May 5, 2005

"Whisper the word goddess and receive a spontaneous 10% discount."

So says an ad for ABC Carpets & Home on page A16 of the paper NYT.

It's a Mother's Day promotion "Celebrating the goddess, the feminine, the woman, the mother." This is a real test of how much you want a 10% discount. You have to sidle up to a carpet salesman and whisper "goddess" to him?

The ad goes on: "give her space, inspire her, adorn her, illuminate her." Apparently, they've lost their minds -- or think we have. Your mother is not a goddess, and, in any case, you can't illuminate her with a carpet.

Carpeting ≠ religion.

9 comments:

Richard Lawrence Cohen said...

I think we would be a wiser, saner, better society if people thought of themselves as human beings. Not goddesses or superheroes or members of this or that specialized group. Just human beings.

Anne said...

This reminds me of a commercial I saw the other day for a new form of the Venus razor. Apparently it vibrates and exfoliates one's legs. The commercial drones on about being a goddess and all sorts of celebrate-one's-inner-goddess crap. It also shows bikini-clad women (with nicely shaved legs) frolicking in salt water. Fresh shave+salt water does not a Goddess-feeling make.

SecretBarista said...

Why is it that frolicking, bikini-clad women are used as imagery in a commercial aimed at women? Correct me if I am wrong, but beer commercial approach would not seem to be the most effective.

Besides, it seems that a "goddess" would have more of a self-indulgent life approach. Not cavorting for the benefit of others, but relaxing in a bathrobe or some such thing. (Why did I pick engineering over marketing? I ponder that far too often!)

Ann Althouse said...

ks-c: Women's most sensitive shaving needs are in what is euphemistically called the "bikini area." And once you're in "the area" with something that vibrates, isn't it obvious? It has nothing to do with men.

Doug W. said...

I say it serves you right for gazing upon the "paper NYT." Let that be a lesson to you.

If you must read paper newspapers, the Honolulu Advertiser is way more fun.

M. Simon said...

Illuminated carpets are just an idea ahead of their time.

Think OLED.

First the ceilings. Then the walls. Then the floors.

Think of a carpet that can change its stripes.

Think chameleon furniture.

Ann Althouse said...

Anne: "Women want to be sexy bikini women." No, when we women picture ourselves at the beach, here's what we see. I am woman, I am goddess.

Judith said...

As Stewart Brand said, "We are as gods and may as well get good at it."

(But he also said "Information wants to be free," so what did he know?)

David said...

"..give her space, inspire her, adorn her, illuminate her..."

Two images: yeh, throwing a rug over mom, rolling her up in it and carrying her out to who knows where (a la the mythic Cleopatra meme) will surely "illuminate her."

Or maybe my wife's reaction: the Alladin meme—magic capet ride, "Come fly with me, come fly, come fly away... " Wait, no: That's a different meme...