Proud sponsor of moms
So I’ve been watching the Olympics (is it just me or does it feel like the entire coverage have been TiVoed?). Who hasn’t? And I’ve noticed there’s a big emphasis on parents, especially moms. There’s the shots of the moms as their children cross the finish lines, coverage of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette’s devastating loss this week, Julia Mancuso’s “Thanks, Mom” on a commercial (and I think there are others), and probably biggest of all, there’s P&G’s slogan:
Proud sponsor of moms
The ads are super cute, but that slogan gets me. What does THAT entail? Do we get cash for slapping a P&G logo on our diaper bags? (I wish!!) Free cleaning supplies?
Of course not. While this isn’t a Motrin-gate-worthy ad, it does bug me a little. If we moms choose to use P&G products, we pay for that privilege. The slogan is just designed to capture more of our dollars. We’re certainly not getting anything out of this relationship (that we haven’t paid for).
Meanwhile, around here, we’ve been trying for years to accomplish something real for moms. We’ve worked to encourage one another and other moms and remind them how special they are and how important—vital—they are, no matter how thankless their job (or their families).
I haven’t always done the best job, and I know I’m not the only one doing it. I’m grateful for all the support I’ve gotten through this blog over the years. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only working for this, and I’m getting tired of waving this banner.
But I feel like we—the ones in the trenches—have to be our own sponsors. We all have to find our own ways to be happy, we have to find our own satisfaction—we have to make that choice.
What do you think? What does it mean to be a “sponsor of moms”?
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I also feel that way about the American Cancer Society being the proud sponsor of birthdays! I thought moms were the sponsor of birthdays! Maybe this syllogism (whatever that word is) works:
February 26th, 2010 at 3:41 pmIf PG is the sponsor of moms
and moms are the sponsor of birthdays
and ACS is also the sponsor of birthdays
PG is the sponsor of the ACS????
Hm… Maybe P&G products contain carcinogens. So . . . yes!
February 26th, 2010 at 3:43 pmEric says that’s a logical fallacy… but I think it is funny!
Yeah, I love that PG commercial, it makes me think of all the wonderful potential that Gwen has for greatness. I get kinda sentimental. but, like you, I remember being like ‘what did pg do to sponsor me? I don’t even buy their over priced stuff.’. I think you are right that really we need to sponsor ourselves. I think support from friends and blogs (like yours 
are helpful, but ultimately it has to boil down to your own endorsement of your eternal calling. That assurance is the best sponsor. I’ll close with this thought…
“dinosaurs eat man…woman inherits the earth!”
February 27th, 2010 at 8:26 am