the messages about what girls should be get portrayed as a negative quality for young girls to have. I know women of all ages get these messages, but when they're aimed at pre-teens it breaks my fucking heart. They have so many years of Foucauldian discipline ahead of them, and it starts so early.
I mean, in my head the girl on the left is thinking, "Fuck you. I'm not going to put on a dress and hold flowers and smile for the camera. I'm not going to be everything you think a 'good little girl' should be. I want to ride a dirt bike or pick up a guitar or arm wrestle the neighbor kid." The girl on the right is happy to be handle-able. She's happy to get her value from being a passive, decorative object to be admired.
Fuck that. We should want more for our girls. They deserve to be the girl on the left.
@greeneyedfem: You've just articulated what I've been wanting to scream for a while now. I've been having some serious issues these past few weeks with family and friends and STRANGERS telling me that I should be "nicer."
I'm a very considerate and sweet person to those close to me. The issue with my "attitude" (as some people call it) is that I'm not docile enough. People seem to think that all women, especially young women such as myself, should be sweet little lambs to everyone around them.
@chennui: Exactly. "Be nice" really means "Don't express your real feelings."
It's like when strangers (always men) tell me to "Smile!" when I'm out in public. Fuck you. How about my facial expressions reflect my actual moods? I'm not here to decorate your world or make your day better.
@greeneyedfem: That reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons "Moaning Lisa" where Lisa is depressed. Marge tells her to smile and people are nice to Lisa when she's smiling but she's dying inside. Marge realizes that and tells Lisa she can be sad all she wants. My mom did the same for me.
@greeneyedfem: Why do they do that? "Smile, it's not so bad!" Oh I'm sorry, but you just saved me from the inner torment in my lady brain. When I smile, the world is sunnier for you, so I feel better! Thank you, creepy dude!
05/26/09
05/26/09
[jezebel.com]
05/26/09
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But maybe that's because I can't even wrap my head around the concept of a sexual baby as being anything other than ridiculous
05/26/09
05/26/09
Does that make any sense?
05/26/09
05/26/09
When a culture flips the "kids mimic adults" model on its head it makes satire or even absurdity hard to execute.
05/26/09
05/26/09
"At the turn of the 21st century, Coppertone revised drawings of the Coppertone Girl so that they would be less revealing in an era of heightened sensitivity regarding pedophilia. Some recent versions show only the girl's lower back, as opposed to her buttocks or wearing a T-shirt, a hat, and holding a bottle of Coppertone while the puppy is shown pulling on her shirt."
BTW, check this gem: "The original Coppertone logo was the profile of an Indian chief, but to become more politically correct, Tally Embry Advertising in Florida was hired and their ad men created the little girl and the pup."
[en.wikipedia.org]
05/26/09
05/26/09
05/26/09
05/26/09
Not this.
05/26/09
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05/26/09
05/24/09
First of all, the whole premise is creepy. Hard to handle vs easy to handle? Gross.
Second of all, from a practical and literal standpoint, jeans and t-shirts are way easier to "handle" than dresses. Dresses require ironing and hanging on a hanger and probably can't withstand several wearings. Jeans and t-shirts do not require ironing, can be hung or folded and jeans at least can probably be worn 2 or 3 times before they're dirty.
05/23/09
Good ol' CSSIS, is the only one who can deliver an image search result of "girl, young, handle, happy, sad, fun, caucasian only" and puts those two selections together for an unbeatable price.
Agencies, late-working creative teams, and the Giant Client's decision by committee would be lost if it weren't for cheap, fast stock pictures to throw together last-minute coupon door drops.
*pours one out*
Jezzies, don't hate the ad game, hate the worked to death players.
05/23/09
05/23/09
Is there a similar ad featuring little boys? Because I'd still be annoyed, but able to carry on with my day. As opposed to right now, when I feel like knocking heads off. I think I'll start with Tropicana HQ.
05/23/09
This is THE ULTIMATE OJ AD:
All others are weak imitations!
05/24/09
05/25/09
-=Dialogue NSFW=-
05/23/09
"easy to handle?" Well, what do you want her to do?
05/23/09
It drives me batty when anger, assertiveness, unhappiness with the way the world is, and rejection of all the messages about what girls should be get portrayed as a negative quality for young girls to have. I know women of all ages get these messages, but when they're aimed at pre-teens it breaks my fucking heart. They have so many years of Foucauldian discipline ahead of them, and it starts so early.
I mean, in my head the girl on the left is thinking, "Fuck you. I'm not going to put on a dress and hold flowers and smile for the camera. I'm not going to be everything you think a 'good little girl' should be. I want to ride a dirt bike or pick up a guitar or arm wrestle the neighbor kid." The girl on the right is happy to be handle-able. She's happy to get her value from being a passive, decorative object to be admired.
Fuck that. We should want more for our girls. They deserve to be the girl on the left.
05/23/09
05/23/09
I'm a very considerate and sweet person to those close to me. The issue with my "attitude" (as some people call it) is that I'm not docile enough. People seem to think that all women, especially young women such as myself, should be sweet little lambs to everyone around them.
Fuck. That. Shiiiit.
05/24/09
It's like when strangers (always men) tell me to "Smile!" when I'm out in public. Fuck you. How about my facial expressions reflect my actual moods? I'm not here to decorate your world or make your day better.
05/24/09
@greeneyedfem: Why do they do that? "Smile, it's not so bad!" Oh I'm sorry, but you just saved me from the inner torment in my lady brain. When I smile, the world is sunnier for you, so I feel better! Thank you, creepy dude!