I write the word Girl a lot on this blog.
Tragically, Google and Amazon’s robots interpret the word “girl” to be synonymous with “porn”. I’ve stopped using various advertising programs from both companies because of ads for buying a Mexican bride (Google), Girls Gone Wild videos (Amazon), and viewing photos of “young girls in thongs” (Google). Neither company offers a “family friendly” option they said when I wrote them.
How about an option that doesn’t sell half the population like a consumable product?
If we consume the half of the population that will also mother the population – where does that leave society?
16 comments ↓
Really pretty picture of you two.
I’ve often wished someone would do some sort of documentary interviewing the producers of girls gone wild and the likes and then their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives.. I would be really interested to see what kind of weird family dynamics have gone on in order to produce said producers.
Ashley
I think that particular documentary is a Keeping Up With the Kardashians episode: http://traceesioux.blogspot.com/2007/
11/kardashians-girls-gone-wild.html
I’d like to see that documentary with the sisters, wives and mothers of pornographers who think it’s okay to consume girls.
As fascinating as that would be, I think the most effective thing would be to wonder why WE’RE accepting this as normal.
I guess we’re accepting it because it is literally EVERYWHERE!
Porn stars are featured on reality shows, regular old housewives are looking for new and interesting ways to groom their nether-regions, little girls are wanting to wear stilletos (sp?), girls gone wild commercials come on tv all the time, even evangelist’s wives want a boob job, and women’s magazines are convincing us to ‘hold onto our husbands’ by installing a stripper’s pole in the bedroom..
WTF?
Ashley
I guess I’m wondering what would happen if we stopped accepting it.
What if – we said NO? Collectively?
What if we revolutionized the word Girl?
Where do I sign up?
Unbelievable. I never considered a sort of rating system for adverts, but in this case, as I’m sure there are many others, there really should be some sort of choice.
You think from a marketing standpoint they would want to offer more options. No one (I hope) who participates on this blog is going to be interested in girls gone wild vids, duh.
When I was blogging, it was frustrating when, for instance, I write an anti-eating disorder post, only to find that adsense starts putting up diet ads in response. Do. Not. Like.
Hub says to tell you that Google and most others have a filter you can use to block either specific ads or URLs.
Good post! Yes, give us back “girl”, that word has been so bastardised from “weak as a girl” to “girls gone wild”, and still nothing of substance there for a girl.
Lovely photo of you two, just gorgeous.
Violet – can hub send me instructions and a link to get that thing?
I love the word “bastardized”
For Adsense, it is a feature called competetive ad filter (most people filter to try to make more revenue.) You can access it from the Google Adsense help page.
Another friend told me about an ad co called Adbrite where you can approve and reject all the ads for your site – but I have not used it or checked it out myself. Keep us posted!
Also there is something on Adsense called Ad Review Center.
https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=13522
Great post, and the picture is beautiful. I agree there should be more options with advertisers.
I hate how girls are treated in advertising and I avoid lots of products as a result of what I see, so I feel I don’t accept it as normal but what else can we do except bitch abut it. ABSOLUTELY Educate our daughters for one.There is no collective “NO” with any power – we are a minority. The problem is there are just millions of women who shop and shop and primp and primp and fit the stereotype and support the advertisers ????? I hate them alllll………..AND there are news stories everywhere about these women taking their tweens to the spa and training the next generation to think they must improve themselves to be loved
I am in the early stages of a toy company. My designs are geared towards girls. It was amazing how limited I was in naming my company and brand. Put toys and girl together and that creates a whole new set of problems. UGHH! I want to fight these people who have limited the use of a simple word!
Audrey’s last blog post..Keep it Real and Real Will Find You
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