I'm a total free sample whore, I'll admit it. I've signed up for all kinds of things to get free stuff or good coupons – or okay, my cat has, so when I get the telemarketing call for "Casey" I can say, in truth, that he is not able to speak on the phone.
As a parent and parent-to-be I get all kind of things – we're a pretty heavily-marketed-to group. I've got a nice little stash of newborn size diapers thanks to being on the Pampers mailing list – and then, yesterday, I received something that made the top of my head blow off.
A DVD of soap operas. Soap. Operas. Because apparently I am parenting in the 1950s.
Let me just share with you the jacket copy: "We know that having a baby changes your life dramatically, so while you take care of your newborn let us take care of you. Our shows are the perfect choice for you – the new mom who needs some quality time for herself."
HOLY Patronizing Crap! Because of course, the brain exits along with the placenta, and I wouldn't, you know, read or surf the web or even blog during those precious moments, nope, I'm all about preposterous plot developments and sappy romance. Because, you know, chicks, we love that harebrained shit.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with watching soaps if that makes you happy, and given that I developed a pretty serious Gilmore Girls jones while I was nursing my daughter I can’t exactly be on my high horse television-wise. But I just find it so patronizing that because I am a woman, and a mother I'm supposed to seek out the most brainless entertainment as "me time."
