Balance, Crossing the Line, and Props for Normalcy

Yesterday, I went to American Apparel's website because I love their stuff and want to buy more clothes for Sabine that she doesn't need. Um, has anyone ever noticed that in many ads or on websites for kids' stuff, there's often only one mixed or one African American baby, one Asian, one Hispanic and the rest are Caucasian? I didn't notice before I had Sabine. But now I do. I wish there were three of EACH...or just that it was more balanced. I don't want Sabine to grow up and look at this stuff and feel lonely or marginalized or different (although differences can be good or interesting, too).

The second thing I noticed when I looked at the women's section is that the female models look more like pubescent teenagers than they do women. There's a whole slideshow section within the "What's New" portion of the website. These poor girls look like they were lured to some weirdo's house in the San Fernando Valley for an innocent photo shoot-turned-practically-kiddie-porn. They look like uncomfortable, self-conscious deer in headlights who are being coerced into taking their shirts off. You know the camera man is probably a total creep. Oh that's right, it's Terry Richardson (If you know who he is, you know "creep" is an understatement.). I like the clothes, but geez.

This is Diane. Watch her little slideshow, and like me, you'll want to rescue
her and inject her with some fully clothed self confidence and self worth.

On the bright side, look at this woman (maybe she's young, too, but at least she's fully clothed)...how much do you love that she's not super skinny? She's normal. Yay. Finally.