A place for me to focus on creative writing, using prompts I love but not related to my larger work in progress. Any prompts from outside sources are linked in the post in which they are used.
K-Mart has caused quite a stir with their new holiday commercial for Joe Boxer. Television viewers are up in arms, saying it's indecent, inappropriate, and should be banned. Personally, I thought it was funny.
Is it suggestive? Certainly. Are the men covered? Definitely. Has the brand been known for being tongue-in-cheek? Always, especially before K-mart purchased it. But there are so many ads that are just as suggestive and even more sexual in nature. Why the fuss over this one?
This commercial is for perfume.
It is far racier than the Joe Boxer commercial, which is at least advertising underwear.
The Joe Boxer commercial is being called brash, distasteful, offensive, and vulgar. Many of the general public are outraged! Comments on Kmart's facebook page say "Pull this ad, it has no place on public television." "What is wrong with you people? This is uncalled for!" "Kmart your new commercial sucks and is disgusting! I will never shop at your store again!" "Think of the children who will see this!"
But no one is outraged over the Victoria's Secret commercials, the Hardees/Carls Jr commercials, the GoDaddy commercials, the various beer commercials. So why the double standard? Is it really okay for women to be portrayed as sex objects in advertising but not men? What are people afraid of?
The toy commercials are out in full force. As a result, I am SO thankful for Santa Claus. Why? "Ask Santa" prevents this conversation from happening a thousand times a day:
"I want a Loud Crappy Toy!" "No" "Pweeeeeese! I want it!" "No" "But I neeeeeed it! Can I have it?" "No" And tears.
Instead, this exchange happens:
"I want that! Can I ask Santa?" "Yes" "Yay! I'll ask Santa!"
Because I KNOW that 99% of these things she's asking for will be forgotten. I feel no guilt at all with Santa being a type of scapegoat. She doesn't get that piano? "Sorry, sweetie, Santa couldn't carry it on his sleigh."
Today was spent at home, mostly on the couch on a heating pad. It seems Sophie is getting too big for me to carry to bed when she falls asleep in mine.
So today, I'm thankful for flexibility. I'm thankful for cell phones and internet connections that let me do my job from the couch. I'm thankful for ibuprofen and heating pads, Disney Junior and Netflix. I'm also thankful for little imaginations and cuddles and kisses.
I am thankful for 72 degrees in November, and eating lunch outside in the sunshine with one of my oldest friends.
I am also thankful for friendship, for good friends who know all of you - the good and the bad - and love you anyway. The friends who have seen me at my worst and supported me, and who are always there for each other no matter what.
