Bag Number One (mille grazie to Turbo Jennie for the tip!):
The question must be asked: Who is this bag for?
Men enjoy looking at scantily clad supermodels and yet do not generally use tote bags. Women use tote bags but generally do not enjoy looking at photoshopped scantily clad supermodels. So who on earth is this “deal” being marketed to?
I think I have the answer and it depresses me. Victoria’s Secret is targeting women who are so insecure that they must wear on their arm a desperate bid for male attention. They want the men to look but don’t trust themselves to turn the heads. It’s genius really, because what is an insecure woman desperate for male attention, no matter how cheap the trick, to do? Why, head into the shop and buy up armloads of things to nip and tuck, push up and hold in, and of course – sexify! That the stuff is pricey (seriously, there’s so little fabric that if you went by the price per ounce it would probably be worth more than gold) is of little regard when it comes down to making yourself feel better. Moral: retail therapy is a short-lived high but credit card debt is forever!
Now don’t get me wrong, a well-fitting bra can do wonders for a girl’s self esteem. (Quick check! Men, avert your eyes. Women, look down. Do your pointer sisters line up with your elbows? That would be anatomically incorrect. Seek help of the lift and separate variety immediately. Bonus: it will make you look thinner instantly!) In fact, I’m wearing one of Victoria’s little secrets right now. But if it weren’t for the necessity of the trial by fire, er, fitting room, I would order all my bras online because walking into that store is one of the surest ways I’ve found to feel like total crap in ten seconds or less.
And now they want me to take that crappy feeling with me everywhere I go via a tote bag? Oh, you need change for a five? Hold on, I’ve got ones right here in my… huh, look at those perky bosoms. And that flat stomach. Didn’t that one just have a baby like 3 months ago? Where are her stretch marks?! How come I don’t bounce back that fast? Shouldn’t all of her hair be falling out right about now? Is she wearing a wig? Wait… what did you need again? I’m sorry I can’t help you, I have to go buy some diet pills now. But hey, at least that hot guy walking by checked me out! Total double take!! Or maybe he was just looking at my bag. Huh. Wait – did I just say “bosoms”? Add wrinkle cream to the list.
Bag Number Two:
It’s a humanitarian aid kit. Tonight about 30 women from my neighborhood gathered at my church to assemble various kits to be shipped around the world to aid the war- and poverty-stricken. Some of us put together school bags with rudimentary educational supplies for children who often walk miles to get to a one-room school and subsist on one meal a day. Others made newborn kits so that infants and laboring mothers would have basic sterile birthing tools and a warm outfit to take the baby home in. Still others of us stitched blankets designed to be soft and warm for kids stranded in hard, cold refugee camps. Myself, I helped sew mittens and baby booties to protect little fingers and toes.
As we worked, we chatted and laughed. We ate tres leches cake. We learned some basic first aid. And we all got a free gift. But it wasn’t a tote bag. It was something much better – a deep feeling of love and respect. For each other. For humanity. For ourselves, even. My thighs may have cellulite but my fingers cut out 20 pairs of mittens. My hips may be tight in my jeans but my hands folded yards of soft fleece for blankies (and silently blessed all the babies they would wrap.) My stomach may be flabby but the children that made it so also made my heart so big that I have the capacity – nay, the duty – to love every other mother’s children.
There is no foundation garment, no self-help book, no cream, no powder, no thing, that could make me feel as good about myself as holding that small bag in that small meeting in that small church in my small city did. I may be small but my heart is so very big.
So, for those of you following along with this month’s challenge, I encourage you to include a service goal on your “perfect” list if you haven’t already. (Also, note that perfect is in quotes. We’re not striving to be perfect in everything all the time – that’s just crazy making – but rather to be perfect in making a few small changes that will have big effects.) The month has just begun but already I’m thinking that goal to do one act of charity a day will turn out to be the best part of my Experiment.
How are you doing with your goals? In case anyone’s keeping track, I lost my mouthwash.
This is so sweet, Charlotte! The little girl that I sponsor through World Vision always makes me smile when I look at her picture. Suddenly none of that insecurity stuff matters anymore.
Hate how most marketing strategies only serve to perpetuate the ongoing insecurities that we feel about ourselves.
