3.20.2011

This commercial angers me.



Okay seriously!! In case you don't have one minute fifteen seconds to spare, or if you haven't seen it on TV let me summarize for you. Women walking around this imaginary store looking at their dreams. A handsome guy, a beautiful house and car, a degree etc. Each time they start to grab their dream item, someone (representing pregnancy) comes and snatches it away. What are they implying??!? And then when the stork is chasing that lady and she turns her head and pushes it away and shakes her head no - I hate that part. Seriously.

Okay first let me clarify. I am in no way against any form of birth control. Please - if you don't want a baby use some kind of birth control. That's cool. But now that I've gotten that disclaimer out of the way, SERIOUSLY!! It angers and saddens me that they are telling women they can't have a career and a baby. Or an education and a baby. Basically this commercial makes me feel like having a baby will destroy all your dreams. I literally change the channel any time it comes on.

Am I alone in my seething hatred for this commercial?

11 comments:

Melanie M. McKinnon said...

i agree! they make chosing to have a baby seem like the end of your life! dummies.

Jamie said...

Wow! I have never seen that and yes that totally disgusts me!

Ashley said...

I've never seen this commercial (the joys of not having TV) but DUDE.

It totally implies that having a baby WILL end your life. Not. Cool.

Even an unplanned, defying-birth control pregnancy doesn't end your life, it begins someone else's.

This is offensive. We'll never use Bayer.

Aimee said...

Yep, I shake my head at that commercial every time I see it!

And when she turns her back on the stork I'm thinking "your loss!"

Geevz said...

Babies do destroy your life.

But I am especially bitter these days.

Laura said...

wow glad I got married and got my degree already. looks like I'll never have a house or go on vacation or have a picnic by a waterfall though.

what a DUMB commercial. I'm pretty sure a man made it. But the women acting in it are just as dumb to promote such ideas. I think even if I WASN'T pregnant right now I'd think this. It is ridiculous to think you can't "have it all".....sure it changes your life by why does the commercial have to make people think it ENDS your life....I know plenty of women who "have it all"...house, husband, career, AND kids and they enjoy their lives!!

Boycott this brand of BC!!!

Jessica Newman said...

Oh no how sad! Are they really saying you can't buy a house? or go to Paris? if you're pregnant or have kids??? What are all these things worth if you're only to have them alone!? can you see yourself saying -"man I'm seriously glad I get to sit alone at the waterfall?" I'd rather say (and actually have said) "come on guys lets eat our lunch then go splash in the water!!"
**disclaimer -dont get me wrong I love alone time too but some things are just more enjoyable when you're helping your child discover something magical for the first time :)

Liz said...

Ah, someone finally said something about it! Yes, it bugs me. Yes, we all have the choice to decide if we will/will not use birth control. But we also have a choice to decide if having a kid destroys us, or makes life better. I watch people every day who take for granted having kids. (And Lauren, trust me, you don't. It may feel like it, but you are there, all the time, taking care of them, even when you feel like you want to be somewhere else.) The important thing? You're there! Look at how SMART your kids are! It's because you engage them. You're not just sitting back and letting them run a muck! Olivia started talking SO early. I think partially because she was ready to talk. Why? Her mother TALKED to her! Even when she was little. She was ready to respond! I remember the first time I heard that cute little raspy voice tell me her papa was fixing someone... I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head! Surely someone was projecting their voice for this child! :-) I guess I got off track. But I wanted you to see that WE don't think you take it for granted at all... and the fact that you think about it, and make little changes every day, show that you a a great mother, and deserve to have these beautiful children gracing your life! And, I'm betting they are going to make great momma's as well...

LaurenOpie said...

Aw Liz thank you!!! I just read your comment this morning and it made my day. I try to take no credit for Olivia's brains though - because if I take the credit than I also have to take the blame for her naughty behavior!! LOL :) Nah, I am sure I had SOMETHING to do with it. But your comment seriously got me smiling this morning. Thank you!!

Emily said...

Alright, I’ll be the bad guy here and chime in. I did not take offense to this commercial at all.

The reason anyone takes the Pill (or uses any kind of BC) is because they are not ready to have a baby. Maybe the reason they aren't ready is financial, or they are about to move, or their house isn’t big enough, or they are changing jobs, or whatever. In this commercial the women aren’t ready because they want to have these experiences first, which just so happen to be a trip to Paris or grad school. But most women who are moms now did use birth control, for one reason or another. Maybe the reasons used in this commercial to wait are considered selfish because they are personal and privileged experiences, but it doesn’t matter what reason a woman wants to wait, that’s her choice and it’s valid. If all her life she wants to go to Paris or grad school and she does go and it makes her a more fulfilled person, that will just make her a better mother when the time comes.

I don’t think it’s saying that a baby will make it impossible to do those things- that’s obviously not true. But the Pill has changed the world in that it has let women delay being pregnant until they are ready- which usually means giving them time to travel, further their education, and start their career. For some women being ready means other things, but this commercial just presented a few reasons some women might want to wait.

I’m probably the only commenter here that isn’t pregnant or doesn’t have kids, so maybe I just don’t get it. I’m not saying that parenthood isn’t more significant than these other experiences, but I’m saying that a woman shouldn’t get pregnant until she is ready, what ever “ready” happens to mean for them.

Liz said...

You're Welcome Lauren! I sure do miss seeing you at the office! :-)