Mar 17, 2006

Is this a scrapbook magazine or Cosmo?

Lately, I have been leaning towards cancelling my subscription to a very popular scrapbook magazine. I find more and more that when it comes, it gets tossed in the magazine rack and not looked at for weeks. I haven't been able to bring myself to do it because I have been getting it for the past 10 years - since the first edition. I DO enjoy the other scrapbook-themed publications this company puts out, but their "mother-ship" isn't as interesting to me as it once was. The layouts and techniques are too much.

My April edition just hit my mailbox last week and I sat down during my afternoon break to flip through it. I am an ad reader, mostly. I am always looking to see what the manufacturers have out. I couldn't BELIEVE the ads in this issue. There was one by DCWV that literally turned my stomach. It had a snapshot of a woman holding a newborn in the kitchen. The front of her shirt and her neck was LITERALLY slimed with baby vomit. It was absolutely sick. She had a surprised look on her face. There was a caption across the top that said, "Spit happens. and happens. and happens." I thought it was the most tasteless ad I had ever seen. Mothers don't want to see that - especially those of us who lived through the super-soaker baby.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I happened upon an ad for Sizzix Singlets. It showed a close up of a woman and there was a thought bubble over her head that saide something about "At least it was just a single this time. Last time, I brought home a whole car full. My husband came home early. I'll never forget the look on his face..." It was a double entendre - alluding to an affair. PLEASE - this is a SCRAPBOOK MAGAZINE! The final straw for me was for a chipboard ad (can't remember who it was). The ad said "Don't Go Topless!" I swear I had to flip the magazine over to the cover to make sure it wasn't SEVENTEEN or COSMO.

Is THIS the new trend in the scrapbook industry?? Are we really gonna head to the gutter to increase our sales???? I thought this industry was about family - a G-rated industry. Most of us are moms who live a family life-style. What's next? Centerfolds? Your favorite HOFer wearing a Bazzill bikini? That would slow down those massive amounts of HOF entries...LOL! Or perhaps we could have the "Scrap Studs" Swimsuit edition every February like Sports Illustrated. Maybe an article on making your man so happy that he'll forget how much money you just spent at the LSS. That gives new meaning to "new techniques", doesn't it? I can't wait... NOT!

3 comments:

Melissa said...

I was lead to your blog by your post on two peas. I have to say I've been thinking the same thing. When I get the magazine in the mail, the "attention grabbing" headlines on the front make me really question this publication. I totally agree with what you wrote...

Anonymous said...

Amen Kim!!! Having been one to live through the super soaker baby with my 2nd child, I can honestly tell you that the last thing I would have wanted to do was pose for a picture. Not to mention the caption on the ad-we all know the original version of that one. Can we now start planning spit up pages and hope our baby really "explodes" for a great shot?Thanks for bringing the other ads to our attention. I only get to read my magazine in small snippets and hadn't reached those others yet. Let's keep our hobby away from the smut of society and double entandras!

Sarah said...

(snort) I totally agree with your take, Kim. I appreciate your humor too. You should write to the editor.