Hemlines

Holiday Blur...Boom or Bust for Us

2011-11-15T13:24:00Z

Ok, I admit it. I bought some Christmas presents for Hannah's friends a couple of weeks ago. It was so out of character for me--a person who holds fast to the belief that each holiday deserves its day and its season to celebrate. But, the items were on sale and they weren't picked over yet. So I gave in.

Truth is, I hate the blurring of the holidays. I cringe when I see Halloween pumpkins next to Tom turkeys which are next to jingle bells on the shelves. It is just too much, too soon.

Just the other day, one of the radio stations my daughter and I listen to started playing Christmas music. It was November 1. We vowed not to listen to that station again until after the holidays.

Today, I read where retailers are not only moving up the timeframes in which they promote holiday gift giving, now they are moving their employees into working on holidays. Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy are going to open their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving so people can start shopping before the turkey is even in the oven.

Are you kidding me? It has lots of people upset. And if it upsets you, go to Change.org and voice your displeasure to Target.

Look, I understand the need to save money this holiday season and every day, for that matter. But at what point do we let commercialism displace tradition? When does what we "give" become more important than what we "share?"

Whatever holiday you observe and whatever way you show your friends and family you care, I encourage you to do so on your terms and your timeframe.

Lack of ambition or reassessing priorities?

2011-11-02T12:26:00Z

According to an article in USA Today this week, a recent study from More Magazine found that 43% of the 500 women surveyed said they were less ambitious now than they were a decade ago.

The survey went on to ask women in their mid-thirties to sixties about their plans to pursue promotions and jobs with more pay and more responsibility. A whopping 73% said they did NOT want their boss' job, with 38% saying they simply didn't want to deal with the politics, pressure and stress that went with the territory.

Only one quarter of the women said they were working toward a promotion.

The article goes on to talk about the lack of women in the corner office and political office. And to bemoan the fact that women are just checking out of the workplace and the rat race and that makes us less likely to make the difference we need to make to the bottom lines of business and the economy.

So, let me get this straight. Because we don't want the stressful jobs our bosses have, or to sit in corner offices that are often way out of touch with reality, or to participate in a political system mired in mud, we are less ambitious? Or, less likely to make a difference in the world of work and life?

I beg to differ. I think women are just as ambitious as ever, just not for the same things society thinks we should want or for the way things have always been done.

Women are getting more advanced degrees than ever before. They are going into business for themselves at higher rates. They are placing a greater priority on their families, their communities and themselves. They are raising money for causes they support. And they are raising support for causes they believe in online and in line, but not necessarily according to the party line.

Let's face it. We don't have to want what men have to be ambitious. We have to want what we want and to go for it in whatever way and at whatever pace we feel good about.

This very discussion is why we created Jane Nation--a place for women to connect with each other and brands to talk about what we really want and to find a way to get it that is beneficial to all. Sweeping statements and gross generalizations do not define Jane. Each woman has a unique perspective to share. And when those individual voices collect up into a single chorus aimed at making things better we can make real progress. I hope you will join us.

A teen's perspective on the legacy of Steve Jobs

2011-10-07T12:27:00Z

I had one of those conversations last night with my daughter that when they end, you think to yourself, I will remember this always. It was one of those spontaneous discussions that happens when you just make yourself available to listen. I was actually taking a hot bubble bath, soaking my sore muscles from a long bike ride. I was relaxed, content and confined to one place with nowhere to go and no desire to leave. (That may be one of the best descriptions of the mindset we need to be in when we spend time with our kids or mates or partners, no?)

Anyway, she sat on the floor by the bathtub and told me about her day. She said it really bothered her that as she was talking about Steve Jobs death, several kids asked her who Steve Jobs was. She was stunned. How could someone of her generation NOT know Steve Jobs?

She went on to describe a presentation the head of the athletics department at her school made about the importance of sports. She said the very same people who did not know Steve Jobs could probably name every quarterback on the NFL roster.

I told her welcome to the real world--where people decide and divide around interests and values that matter to them. In our family, we value creativity, curiosity, intellect and character. Being healthy is important, but not worthy of worship.

Now, this article is not about bashing sports or deifying Steve Jobs. It is about the lessons we teach our kids about the values they should have and the ones they should admire in others.

We proceeded to have a fantastic conversation about Steve Jobs, his legacy, his challenges, his impact on our individual lives--all while listening to music play on my iPod with our iPhones and my iPad nearby. We talked about how he was able to use technology to both connect and divide. How he made the "i" in his product names mean more than a clever identity element--it meant individual--mine--unique to me.