That is a lovely post Charlotte! And it’s funny how our minds seem to be working lately because as part of my Striving for Perfection I started a monthly standing order with an irish Charity called Trocaire that do great work in the Third World. It just felt right that the “perfect” person I aspire to be would do something like that even if if means I have to go without a luxury or two to achieve it.
Interesting picture. I agree the ad must be targeted to insecure women.
Great post! If every person showed a bit more charity and compassion, even by doing small things, we would all be happier and live more fulfilling lives.
If I somehow found myself in possession of one of those bags, I would draw little dotted lines and labels showing the different cuts of beef like this:
http://www.primermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/Beef/Beef_cow.jpg
I may be a little on the ignorant side, but I don’t think I even take notice of a woman’s handbag. This may be another one of the fashion battles women have with each other and it’s a shame that anyone would mangle their self esteem with this particular choice.
I say hooray for your charity efforts Charlotte as the virtual bigness is your heart which I’m sure will fit into any clothing you wear.
That’s really great, Charlotte!
As for “bags,” initially when I started working, I carried a briefcase. The day I tossed it and went backpack was a defining moment in my career!
Great post! I have been long maintained that the best way to really feel good about yourself is to help someone else.
I don’t do nearly as much of it as I wish I could…as a working mom, life is full right now…but I made a New Year’s Resolution to do something nice for someone else every day — even if it’s as small as letting someone out in traffic.
It feels great to think outside yourself.
I know so many miserable, unhappy, unfulfilled women and I just want to tell them that the surest way to find peace and meaning in their lives is to make someone else life a little bit easier.
This post brought tears to my eyes! You are completely lovely Charlotte.
I carry many bags each day…lunch bag, purse, bookbag, making those bags sounds so much better.
Great post! It makes you realize what’s important, and what’s just stuff.
I’m still working on my “perfection” plan. It does include random acts of kindness.
Oh, that is just so wonderful! 🙂 I think a goal of being more charitable is a great idea. We spend far too much time focused on what we can do for ourselves – and it’s what we do for others that always makes us feel the best. 🙂
And the first bag – I really do not get that. You couldn’t pay me enough to tote that tote around town.
If there’s a bright side to the economic crud, it’s that people are re-discovering the blessings in their lives, recognizing how much we have and how little others have, and doing something about it. Spending less time wanting the things we don’t have.
Bless you, Charlotte!
so so true. and so amazingly written as well (hello record. it’s me. Im broken. I know).
Im trying to teach the Tornado by example about the importance of service and that we can all serve.
no matter our age our situation.
youre a truel role model.
Sweet post Charlotte. Goals of serving and kindness to others should be on everyone’s list every month. Thanks for the reminder.
So far, I’ve been soy AND dairy free, and been in bed every night by 9…well, might have been 9:15 one night, but definitely a vast improvement! 🙂
I like your bags much better. 🙂 And seriously, who would carry that thing? I don’t think I’d even use it for groceries…
Aw, Charlotte, you made me cry. That was lovely.
I’m still mulling this month’s Experiment, trying to figure out if it will make me crazy or not. I have some more thinking to do, but I might join in on a half-way basis: I can be half-perfect. 😉
Charlotte, have you tried the 29 Days Giveaway challenge?
http://www.29gifts.org/
Might be something you could try for April. What I liked about this challenge was that what you gave away didn’t have to be tangible, so long as it was meaningful.
I disagree about the Victoria Secret tote bag. I can see where you’re coming from, but I would totally rock this bag. Its cute. Its artistic. The color blocking is fabulous use of photoshop and you wouldn’t be upset if someone spilt something on it at a BBQ or the beach. When I initially saw the picture I actually was curious as to where I could find one for myself… Juts my two-cents.
As for the humanitarian totes, way to go! That’s awesome and thoughtful.
I think I will have to agree with SeaBreeze that Victoria's Secret tote bag is so nice and artistic. In fact, my cousin, Katie, is planning to have this bag as one of the giveaways for her boutique's clients. Since it's trendy and cute, there's no problem using them as promotional products (Houston, Texas) for company giveaways especially for this coming holiday. Katie believes that for a Houston, Texas marketing company to be successful, considering the fact that clients love giveaways is a plus factor to increase sales. Thanks for sharing!