This blog caught my attention this morning. Especially in light of the fact that the upcoming SacWomen/SAGE event on 1/23 will explore female stereotypes in the media. This blog adds an additional aspect, not only do women look like they will sell their soul for a diamond, men look like idiots for thinking they will.

I've been happy this year to read a couple of blog posts written by men just slamming the ever-living shit out of the popular holiday commercial message, "All women are whores, just set the price." Otherwise known as ads pushing luxury goods like diamonds and cars with a fairly unmistakeable message.

These ads go far beyond just saying, "Hey, it's fun to spoil someone you love on occasion," and straight into making rather f***** up insinuations about how marriage and heterosexual relationships are transactional--her love and sex for your baubles. That women give love because they love and have sex because they desire doesn't enter the equation. There was one ad awhile back that was pretty close to explicit on this--a guy runs through the streets declaring he loves a woman. She's angry with him for his romantic and inexpensive gesture. He presents a diamond. Now she likes him again. Women's affections are a commodity, says the ad, not a normal human expression. Jamie at Masculinity and Its Discontents:

For some reason this one really gets to me. Scene: woman kicking back on the couch, watching the tube, as her young-architect/artist skinny, t-shirted, sandy-haired studmuffin puts the finishing touches on her pedicure, blowing gently on her toes.

He: How's it look, sweetie?

She: It looks great!

He: I dunno, I think maybe they could use one more coat.

Cut to smarmy announcer: because you're not that guy, go buy jewelry at Bob's.