I am so sick of food ads aimed at women which are all about weight loss. I saw one tonight that said something about helping to "get you started on your summer weight loss!" Really? So every woman has her own summer weight loss going on this season??
I would so like to see an ad for food that is directed at women that just says something along the lines of:
Buy this food, because it tastes good and you'll enjoy eating it.
Or even:
Buy this food, because it will give you the energy you need to do the stuff you want to do.
Or, you know, combine the two - that's cool, too.
I'm just so sick of ads for food that assume there's something wrong with me, and whatever food it is will fix me. Because it's not a magic potion - it's just food.
I feel the same way about the Facebook ads for diets and stomach stapling. Why? Because some algorithm notices that I complain in my status updates about my weight? No, because I've never done that, not once. No it's because the same algorithm notices that I'm female. I therefore must hate my body.
Fuck you, advertisers.
Posted by: Notorious Ph.D. | Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 08:47 AM
And the most ridiculous thing is that those ads are generally for some kind of godawful processed crap that is almost certainly worse for one's health than simply eating full-calorie, full-fat food made from real ingredients.
Posted by: joy | Monday, April 25, 2011 at 08:07 AM
While it occupies my mind often, I hate that I complain about my weight and look at every spring and summer as the "shedding seasons." And commercials don't help. And while I complain a lot, I don't think I complain about it on FB, and those "one weird trick" ads drive me bat $h*t crazy, too.
Also, I have ANY Dove chocolate commercial about "indulging" in some time for yourself (which is usually followed by a Special K commercial) AND those stupid Yoplait commercials where the woman is always on the phone saying "Yeah, no I lost like 5 pounds already. WHat have I been eating? Oh, Boston Creme Pie, Apple Turnovers, and I always have Key Lime Pie around, too." ARGH! GRRRRRR! And that yogurt sucks! It's so full of stupid artificial sweeteners! I can't even eat it anymore!
I think that's why I like to watch shows like River Monsters because the ads are geared at men, and while I find Viagra commercials annoying and problematic for a whole bunch of other reasons, but at least they're not telling me I should be neck deep into the "shedding season."
Posted by: nola | Monday, April 25, 2011 at 03:06 PM
that should be "hate" any Dove chocolate, not "have." sorry.
Plus, I feel like I just went on a rant in your comment section, so I apologize for that, too.
Posted by: nola | Monday, April 25, 2011 at 03:08 PM
Check out the old advertisements embedded in rentable episodes of the Rocky & Bullwinkle show. Sugar--only 16 calories per teaspoon: full of "food energy!" And that's just the breakfast cereal ad....
Posted by: richard | Friday, April 29, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Agreed. I've always thought it a most peculiar thing about our culture -- that a "healthy" diet is thought to be one that causes you to lose weight. In any other culture, "eating healthy" would mean maintaining or gaining weight.
The owners of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm I belong to have a facebook page, and I get messages from them saying things like, "We're planting butternut squash today so you can enjoy a hot bowl of soup this fall." The messages are always upbeat, with adjectives about how tasty and healthy the food is. It's such a refreshing change from the commercial ads.
Posted by: jo(e) | Sunday, May 01, 2011 at 06:05 AM
Making money is all about making us feel dissatisfied with something or the other. Buy - it makes you happy. For about 10 seconds.
(Just discovered you so Hi)
Posted by: Zed | Tuesday, May 03, 2011 at 10:26 AM