SavvyBlog

Topic —  From the Editor's Desk

Savvy or Not So Savvy: Diet Books, Lingerie, and Plastic Surgery for Children

August 22, 2011
Minnow Hamilton

Pocket

Diet books for little girls, lingerie for four year-olds and moms giving seven year-olds plastic surgery for birthday gifts…you tell me, what’s savvy about that?

There is all kinds of talk these days about the yet-to-be-released book, Maggie Goes on a Diet. The book features 14 year-old Maggie who, by going on a diet, is transformed from being overweight and insecure into a normal sized teen who goes on to become the school soccer star. It’s written for a much younger audience—girls five and up—which is why mothers are understandably infuriated (though we can’t help wonder how many of those moms have been on a diet themselves in the last year).

A diet book for five year-olds that warns them of the perils of being a fat teen? As you can imagine, the mommy blogs are not in favour. It seems to me that if the writer had simply omitted the words ‘Goes on a Diet’, and replaced them with ‘Eats Healthy and Exercises’, things could have gone a lot more smoothly. Perhaps there is more of that kind of language in the book, though we won’t know until it’s released in October. I’ll wait for my final decision on whether this is savvy or not until then, but in the meantime, it’s not looking good for Maggie and her diet book.

What do you think? Savvy or not so savvy?

Apparently things are worse in Europe for young girls. According to a Globe and Mail article last week, a marketing campaign in France has girls as young as four posing for ads in tank tops (designed for girls aged 4-12) and pearls, wearing make-up, and sporting Brigitte Bardot-style (read: sexy) hairstyles. It’s disturbing to see the images but there’s more to it than that. This is multi-layered disturbing. For one, companies are manufacturing lingerie for young girls. Why? Little girls have not asked for this product, so does that mean their mothers have? Or have clothing manufacturers decided there is a need? I’m not sure which is worse. Who makes the decision to run this kind of a campaign? And what kind of parent would allow their daughter to be photographed this way?

It’s not just me who thinks this is not savvy. The fashion world outside of Europe was quick to condemn the campaign, calling it ‘creepy and exploitive’. Clearly I’m not impressed, but I will ask you a final question: how much worse are these shots than the ones of Hollywood moms dressing their kids up like mini-me’s for the red carpet photo op? Maybe they’re less creepy but, arguably, no less exploitive.

The frosting on the cake has to go to Sarah Burge, a.k.a. the ‘Human Barbie’. This self-confessed plastic surgery addict gave her daughter a voucher for breast enhancements for her seventh birthday. Yes, you read that right. A seven year-old girl received a voucher for plastic surgery which she can redeem at age 16 when it’s legal for her to have this kind of procedure.  Apparently this gift trumps the pole dancing lessons she received last year upon turning six. In an article from the Daily Mail, Burge’s daughter, Poppy, was quoted as saying, ‘I can’t wait to be like Mummy with big boobs. They’re pretty.’

I think I got a skipping rope and some sidewalk chalk when I turned seven. Who knows? All I can tell you is that I have nothing more to say about the human Barbie. It hurts me to include her on this blog…I just thought our readers might have something to say.

Do you?

Topic —  From the Editor's Desk

Minnow’s Five Things

April 18, 2012
Minnow Hamilton

Pocket

Here’s what caught my attention this week:

1. Expecting babies these days is a big job. First you have to plan your babymoon (that last trip as a couple), then there is the Gender Reveal Party. So, once the sex of the baby is determined at the first ultrasound, couples gather their friends and family around to announce the sex of the 12 week old fetus. Note that the baby is only about 12 weeks old—in utero—for its first party. I guess if you’re going to celebrate, then let it be about the birth of a child. It’s not like we have a lot of sports teams to celebrate with (I’m talking to you, Maple Leafs). Check out some of the inspirational images on Pinterest we found on this topic.
2. Imagine my horror when I read this article Sarah sent me about the latest hair removal trend among women. Nose hairs, apparently, need to be removed. The ones inside your nose. Why am I the last to hear about this? I have nose hair and I get a lot of press releases. People, please keep me informed! I care about hair (see Goody bracelets below for proof). But now that I know, I don’t think I’ll go. You?
3. Dirty Yoga. It sounds like fun and it is—but it’s designed specifically for straight men. With a mandate to ‘take the fear out of practicing yoga’, it eliminates the scary spiritual parts of yoga, banishes all opportunity for embarrassment and humiliation (including the fear of farting in front of hot chicks), thereby allowing men to practice yoga in complete secret. It’s funny and very clever but the genius is in the fact that it’s an online recurring subscription service and it offers some decent yoga routines that men might do. Look for this again in an upcoming Father’s Day gift list soon. It’s good stuff. Read these seven reasons why straight men are scared of yoga.
4. No more sporting those less-than-attractive black elastics around your wrist (how did we let that go on for so long?). Goody has hopped on the stacked bracelet trend and brought us a practical solution—the Goody Double Wear Elastics. They come in packs of two, but buy more and wear a bunch at a time if you want to look cool. Even one looks better than that ratty old black number you have on your wrist right now. No hairs attached (and good for dirty yoga routines).