She said what amazed her was his ability to mass produce individual happiness. How each of the devices--and in our family, we have nearly every device he created--are unique to us--and yet we connect to each other and the world through them. And ultimately, how happy it made her to be unique yet not alone.

Wow. Out of the mouths of babes.

So as you consider the legacy a man like Steve Jobs left to the world, ask yourself what legacy you are leaving to your little world. What priorities are your imprinting on your kids? What people are you holding up as heroes intentionally or not? Will you leave this world better for having been here? Will they?

Steve would be proud of us for thinking along these lines and for living out our answers.

Does technology connect or disconnect us from our kids?

2011-08-12T12:47:00Z

I admit, I text my daughter to come to dinner rather than holler up the stairs like my mother used to do. We text when she's away from home rather than talk on the phone. She sends me links to interesting articles. And I send her photos of cute clothes I see when I am out shopping without her (which is rare these days). Would you say I am a "connected" or "disconnected" mom?

Some scholars would say that while we are more "connected" in terms of sharing information, we are more "disconnected" when it comes to developing interpersonal relationships. A recent TED talk by Psychiatrist Philip Zimbardo even suggested that boys are suffering the most when it comes to emotional intelligence and social function as a result of an over-reliance on technology and the absence of in-person interaction.

I don't have a son, so I can't speak to the issue personally. I know my daughter says that most of the boys she knows have a hard time communicating. Of course we are talking about 8th-graders. Have they ever really been as good at communicating as girls at that age?

The way I see it, technology is just another tool in our communications kit. It serves very specific roles and functions. And when used properly, it really can increase the connection we have with our children. It should not, can not and never will replace the invaluable connection we make when we spend time listening (it should come first) and talking with our kids face to face.

As kids head back to school and schedules fill up, let me challenge you to find ways each day to truly connect with your children both digitally and directly. If you have ideas or ways you do that, let us know. We'd love to hear it.

Retailers who turn their product into a service will win with women

2011-05-18T13:47:00Z

It is nearing the end of the school year, which means gifts for teachers. It is also getting very close to prime time wedding season. And there are always baby showers and birthday parties at work. With the cost of gifts rising, the desire to join together with others for a group gift is increasing in popularity. Enter Internet start-ups like FriendFund and the Gifts Project. They have created online programs and widgets that allow retailers to offer group gift giving services on their websites. Or, in the case of FriendFund, women like us can set up a gift giving account online where others can chip in for a gift from anywhere. Ebay is also in the game now, too.

I don't know if the founders of these concepts did research with women, but it is obvious they understand that gift giving often falls to us. And it can be quite challenging trying to collect all the money and keep track of it. These tools are true conveniences for women. They not only keep track of who has paid and how much, but they can be set up to proceed with the purchase once the correct amount is received.

Have you tried any of these services? What do you think of the concept?

Tragedies create teachable moments

2011-05-06T13:45:00Z

Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Tornadoes. Terrorists. What a tough couple of months we've had trying to shepherd our children carefully through the roller coaster of emotions that tragedies like this give rise to. Why do bad things happen to innocent people? How can I know that I am safe? What would I do if something happened to you or dad? These are the questions every parent dreads to hear and have to answer.

Perhaps the most difficult question to answer is why is it okay to be sad when innocent people die, but be happy when guilty ones do? Wow. That's a tough one. Isn't all life sacred? And isn't the loss of life, regardless of the lifestyle lived by the deceased, a reason to express sadness for that ending?

These aren't easy questions to ask and answer for adults or children. How we answer them has a lot to do with how we view life, and I supposed the afterlife. WIthout getting into religion, what I do know is that kids are looking for standards they can learn and apply with consistency. Double standards lead to doubt, and doubt gives way to even more fear and uncertainty.

Case in point. I watched the news of Osama Bin Laden's passing with my daughter this week. She was 4 when the events of 9/11 took place. Nearly all her life she has heard about, read about and even visited the scene of at least one of the locations of that tragedy. So it was no surprise that she was relieved when news broke of his passing. I admit, I was relieved as well. But there was no great celebration in our house. A man (and several other men and women we would learn later) lost his life that day. He would have no other opportunities to repent or be redeemed for his behavior. He would not be able to provide any explanation or apology to those whose lives he tore apart. That is not something to rejoice over.

