I don’t have kids, but I am made to understand that childen both are and aren’t a screaming burden. In any case, these ads draw on the idea that kids are a drag, instead of a blessing. This points to contemporary contestation over the meaning of children and their role in our lives, in addition to historical change in the relationship between adults and children (i.e., this compared to the pre-industrial role of children as family labor).
Comments 5
Anonymous — February 17, 2008
Children are absolutely a screaming, exhausting burden, a terrible, costly drain, and a delightful, surprising blessing that makes your heart hum. Much, much harder than can be expressed in words.
Anonymous — February 19, 2008
These ads strike me as being against birth control or condom use. Putting a personal connection by using children's images.
Anonymous — February 19, 2008
This one goes in the same direction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElgkLZX401E
Wendy — February 20, 2008
I keep looking at these because they are so creepy!
I assume they target men-- and if they do, then they they seem to be positing children as more of what women want and that men need to protect themselves from-- as if they are saying to men "use protection when you sleep with women or you'll end up with screaming brats."
In that case then they are an interesting flip on how birth control is usually considered women's responsibility.
Interrobang — March 12, 2008
I'm not sure about that -- any woman who's ever had a pregnancy scare (and I mean that in exactly those terms, the "Oh, shit, am I pregnant?!" moment) probably has had something similar to these images running through her head.
On the other hand, I'm female and have no intention of ever becoming pregnant, so I have to admit I found these ads kind of funny -- and Lisa's description of kids as "a blessing" a little weird. From where I'm sitting, kids are a drag.
On the other hand, being determinedly childless, I notice frequently that thinking having kids is a "blessing" is the majority view in this culture.