DISCLAIMER: Sometimes when Sierra is upset in the car I let her watch YouTube videos. GUILTY AS CHARGED. If letting her watch the Sticky, Sticky, Sticky Bubble Gum, The Bus Song or The Duck Song (her three favorites) once in awhile means not having a screaming toddler while in bumper to bumper Boston morning traffic then so be it. ANYWAYYYY...
So something I've noticed a lot is how un-targeted the ads are. What makes YouTube think that someone who wants to watch "The Bus Song" 4x in a row wants to see an advertisement for Shock Top Beer? It's gotten to the point where I don't think YouTube is even an OK thing to let her watch these videos on. I've seen ads for sexual and violent movies, Trojan condoms and this morning the beer. Google is normally pretty on-point with their targeted ads (for example I always get ones for soccer, portuguese themed t-shirts and tattoos) but the Google-owned YouTube just doesn't seem to get the same ad-targeting functionality. I'm not mad about this by the way, lets make that clear, it's my job as a parent to make sure my child isn't seeing things we deem inappropriate. This post is just a simple observation about the disservice they are doing to their advertisers. If they advertised "Baby Alive" or Cookie Monster Pajamas before these videos they'd probably have better luck getting my money. Sierra isn't begging me for orange flavored beer any time soon (I hope). Anyone else notice this??
While on my way to drop off Lauren this morning she read a tweet from Kaitlin Maud regarding these new "Shape Ups For Girls" by Sketchers. We both began FUMING in the car about how disgusting and appalling this was. I am outraged that a company could think this was 'great'. Although A Skechers spokesperson said the shoes are not made in preschooler size (that they start at size 2 the average size of a 7-year-old) the ads are running on the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon during programming aimed at kids as young as preschool age. The commercial features a few skinny young girls singing "Heidi's got new Shape-Ups, got everything a girl wants. She's got the height, got the bounce. She's lookin' good and havin' fun 'cuz Heidi's got new Shape-Ups." Later in the commercial this Heidi character is chased by three lethargic boys dressed as a hot dog, a cupcake and an ice-cream cone.
As if the pressure on women to be thin wasn't bad enough with television, magazines and advertising now they are pressuring pre-school girls? Even more interesting the company does not make their shape ups for young boys, just girls. What kind of vile company is telling 7 year olds to tone their ass, it is disgusting and I hope none of you even consider purchasing these.
Shame on you Sketchers, shame.
EDIT: I did a bit of digging around and found this interesting little tid bit of information: "A 2010 University of Wisconsin study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise compared exercise wearing rocker bottom shoes and regular running shoes. The study found there was no fitness benefit to wearing rocker sole shoes. The study was cited in a 2011 class-action lawsuits alleging false advertising by New Balance, Reebok, and other manufacturers." --- So now not only are they pressuring girls to be skinny when they are in 1st grade, they are LYING about the shoes health benefits to make a quick buck. They get paid and the girls get a complex. Thanks Sketchers.
