2002-11-21

On the bus today, I saw an ad for a birth control pill called “Alesse.” The slogan was “A lesson in career choices.” (“Alesse”? “A lesson”? Woo-ha! Some ad exec sure is earning their pay!) The ad features a picture of a woman with a big creepy smile, sitting with her chin propped on her hand, and a cell phone in her hand, so the phone is, like, resting sideways on her shoulder. Underneath her it says “Do what you love and the rest will follow.” Hmmm. What exactly is it that she loves? Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t necessitate phone skills. And what the flaming fuck does that have to do with birth control, might I ask? I guess what she “loves” is having unprotected sex and not, you know, breeding. Well, I can certainly get behind that.

Next to that ad was some propaganda for a pro-life organization. This particular cult really chafes my ass, because it poses as a counselling centre for pregnant teens, offering confidential pregnancy tests, etc. Once they shepherd the already-frightened kids in the door, they tell them all sorts of fabricated horror stories about abortion. Apparently the answer to “What would Jesus do?” is “Lie to vulnerable kids.” I just like that it was next to the birth control ad. Great message. Listen to this leering model, kids! She may not know how to use a telephone, but she knows how to tame her ovaries! You don’t want to end up sitting in a locked basement room with a dead-eyed Jesus drone, being told that abortions are actually performed with barbeque tongs, do ya?