I would be living a double standard if I said that it is okay to be happy when bad people die and sad when good people die. It would make me some kind of judge. Truth is, all people have made mistakes, caused heartache, or worse. I know I am guilty. So are you. Do you want someone judging you? Do you want to be held responsible for judging others and telling people how to think or feel when their life ends? I don't want that burden. And I don't want to pass that burden onto my daughter.

So I told her that while it is okay to hate the actions of others and for them to suffer the consequences of their action, it is never okay to hate the person. Moreover, it is never okay to wish evil on someone because they have done something wicked. Two wrongs do not ever make anything right. Period. End of story. No gray area there.

That said, I was honest with her that it is very, very hard sometimes to live what we believe. It is easy to get caught up in emotion. We are human. And being human is about making choices--some good, some bad--and then learning from them and trying not to repeat the bad ones. I told her that having standards helps us know how to think and act with consistency and integrity. And it frees us not to live in worry or doubt.

What about you? How have you dealt with these events with your children? Yourself?

Another virtue falls victim to a culture of full disclosure

2011-04-14T19:04:00Z

Discretion. It's a term we rarely hear any more much less see in practice. I think the only time I really hear it is before a potentially graphic TV show or movie when the announcer simply says, "viewer discretion advised." What about "author discretion?"

I've been thinking a lot about "discretion" lately, especially as it relates to the content I publish online relative to our community. While it is my intent to be 100% transparent about who I am and what I believe, I do think there is a line between what I could say because it is true and what I shouldn't say because it could cause someone else to feel embarrassed or betrayed.

For example, I am very close to my almost 13-year-old daughter. We teach each other life lessons all the time--things I could share with others because I find them valuable. But what about my daughter's privacy? What if she doesn't want everyone to know what she is learning and teaching?

It's ironic that two firestorms related to discretion have developed recently. The first we wrote about last week. It was a story about a woman blogger who wrote that she loved her son a little bit more than her daughter. People were shocked at her public admission of favoritism. I read it and wondered what impact this would have on her daughter when she was old enough to read what I suspect she already knows by the way her mom treats her. Has a parent ever had those thoughts? Sure. Does that make them a bad parent? No. But telling the world about your deepest feelings and uncertainties does not make you any more certain about them.

The second firestorm kicked up this week when J.Crew published a catalog (see photo at left from Chicago Tribune) with an ad featuring their President and her son, showing her painting his toenails neon pink, with the caption, “Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon.”

Now, is it any surprise that her son wanted his toenails painted? No. I'm sure a lot of little boys who adore their moms and are like sponges watching everything they do and wanting to do likewise have painted their son's toes--perhaps to the chagrin of their dad's. But it is usually a private moment, kept quiet and often hidden under socks or removed rather quickly. Or, if left until it wore off, certainly not flaunted on a global stage.

Euripides said that "Discretion is the better part of valor." And this was back in the 1400s when we didn't have the Internet connecting us to the world 24/7, with no limits on what we can say to whom about any topic. And so we feel this need to bare our souls online forgetting that our offline selves have to deal with the repercussions.

I'm not sure why blogger Kate Tietje felt the need to bare her soul on Babble. Nor do I understand what point J.Crew was trying to make about its brand with the ad featuring Jenna and Beckett. But I do know that I didn't need to know either of those things about them, nor did most of America. What happened to keeping private matters, private?

What do you think? Do you think that if we think it or do it or feel it we should publish it?

Role reversal gone seriously wrong

2011-03-28T14:01:00Z

I think it is human to want to fight the effects of aging that are negative. No one wants to lose their mobility or their ability to function in society and make a contribution to it. We also realize that the older we get, the closer to life's end we are. And regardless of what you think happens after death, no one wants to find out any sooner than they have to. I get that.

What I don't get is this maniacal obsession with the young wanting to look and act older. Of course all they see are the "good" parts of aging. The ability to eat, drink and be merry with whomever you wish, where and whenever you wish. Only they presume that you do so without any consequences. No one tells them about the day after--the way you look and feel. They don't see the "checks you've cashed on an account that is empty"--literally and figuratively. Sadly, many discover this after its too late to go back. Once innocence and youth are lost they can never be regained. Just ask one of us "older" people about that. We can chase our youth all we want but we will never, ever get it back. So why chase it away?

I think it is criminal what brands like Abercrombie and Fitch and MTV are doing. Between the clothes that make young girls and guys look like sex symbols and TV shows that make kids having kids look cool, these brands are robbing our children of the best times of their lives. And we as parents and adults seem willing to let it happen.

