I am browsing through a Southern Living at Home catalog this morning. I picked it up at the vendor fair the kids' preschool is hosting today. Pardon me, if any of you reading this are Southern Living salespeople or happen to love their products, but they seem a bit overpriced to me. The item that literally made me throw a hissy fit (on the inside of course) was the Ultimate Message Center. It is a 20" by 23" chalkboard square bordered by some decorative ironwork. It has three hooks at the bottom for keys and such. It costs $72.95. I am not as upset by the outrageously high price as I am the three things written on the chalkboard.
Pottery class 4 PM
Tennis 9 AM
Massage 2 PM
Ahhhh, women who own this message board live the life of luxury. No chasing snotty nosed kids or changing poopy diapers for them. No obligations, no work schedule. Just tennis and art lessons interrupted by the occasional massage. Is that advertising at its finest or what? It is subtly telling us that our life can be this way too, if only we own super expensive message centers from Southern Living at Home? And what makes me even more sick about it, is that that is the lifestyle they have chosen to idealize and try to sell. Are women really so self-absorbed that they salivate over having nothing to do except shower attention and time on themselves? Is that the image that sells? Does that make anyone else uneasy?
5 comments:
I have always thought their mdse. was over priced. You can always find similar or better stuff at a fraction of the cost.
I echo your feelings on the message it sends. However, I am often sipping my latte while having my nails done beside my poodle who also getting a manicure (or would it be called a pedicure?). Puhleezeeeeee
My concern is if you have to remind yourself of those kind of appt then you are pampering yourself too much!
Great comment Lindsay! Ha! Yes, I definitely think the items are overpriced... and the message is definitely there. What's sad is that I wouldn't have even noticed that part of the advertisement!
indeed - overpriced
Here's the way I look at it... what mother needs a visual reminder to wipe a kid's snotty nose or to change a dirty diaper? Something that most moms with young children do every day without even giving it a second thought. It comes as easy as breathing to a seasoned mom. However, if I was taking a pottery class, playing tennis AND getting a massage... heck yeah, I'd need a reminder!
Post a Comment