Offensive Commercial

I went to Walmart today--ALONE.
Okay, I wasn't completely alone--George was with me, but he is my constant appendage, so I don't really count him.  For all intents and purposes I was alone.  Just before I got out of the car there was an advertisement on the radio for something called "Hydroxy Tone".  It is suppose to be some miracle face cream--blah, blah, blah.  A man's voice was speaking saying something like this:  "I couldn't believe it.  My wife's skin looked so great.  It was like looking at a picture of my wife from 10 years ago!"

Where do I begin?  For starters, I'm not a huge believer in expensive face creams.  I live in Utah so I get the dry skin thing.  I understand the need for a moisturizer.  But truthfully, I think your skin condition is kind of like tooth enamel.  When it comes to tooth enamel, some people like my husband and kiddos, have enamel of steel and have super healthy teeth without much (if any) effort.  Some people take care of their teeth religiously and yet dental problems manifest regularly.  I think a lot of your skin condition
(and dental condition) is hereditary and minimal effort will keep it looking beautiful or aging relatively early.

Next-- guess what?  Barring any tragedy, YOU ARE GOING TO GET OLD.  You are going to get wrinkles.  The best you can hope for is that you spent your life smiling and being pleasant-- that way you'll have happy nice wrinkles, not sad, grumpy wrinkles.  Besides, the most beautiful women are beautiful from the inside out.  Their countenance is beautiful not because they spend their time and money thinking about what facial cream will make them defy nature, but thinking of ways to do good to others.

But here's what REALLY bugged about this commerical.  I better be a better person in ten years than I am now.  If ten years from now Abe is pining for his wife of ten years ago, I will know that I haven't been living right for the last ten years.  I should be getting more and more beautiful as I age.  I will have ten more years of learning and living and serving.
I have several aunts who I admire so much.  They are so kind and loving and BEAUTIFUL--and it's not due to any face cream.

Do real men really feel that way-- that they want their younger year's wife back?  I don't think so.  So I have to wonder who this advertisement was really directed towards.  Were men listening to this ad supposed to think, "Yes!  I will order this product for my wife and tell her I want her to look younger and more attractive again!"
Good luck with that pal.  Let me know how that tactic works for you.  I'm seeing the couch in your future.

Nope.  I think this ad was a scare tactic directed towards the women.  What they are really trying to say is "All that matters is how you look on the outside.  If you don't stay looking like a 20 year old (which by the way is completely impossible) you are not worthy of your husband's love, or anyone else's.  So be sure to
order this farce-of-a-product, and keep running a completely losing race.  Spend all your time looking for the magic fountain of youth, but don't spend any time focusing on what will make you truly beautiful".

That is what they are really saying, just maybe not in quite so many words.
LIES!  Just not true.  There are some LOSER men out there who overrate the importance of their wives staying young as long as possible, but that is sad and doesn't reflect well on their person. 

This is not to say we women should not take care of ourselves and try to be lovely, but we are smarter than those moron advertisers give us credit for.

I heard an idea from my long-time, seldom-seen friend, Sariah.  She told her daughter to take all the time in the morning she wanted thinking about herself and getting ready.  But once she left the bathroom mirror, it was time to start thinking about other people.  I like that.  I've got to go talk to my girls.