Why do we look the other way when brands sexualize our kids? Could it be that we secretly want to feel more alive and sexy as adults and we feel the only way to achieve that is through our kids? Could we really be that selfish? Foolish?

I know it is an old adage from an even older Book, but everything does have a season. There is a time to be young and a time to be old. And they come in that order, and if you are lucky, with the passage of time. Each season of life is unique. It comes with gifts and lessons and blessings that are never to be repeated. Our children deserve to live carefree lives without thought of someone judging them based on their looks or their physique. As adults, we deserve the same, actually. I mean seriously, do you really think that the people you want to surround yourself with are only those who want to be with you because of how you look? Wow, that is shallow. Is that the lesson we want to teach our kids? Ourselves?

Everything you do or say has a consequence. Don't kid yourself or your kids. Youth is for the young. Let them enjoy it. They have plenty of time to be old. And there is plenty to enjoy about that time, too.

Bullying isn't just a problem for kids

2011-03-15T14:40:00Z

Recently, President Obama showed his support of the NEA's "Bully Free: It starts with me" initiative that encourages young people to stop and think before they engage in bullying behavior. The campaign is primarily geared toward young people, the most common victims of bullying. And is a reaction to the increased number of "bullycides" (suicide caused as a result of bullying) that are reported. And while I applaud this attention to adolescent bullying, I have to say it shouldn't stop with students. Adults are victims of bullying, too.

Case in point. Watching Celebrity Apprentice this week with my daughter, I literally dropped my jaw at the bullying behavior exemplified by Dionne Warwick toward fellow member and Academy Award Winning Actress Marlee Matlin, who happens to be deaf but not without a voice. The two were debating the merits of including a character who was deaf in a children's book the female members of the reality show were asked to write and perform together. Repeatedly, Dionne said that deaf people didn't belong in the chidren's book because children didn't want or need to know about being deaf. She refused to hear Marlee's point of view or even acknowledge her value or worth as a deaf person. She became so beligerent about it that team leader Lisa Rinna finally relented and let Dionne have her way. No deaf charachter in the book.

The result--the women's team lost the weekly challenge. The reason? The theme and writing were not as original or appropriate as they could be. (The concept for the book was a little lion that wanted to roar but didn't know how and was asking her school friends to help her. Sound familiar? Can you said Wizard of Oz?)

I realize this is just a TV show designed to get and keep our attention due to the outlandish behaviors of the cast members. But the way Dionne behaved toward Marlee was beyond outlandish. It was disrespectful, hurtful and aggressive to the point even my daughter said, "Mom, that lady is being a bully."

How can we teach our children to be respectful and kind when we don't model that behavior ourselves? I think we all need to take a good hard look in the mirror and recognize that the person staring back needs to own up to our own insecurities. We need to see a person of worth staring back at us--a person who also values others for who they are--not how they look, act or think. Only then will we begin to turn the tide against bullying in our schools and workplaces.

Making women a priority not just a promotional opportunity

2011-03-08T18:38:00Z

Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day--an event started in the US in 1909 as a result of a garment workers strike in New York due to poor working conditions. Labor unrest in Europe led to an international commitment to improve the quality of life of women around the globe. While the celebration dates have varied a bit through the years before settling on March 8, the intention has remained the same--to celebrate the progress made, the courage shown and the commitment needed to make the future brighter, safer and more rewarding for women and girls worldwide.

Every year the level of celebration and support has increased. This year Google celebrated the occasion with a "doodle" (image at left) that led to a microsite talking about "Join us at the bridge" events around the globe. Included were startling statistics about the status of women around the world and the charities working to rid the planet of female poverty, abuse and neglect. For example, did you know that according to Google:

--Women perform 2/3 of the world's work and produce half the world's food, but earn just 10% of the income and own 1% of the property

--Every 60 seconds a woman dies from pregnancy-related causes

--Every 14 seconds a child becomes an orphan due to AIDS-related deaths

--One in three women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise violated in her lifetime

No wonder brands like Avon, Nike, Goldman Sach's, DKNY, Coca Cola, and Intel are building programs not just promotions, that strive to affect real change. If you get a chance, check out their websites to learn more. If you like what they are doing, show your support by buying their brand or telling them how you feel about their effort.

We all want a better world for our daughters, sisters, cousins, nieces and friends. And we like to see events like International Women's Day bring attention to the value of women in the world. But it takes more than thinking and liking, it takes action to bring about change. So do something this month to show you really do care about your global sisters.

