When my wife and I became new parents, we took advantage of a coupon included with Boppy and subscribed to Parents magazine. I’ve found some of it useful, but some of it atrocious.
Among the slightly irritating:
- The “Goody Bag” included “binky bling” — a $35. “jewel”-encrusted pacifier and the information that “Hip moms clip sparkly Binkies to their diaper bags long after their babies outgrow the habit.”
- Also in the goody bag: boots that Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck bought for Violet.
- I don’t care, though I’m willing to accept that there might be people who do, but…
- A quote from the Parents magazine website: “Your baby doesn’t need shoes until he can walk, according to Arnold Ravick, D.P.M., a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association.” Violet needs Eskimo Boots? Or maybe Jen and Ben are just planning ahead for next winter. Yeah. That’s it.
- This is an exact quote: “Feeding your child organic food can significantly lower his exposure to pesticides, says a study funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.” — I don’t know what’s worse. That the EPA had to fund a study in order to determine that food rasied without pesticides has, you know, fewer pesticies. Or that Parents reports it as news!
Finally, the part that really gets my goat is the sexism. Women have been complaining for years about how they are treated in the workplace, but I’d argue it’s worse for the man at home. Some samples:
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From the COVER: “READ THIS! 3 lifesaving moves moms should know” (Dad’s shouldn’t know lifesaving techniques?)
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[Writing a post-it note is the best way to get quick feedback] “Our idea: Try it at home on your husband too!” (I don’t have a husband. I do have a spouse that works outside the home, though. Perhaps you meant her?)
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Right below that, a headline: “We knew men were babies” (Well, yeah. We WERE. We grew up. Did you?)
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4 pages earlier: Picture of a smiling dad with the following thought bubbles: “I’ll drop the baby and he’ll break, ” “My life is over“, “There’s not a nurturing bone in my body,” and “I’ll never have sex again.” (Do I even need to comment this?)
I’m pissed. I think this is totally inappropriate. Time for Forbes to feature an article “Top ways for the male executive to get laid while on business trips” and include pictures of women trying to climb the corporate ladder with thought bubbles like “Gee, I hope this job doesn’t involve any math!”
WTF?