Worldly Frustration

What is the first thing you see in
this picture? Sell the product,
not sex. 

I am quite sick of the Electrolux commercials. You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones with Kelly Ripa running from work to cooking dinner, hosting a party, catering a slumber party & looking for monsters under the bed or the birthday party or the "juggling more in your day" one. What are they really trying to sell in this series of commercials? What we see is not the fabulous appliances but an attractive, fit super woman who caters to the every need & desire of her family in addition to be a working mom. And really, how many of you do laundry in heels? One of the most disturbing and offensive parts of this whole series of advertisements is the fact that they actually want the consumers to believe that this lifestyle is not only desirable but possible.

I read an article lately that was a critique of the current cultural trends. This was written by a UC Davis law professor about this campaign:

"...Expect women to be everything: the perfect worker, the perfect wife, the perfect mother, et al., but those are the main three.  The perfect worker keeps everything professional despite the emotional ups-and-downs that are part of everyday life.  The perfect mother is always around to provide a hearty meal and comfort from a bad dream.  The perfect wife, well, that part's not in the commercial, but lord knows how she would fit anything else into her schedule and still get time for rest....  Everyone's needs are taken care of, and the implication is that's what a woman is like.  Doing all the work in the household and her part on the job - taking cares of everyone else's needs - satisfies her."

What kind of work is she dressed for?

I find it very difficult to believe that anyone could find complete happiness in all service all the time. All these commercials say to me are "you're not doing enough. You're not perfect until you have the perfect home, the perfect children, perfect job, perfect body and are everything for everyone." Sorry, I'm just not buying what you're selling.