For many reasons, I am not a great fan of the New Year holiday. Not the least of these reasons is the many New Year's days I've spent nursing wicked hangovers and vowing never to drink again. I managed to avoid that particular trap this year, and I also managed to avoid making any New Year's resolutions, which I know from past experience that I'd probably break within a month.
Another reason I don't like New Year is the accompanying deluge of advertising from Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and just about every gym in town, trying to convince us to part with our cash in pursuit of some mythical 'ideal self' that we could finally attain this year if only we'd just try that little bit harder. Now, I'm not against fitness or healthy eating per se (in fact, I've been known to indulge in these things myself from time to time). What bugs me is the blatant targeting of all this 'New year new you!' self-improvement crap at women, and the insidious ways women's perfectly normal human imperfections are used as the ammunition to generate guilt, fear and ultimately - of course - product sales.
I could write a very long and humourless rant on this topic, but I think this hilarious clip from That Mitchell and Webb Look really says it all.
Monday, January 11, 2010
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5 comments:
Hysterical!
Or is that poor word choice?
I like how one could probably replace hundreds of other commercials with that one, and it would still get the same basic message across.
Oh, wow. Brilliant!
I would LOVE to see one commercial aimed toward male wrinkles...
I gave up on downloading the pix, something to do with my computer probably.
The keep fit industry and the fat clubs rely on gorging and eventual failure by the individual, to keep their clientèle. Psychologically and insidiously they have it sewn up. The messages that are delivered are conflicting and made of promises that like marshmallows, don't fly.
I have experienced one group leader demanding unrealistic targets from people to keep them coming and paying for longer. Kept her income up. It was very damaging for the punters. Being me, I challenged it, and once quickly resolved, I advised others to take the same route. Was I popular.......no!
I don't have major gripes per se about educating in useful eating options, that are tailor made. The usual thing, one size does not fit all in these matters.
However, I confess I have used the motivations of slimming methods and a local club, the leader was the main motivator and did try to work with the individual psyche. She was a clever lady. The eating programme really suited many people and me. I don't go to groups now but I still enjoy what I learned from it.
I was irritated by the bombardment of special offers to return, within less than a year of my achieving what I wanted and keeping it. As I haven't responded, the offers have stopped but it took some time.
ZACL - I agree, I have no problems with educating people to eat a nutritious, balanced diet (especially as so much of what passes for 'food' these days is a processed chemical nightmare!) It's the use of guilt and fear in a cynical attempt to make money that bothers me. I'm glad you were self-confident enough to ask questions, and that you found something that worked for *you* (which is what's really important in the end).
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