"Listen to your mother" best Oscar moment

2011-02-28T15:21:00Z

Watching the 83rd Annual Academy Awards last night with my 12-year-old daughter and budding thespian I was often tempted to turn it off. Co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway (a favorite of both me and my daughter) were trying too hard and producing too many awkward moments. The acceptance speeches veered wildly from the boring to the foul to the ill-prepared. An occasional bright spot would show up just as I was about to turn it off.

One such moment came near the end as Tom Hopper graciously accepted the award for Best Director for "The King's Speech." In a heartfelt, eloquent way he told of how he came to be in this position as a result of his mother giving him a copy of the play and telling him this was the film he simply must make. How right she was. And how wise he was to credit her insight. His advice to viewers around the globe, "The moral of this story is listen to your mother," he said.

Good advice...for children and parents. As parents, we need to listen to, observe and consider what talents and passions our children have or aspire to naturally. Then we must do our level best to encourage them to pursue them with grace, commitment and heart. We should not allow them (or ourselves) to become over-inflated egotists who think they/we can do no wrong. Rather, we should use discernment and honesty to speak truth and encourage humility in their quest to be "their" best not necessarily "the" best.

A few years ago I had an honest conversation with my daughter about what I saw as her strengths, gifts and tendencies and what I felt were activities she could enjoy but would probably not find rewarding. I challenged her to look inside and listen to what made her heart beat fast and her mind quicken. Those were the things I challenged her to nurture and develop. I encouraged her to stay open to new experiences but to always return to her innate abilities and feed them. Her dad and I promised to support her in every way we could.

That conversation was not easy for either one of us. It meant letting some things go to pursue others. It meant recognizing that excellence could not be achieved in every area (a tough lesson for this recovering Type A mom, for sure). It meant being honest with each other and ourselves--something we parents struggle with in this "everyone is a prince and princess" culture. The result--my daughter is happily pursuing her passions with a commitment I could never force on her. She seeks my advice often and trusts that I will speak the truth in love. And I have learned that in being honest with her, I can be more honest with myself.

What lessons are you teaching your children? What lessons are you learning?

"Complexity creates distrust"

2011-02-17T15:18:00Z

"Complexity creates distrust." Those words from Brian Rafferty, Global Director of Consumer Insights for Siegel + Gale, sums up the findings of the first of its kind Global Brand Simplicity Index study. The study asked 6,000 consumers in 7 countries to identify what constitutes simplicity and to rate brands on their level of simplicity or complexity. The study went on to determine the value consumers place on simplicity.

The result: People would be willing to spend $27 billion (yep, that's a B) more in the US alone just to get greater simplicity from industries like mortgage, credit card and insurance. In fact, the study said the health insurance industry alone could stand to gain $6 billion if they simplified the experience for consumers. And when you consider what people already spend on health insurance, that is saying something.

So how do consumer define "simplicity"?

--Communicating directly, clearly and without jargon

--Reducing stress by providing savings/value

--Saving time by increasing convenience and accessibility

--Facilitating ease of use and interactions

--Enabling consumers to get more from life through deeper relationships, easier lifestyle.

The big winners? Netflex, Subway, McDonad's, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Starbucks, Old Navy.

What about you? What brands make your life simpler? For me, my list would include Apple, Target, Fresh Market and Redbox.

What brands do you respect?

2011-02-16T13:43:00Z

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me." Those words made famous by multi-grammy award winning artist Aretha Franklin rang out again at this year's 2011 Grammy awards as she was honored by the Academy and her peers for her lifetime contributions to the music industry.

Yesterday, Barron's Magazine released the results of their annual "The World's Most Respected Company" study and we found out what that means to the nation's investment community. Topping the list for the second year in a row was Apple. Money managers credited Steve Jobs for creating a company that is, "visionary, courageous, innovative, and possessed of a strong corporate culture."

Rounding out the top 5 are:

1) Apple

2) Amazon

3) Berkshire Hathaway

4) IBM

5) McDonald's

The annual study conducted for the past 7 years asks about 100 leading investment advisors representing portfolios of all sizes to rate companies based on whether they Highly Respect, Respect, Somewhat Respect or Don't Respect them. In addition, they are asked to rank the factors that go into their respect levels. Topping the list was a "sound business strategy," followed by "strong management, ethical business practices, competitive edge and revenue and profit growth."

The big surprise this year was the tragic fall of survey favorite, Johnson & Johnson. The pharmaceutical giant has been in the top one or two position every year since the survey began, but plummetted to number 25 this year as a result of quality control issues.

