I had an interesting day online, I spent almost the entire day reading Scrangie, and I am shocked that I never bothered to add her to my blogroll, and will shortly remedy that error! Anyway, for some reason this morning I decided to go way back and read her early blog posts, they are amusing to say the least, and some of them are laugh-so-hard-you-will-snort funny! I’m telling you, you really oughta read her old posts if you need some amusement for a couple hours or a boring Sunday morning.
Then I read this, “Misa’s fall collection: I’m only human” and near the end there is a risque advertisement for the collection…
Misa Ad Posted at Scrangie
Which Scrangie and her readers all agree was a WTF moment on Misa’s part, but I’m thinking Misa paved the way for Illamasqua’s strange and crude product naming, which only a couple of years later is no longer “WTF” but fun and cute. Misa was ahead of their time!
Why do I feel like I have to say that I’m no prude, nor am I easily offended? (And you’ll notice on this post people felt the same and said so.) I think that’s kind of the point both with this ad and with Illamasqua naming polishes “Load” and “Taint”. I think both corporations are marketing for the younger crowd who will be titillated by this ad and those names, while trying to offend older and/or prudish women. It’s a wink at, “We’re not your mama’s or grandma’s cosmetic company.” That’s actually what I find offensive, there is no reason why they have to try to offend anyone by choosing vulgar names or suggestive advertising. I mean, the only way to be youth oriented is by being immature? Isn’t this on the level of grade schoolers telling fart jokes, using swear words, and sneaking peeks at Playboy? We’re not supposed to be grossed out by spooge and crap on the tips of our fingers, or ads suggesting women sucking balls, or else we’re just prudish old ladies?
This kind of reminds me of the article in Nails Magazine, “Move Over Bloggers.” Editor Hannah Lee goes out of her way to insult nail bloggers, while saying the point was to encourage nail techs and other professionals. There was absolutely zero reason to insult bloggers who have very little in common with nail techs, they do different work on nails and use different products. She created an “Us vs. Them” situation, it had very little to do with offering guidance, suggestions, or encouragement to nail techs; and more to do with spitting on bloggers to feel superior. I think the Misa ad and Illamasqua’s names are similar, it’s an affront to certain people, and others are meant to ridicule their prudery while feeling superior instead of, or as well as, marketing to those others. But why be insolent or offensive if you don’t have to be? Why deliberately choose advertising that will turn off part of your market, or names that will disgust some of your market? Just like Lee bit off her nose to spite her face, some nail bloggers are subscribers and the magazine features work by nail bloggers, but she wanted to insult and ridicule them for no obvious reason. Especially in this terrible economy, why would anyone want to discourage buyers for your product???
Donna's Cheap Thrills 
