Artifacts from the Patriarchy - From Ivory Soap to Love’s Baby Soft, the beauty industry kept asking women to be softer, younger, and less like adults.
Those two words together are haunting me. It reminds me of the purpose of sexual violence. Power over. Just look at all the horrors connected to that fantasy. Epstein, Maxwell, Trump abusing little girls for a hit off the power bong. I grew up in the 70s, graduated high school in '76. Those ads were aimed at me. I don't remember being offended by them at all. I remember there was a product called Love's Baby Soft. I don't know if I had any, but I doubt it. I'm sure I took in the message, though. I'm sure it got in.
Brilliant, as always. I remember those ads well. Those of us who came of age in the 70’s were given so many mixed messages. Be like a soft, little baby while smoking your Virginia Slims. “You’ve come a long way, baby!” Ugh.
"eroticized helplessness"
Those two words together are haunting me. It reminds me of the purpose of sexual violence. Power over. Just look at all the horrors connected to that fantasy. Epstein, Maxwell, Trump abusing little girls for a hit off the power bong. I grew up in the 70s, graduated high school in '76. Those ads were aimed at me. I don't remember being offended by them at all. I remember there was a product called Love's Baby Soft. I don't know if I had any, but I doubt it. I'm sure I took in the message, though. I'm sure it got in.
All of this, Susan. There was a lot of phallic shaped packaging geared toward us back then. That I remember well.
Me too! I remember wongering what we were supposed to do with it… wash our hair, or…
Well… girls will be girls… 😺
Hahahaha. We will.
Brilliant, as always. I remember those ads well. Those of us who came of age in the 70’s were given so many mixed messages. Be like a soft, little baby while smoking your Virginia Slims. “You’ve come a long way, baby!” Ugh.