I love Fyfe Dangerfield’s reworking of this Billy Joel classic.
It has been running recently behind an advert for John Lewis, which shows the many stages of a woman’s life.
Reading the newspaper a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to hear one of the female columnists call it deeply offensive, sexist and mysoginistic.
Certainly that was not my impression as I watched, so I wondered how other people felt about it…?
Whatever is the problem with this ad? Having lived with H. through about 2/3rds of the experiences depicted there I found it sterangely moving. Presumably it is seen as ”Sexist’ because it portrays this particular woman as having babies rather than running their own consultancy businesses and taking powerful decisions. It is clearly not empowering to women to depict one individual woman as finding contentment and a life goal in being a partner in a stable relationship and raising a family.
I suppose that’s it but, as you say, for some women raising a family is the most important career of all x
It brought tears to my eyes, to be honest. I did notice a lack of career for the woman, but probably wouldn’t have had I not known about the controversy. For most of us women out there, a career has become a necessity, and should have wend its way into the commercial, but the precept was breathtakingly beautiful.
I did think the actress was just too thin, though. Smile.
That was my overriding impression too – the beauty and simplicity – but also, for me, the loss
I find it shallow. I mean, more happens in a life than just having a family or a career. It’s stereo-typical… but then again most ads are because they have to get a message across in 30 seconds. I personally don’t relate to any of it other than I quite like wearing red, but I did buy my Smeg fridge freezer from John Lewis!
Sx
I guess you’re right and maybe that’s what the other commentators are objecting to – stereotypical boxing of how a woman’s life is supposed to be…?
I think the advert is great…for what it is. Unfortunately as a single, childless woman it just left me feeling depressed and like I could never be that type of woman even if I really, really tried! BG Xx
Big hug… You could be like me and had to give it all up… :O
Elizabeth and Scarlet – you are right. There is a lot more that could have been expressed for the modern day woman, but in fairness, it illustrates the traditional way that a woman’s life progresses and is expected of. I say they should have another version with the fella being a house husband! lol
BendyGirl – big hugs!
Becky x
Hey Becky! Now what would be the backing track for that ad? I’m going with Whitney Houston’s ‘He’s All the Man That I Need’
It’s supposed to be a “feel good” ad, and that’s exactly how I viewed it. I get really narked off with these so-say critics, who poo-poo everything as not being realistic and true to life. That’s true of the Lloyds TSB ads, the British Gas ads, the “Compare the Market” ads… but I love them ALL, regardless of whether they’re realistic or not.
Unless there really are talking meerkats?!?
I thought it was lovely. I guess that it was the lack of a carer shot that rankled the journo, but then it was about the stages of life not the stages of career.
It made me cry, which doesn’t happen very often. It’s sweet and a bit cheesy, and mirrors life for many women, and why should it have to do anything more? If she’d been shown as a career woman, all the stay at home mums would have felt disenfranchised and hard-done by. I don’t think an ad designed to sell towels and fridges should be expected to cater to every last subcategory of womanhood.
Although I’ll just point out that as a single parent I feel sadly underrepresented – no wait, as a single WORKING mother, I feel fully entitled to take umbrage. Except that luckily I have a bit more of a life, and not enough time to get cross at TV ads.