5. For Earth Day (this Sunday), I’ll direct you to a short video about a movie called Play Again. Because our kids deserve more time outside and we need to make that happen. I feel very strongly about this. Get them outside.

Topic —  From the Editor's Desk

Minnow’s Five Things

May 30, 2012
Minnow Hamilton

Pocket

Another interesting week. There is no end to the editorial fun around here at Savvy HQ. This is what caught my attention this week.

1. I’m not a crazy cosmetics person, but I do have my favourites and one of them is a new company called Mereadesso. Started by Toronto-born, former Estee Lauder professional, Linda Stephenson, the brand is all about style, simplicity and quality. In an industry where packaging is 50% of the product (I’m not saying that’s right, I’m just sayin’), she nailed it off the bat. As for the product, I’m addicted to the face and neck toning gel but my new favourite is the line of lip treats. Try the sheer pink lip for a summer treat. It’s better than a gelato.

2. I hate adding to moms’ list of things-to-be-worried-about, but I agree with this story about the new laundry PODS being dangerous for kids. They do look fun and colourful and shiny. There’s no question kids might want to play with them. So keep them out of reach, along with all the other cleaners or items that are sharp and dangerous for children. Keep them out of the toy box and everyone is safe and worry free.

3. I’m 100% sure that my mother would not have agreed in a million years to let me wear these boots to my wedding—even if we were in the arctic. In fact, I still don’t think my mother would let me wear these boots. Some things just aren’t worth the fight—and these certainly are not. Seriously people, who would do this? More importantly, what is UGG thinking? Is this an example of a great brand gone bad?

4. The thrill of cross border shopping is becoming much less attractive now that all the big US retail names are here. We’ve got Brooks Brothers, Anthro and the Crew already, Target is on the way for 2013 and now another one of my fave US retailers, Ann Taylor, is coming to Canada with its first store opening in TO next fall. It’s all good news. We have all the choices now, all the selection that we always wanted, finally. But I wonder if I’ll like them all as much now that the we-can’t-get-this-at-home factor is gone?

5. In an age when competitive parenting often manifests itself on the soccer field and hockey arena (or in my case, the baseball diamond), and with childhood obesity on the rise, many parents worry that they should be doing more to encourage their children to be active—especially if the child doesn’t show interest. Should you push your children into sports? I was relived to see this sage counsel from our SavvyMom experts, who weighed in this week with some strategies for helping your kids find the right sports for them—not you.

Minnow’s Five Things

March 27, 2013
Minnow Hamilton

Pocket

I have a few interesting things to report after a nice long break and a short week. The new site manteresting.com, family narratives, more on Apple innovation, an old-school video and a new face cream all caught my attention.

1. In breaking news, I learned from Twitter and some of the mommy blogs about manteresting.com. It’s basically Pinterest, but for dudes (their words, not mine). For those of you who are Pinterest lovers, you’ll understand. Instead of ‘pinning’ a favourite image (of an attractive woman, for example), you ‘nail it’ to your Manterest page. The mom blogs aren’t loving manteresting.com. Why can’t the dudes just use Pinterest, they ask? Well firstly, you can’t post the same kind of images on Pinterest. This site is pure entertainment for men. Manteresting is funny, sexist and sometime practical—but even with the practical images of men hanging pictures or shelves, you get the feeling they’re just ripping on Pinterest. Pinterest, with all of its beautiful aesthetic, is inspirational, pretty and practical. I’m sure someone will write a paper on how these two sites visually depict and support the apparent gender differences in Western society today. But in the meantime, I’m still interested in some of the stuff dudes find that we don’t. Like these portable speakers that double up as a spotlight and fit into your light socket. For the record though, I didn’t nail it.

2. I read, with interest, an article from the New York Times that many of my Facebook friends and mom bloggers posted last week. It talks about the importance of family dialogue and telling stories to your kids. I don’t mean the stories in books, but the real stories of your family—what the writer refers to as a family narrative. I have always been a huge advocate of family dinners, but I am also acutely aware that not all family dinners turn out the way you wish them too. Sometimes they end up in fights. Sometimes everyone hates the food. Don’t give up. Sit down and keep talking to your kids. Read the article, it will help.

3. Here’s some good news you can talk to your kids about at the dinner table if they like to use your iPhone. Apple is planning to release a new model that reduces the chances of it breaking when you drop it. It’s a bit complicated to explain, as it involves words like sensors, processors and protective mechanisms, but essentially it’s a gadget that detects when the phone is falling and ensures that it falls face up, putting an end to broken screens. It’s like magic. Here is a better explanation.

4. Despite all of the innovation around us on a daily basis, I am still old school at heart. That’s why I enjoyed this video about why ‘Paper is Not Dead’ enough to share with you.

5. Finally—a product that was recommended to me by our indispensable Leslie McCormick (Integrated Campaign Specialist) at SavvyMom. I tried it and now I love it. It’s called Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream and you can order it online at Sephora. I can’t say my skin is glowing as much as Leslie’s, but it does feel nice. Thanks, Leslie!