Stop Being So Mean

And why is it cool to bag on moms?

Last week I saw a trailer for Mean Girls. 

It’s actually a movie version of the musical Mean Girls (which was adapted from the 2004 film of the same name).

But you wouldn’t know the new film was a musical, as no one in the trailer is singing, nor does it mention the word “musical” at any point.

I guess they’re counting on a generation raised on Taylor Swift Easter Eggs to catch that music note in the “A” in “Mean” and crack the code.

But fear of calling a musical a musical aside, what really got my attention was something at the start of the film’s trailer.

Within the first few seconds, these words appeared on the screen:

“This isn’t YOUR MOTHER’s Mean Girls”

Uh, ok… 

I mean, isn’t it?

It’s based on a movie that’s almost 20 years old, and the trailer shows a girl who is out of place at a new school, encounters a group of “mean girls”, has a crush on a guy named Aaron Samuels…

A Burn Book features, and there’s a school talent show that has the girls dancing in red sequin Christmas outfits.

Hell, even Tina Fey is there!

It sure looks a lot like the movie Millenials and Gen Xers watched where Gretchen tried to make fetch happen.

The movie doesn’t come out until January, but I’m fully expecting Lindsey Lohan or one of the other stars from the OG film to make a cameo (maybe they filmed it the same time as those ads for Wal-mart?).

But I let out a sigh and let that one go…

Then this morning an ad popped up on an article I was reading.

It showed an old lady with white hair and glasses in a beige cardigan that even a coastal grandmother would reject.

“Your Mom thinks ‘cloud sales’ is a weather forecast.”

Ha ha. Moms are so old and dumb.

Seriously?

The image and copy here feel so cliche.

Boring.

Unoriginal.

We can debate if it’s ageist or sexist, but it’s definitely lazy.

And is anyone else tired of the whole “not your mom” thing?

It was just two years ago when I remember being annoyed that Tiffany & Co. was broadcasting that they were “not your mother’s Tiffany.”

What was wrong with the Tiffany’s of my mom’s era?

To me, the brand was synonymous with elegance and style (thanks mostly to images of Audrey Hepburn from 1961, even though I’d never seen the famous movie that’s given them more than half a century of advertising).  

If my mother had any Tiffany jewelry, I’d love to be on the receiving end of it (because, as we were taught long ago, a diamond is forever).

And — at the risk of sounding old (and like my mother) — have we learned nothing from history?

In 1989, Oldsmobile rolled out this kind of campaign to promote their cars.

The “Not Your Father's Oldsmobile” TV commercials featured the (mostly unknown) offspring of famous people – like the daughters of actor Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner (someone at Oldsmobile must have been a Trekker).

Even Captain Kirk and Spock couldn’t save Oldsmobiles!

Instead of inspiring a younger generation to drive Oldsmobiles, it insulted their loyal customers.  

And Oldsmobile sales tanked.

Now some might say I’m being sensitive, or taking it personally because I am a mother, and no longer a member of the young kid demographic that advertisers covet.  

But I often wonder why more advertisers shy away from the “older demographics” who have MORE MONEY TO SPEND.  

Or why their strategy to sell a product is to insult potential customers (regardless of their age)?

That isn’t creative.

It’s just…mean.

__________________________________________

Beth Collier loves writing, pop culture, and people who aren’t mean.

She also loves helping companies, leaders, and teams improve their communication (and creativity and leadership) through consulting, coaching, and workshops.

Her clients benefit from Beth’s global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm, and an endless supply of pop culture references.

To find out how Beth can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader – or improve communication in your company – visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com

__________________________________________