So, what companies do you respect? And what factors into how you feel about them? For me, companies earn respect in three major ways:

1) They demonstrate by their words and actions that they value my business. That includes how they greet and treat me in store, online, over the phone before and after the sale.

2) They convey their integrity through their business practices toward me, their employees and their vendors. That means that offer fair prices, fair pay and fair value. They honor commitments including pricing promotions, discounts and returns.

3) They are polite and courteous to me and to each other. They have genuine esteem for their customers, recognizing we do have a choice in how we spend our time and money, and they make sure that they help us maximize both by being helpful and kind. They also recognize that they are all in this together and deserve support and courtesy from each other. They are working for a common cause, and they feel that commitment and demonstrate it to each other.

The brands that score high with me on the Respect meter include Apple, Publix, Panera, Southwest Airlines, Kohl's.

What brands make your list? What makes you fee respect for a brand?

Try giving "living proof" of your love this year

2011-02-09T13:34:00Z

If you are like me, you have waited to the last minute to start thinking about what to get your family and friends for Valentine's Day. If you are also like me, you don't have a lot of extra money to spend. Time to get creative. And that's the operative word..."time."

Time. It is the one thing we all get the exact same amount of every day. 24 hours. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. Yet how many of use that time wisely? Better said, how many of us "invest" that time wisely? We fritter away countless minutes on Facebook. We waste precious seconds stewing over slights and comments made or not made by others that hurt our pride. We waste hours consuming content online or offline that does nothing to feed our souls or our soulmates--whoever that may be in your life.

Sometime over the course of this week in reading the many things I do, this idea of time and love came together for me in a very tangible way. I discovered that the best way to show our love for others and our appreciation for the talents and gifts we've been given by God is to offer "living proofs." To use our "creativity" and "time" to show and be to others love in a very real and tangible way.

For my daughter, it may be making time to help her start a blog about our upcoming trip to Italy that she's been talking about. For my husband, it may be taking time to listen...really listen... to him talk about all his new discoveries on Google Earth (his new favorite web activity). For friends and family, it may be writing a personal thank you card, using my gift of writing to express how I feel about them instead of letting Hallmark do the work for me.

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to take inventory of how you are showing love to those around you--even the unlovable. What "living proofs" have you created over the past 6 weeks--yep, it's been that long since we made all those resolutions to be a better, smarter, kinder, healthier, whatever else impossible, person. If your inventory is "low," don't be discouraged. Just commit today to use your time and talent to show those around you that you truly care. I promise that those kind of investments will pay lasting dividends. You can take that to the bank!

Not so "super" night for women

2011-02-07T13:54:00Z

A few weeks back, USA Today prounounced this year's big game the "year of the woman." The ladies at Jane Nation got all excited about the fact that maybe marketers were starting to realize that women were in fact the major organizers of game night events, making much of the purchases. Or, maybe they finally recognized that we get just as excited about the ads (if not more so) than the game itself, and deserved to have a few spots made with a better understanding of us. In reality, USA Today was referring to the number of female spokespersons in the ads. Oh well, at least it was a start. A bad start, if you ask me.

Last night's use and portrayal of women was downright disheartening. We were either sex symbols, idiots or pawns in some ill conceived idea that did nothing for the brands that paid big bucks for some very famous Janes. At one point, probably around half time, I said to my daughter and her friend watching the game with me, "have you seen one ad that made you proud to be a girl?" "No way," was their reply.

Most disappointing to me was the spot with Faith Hill for Teleflora. As a wife, mother and woman trying to establish good values for her young followers to emulate, I could not believe she agreed to be in a spot celebrating a woman's "rack." Seriously? I didn't expect much from Jillian Michaels, Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr and Kim Kardashian, so I wasn't disappointed in their performances, other than the fact that after is all said and done, I'm not sure they did anything for the brands they pitched. Elizabeth Hurley was a huge waste for Goupon (at least my girls were out of the room when it aired--I'm not quite ready to explain the "Brazilian" connection to them). And Mini's "Cram it in the boot" spot about fitting a lot of junk in their trunk was about as crass as it got for girls.

At the end of the night, the girls and I were lamenting the lack of spots geared toward or at least celebrating girls. They said, "we sure wish they aired that Google spot from last year again." "I'd be happy with Snicker's Betty White ad," said one. Fortunately, VW threw us a bone with its Darth Vader "force" spot. And the dogs in the Dorito's and Bud Light spots were entertaining. Beyond that, there was little to get excited about much less declare a victory over for women.