I have been surprised over recent weeks to hear about the controversy surrounding some retailer adverts and in particular ASDA’s Christmas creative, which places Mum at the heart of the organisation during the festive period. Interestingly they don’t seem to be the only retail chain who have done this but they are the one taking most of the brunt for it.
When I first watched the advert I didn’t think that it was sexist, as has been mentioned in the media, I just thought it was putting into context the amount of work that most Mum’s do in the run up to Christmas. The advert doesn’t say ‘men don’t do anything at Christmas’ it just places an emphasis – in this instance – on Mum.
The messaging for the advert is that the retailer supports Mum during Christmas and as most women take responsibility for the weekly shop, again, I don’t see this as a bad thing – just a reference to a fact.
I thought the advert was quite heart-warming and when I spoke to my Mum about the critical comments that had been made she felt the same as me; that some people may be being just a little bit over sensitive or perhaps jumping on a band wagon.
I was brought up in a very traditional farming family where my Mum would do most of the cooking at Christmas time and she would also buy all of the presents for our extensive family. In addition Mum would make sure that we got to parties on time and had something new to wear.
When it did finally come round to Christmas Day, which seemed to take a lifetime when we were little, we would all meet at my Nanna’s house (around 60 of us) and the men would go to the pub, while the women set the table and got the dinner ready. This never struck me as odd or sexist in any way – it was just how things had always been.
Things have changed a little over the years but Mum still does most of the cooking on Christmas Day – although Dad helps with the preparation and me and my brother set the table. We all seem to help with the washing up and then Mum and I will make a buffet dinner later in the evening.
I really don’t see what’s wrong with the way we do things and although I can see how our life does mimic the ASDA advert, I really don’t think any of us would have it any other way – even Mum.
So maybe we should take some of these adverts with a pinch of salt. If we start to think of everything as sexist or bigoted then where does it stop? Do we have to create adverts that have a ‘character’ from every possible walk of life just to make sure we tick a box so that we don’t offend anyone? Bah humbug.
I will be watching the adverts with a smile this year because I know that as far as my family is concerned there is a truth to them and it’s just one of the many, many reasons I love my Mum and will appreciate her all the more this Christmas.