Huggies has a new “limited edition” disposable diaper, made to look like denim. Life in the Boomer Lane is a great fan of denim, and she thinks the diaper is a stroke of genius. But she has a huge issue with the commercial that she has already seen at least six times. In the commercial, a baby, (about 12-18 months old) is strutting down a street (with the help of computer generation, I’m sure), being oogled by adoring females (I’m guessing in their twenties) and jealous males. The music is edgy and the voiceover starts “My diaper is full….” The baby jumps into a waiting convertible (complete with chauffer), gives one last backward glance at his adoring minions and rides off into the sunset.
The clip of the commercial on YouTube has already gotten about 1.3 million hits, and LBL suspects the diapers are flying off the shelves faster than Huggies can make them. The advertising agency that created the commercial is probably getting great business over it. Young moms are happy, ad execs are happy, Huggies is happy. So, what’s the problem?
Here’s the problem: Do we really need one more way in our society to sexualize children? Have we so exhausted turning elementary school children into rockers and Britney Spears Wannabees, that we are now dipping down to the baby age group? Isn’t it bad enough that Suri Cruise, age three, wears high heels and the pop culture magazines plaster her photos all over as being completely adorable? When was childhood, not to speak of babyhood, hijacked?
Very young children are being sexually exploited all over the world. LBL can’t wrap her mind around this commercial, when she is too aware of what is taking place to these children every day. OK, she’s finished now.
Life in the Boomer Lane 
writerwoman61
August 15, 2010
Agreed, Renée! As the mom of three girls, and stepmom of one, I find that girls are already “growing up” way too fast! Makes me concerned about my almost 1-year-old granddaughter too!
Wendy
lifeintheboomerlane
August 15, 2010
I know. I can’t imagine what this new generation will be exposed to. Very scary.
duke1959
August 15, 2010
You are so right in what you said. This topic is one of those that you can never talk about enough. There is a report out this week saying that girls are starting puberty earlier than ever before. There is this mentality that says as long as it sells then its ok. I’m sorry I rambled on to long and its not my blog.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 15, 2010
I’ve heard of girls aged seven and eight going through puberty. We put so many hormones into our beef, chicken, eggs and consequently, water supply. It has to have some kind of effect.
rebecca
August 15, 2010
Amen.
Walker
August 15, 2010
Keep on, you’ve barely started.
Apparently Victoria’s Secret is starting a girl’s line!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lifeintheboomerlane
August 15, 2010
Oh no, I hadn’t heard that. F-ing depressing. I’m a former teacher. When I taught, kids still looked like kids. Now, they have to have rules in middle school about makeup and cleavage. Are we just old or just OBSERVANT?
duke1959
August 15, 2010
Your post got me thinking this morning. It gave me something to write about on my blog. http://duke1959.wordpress.com/
lifeintheboomerlane
August 15, 2010
Great! I just left a comment on yours. I realize I could have gone on and on with my post, covering all the things that are bothering me about this issue, but maybe more people will start writing about it.
duke1959
August 15, 2010
One of the issues is that the vast majority of the media doesn’t see anything wrong with what is going on.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 15, 2010
Agreed. I’m just as upset about the unhealthy food that is being advertised to children and the vending machines in schools selling soda/snack food. It’s all about money.
duke1959
August 16, 2010
One of the things that really disturbs me is when I see these young children that are so heavy. The damage that is being done is scary. What are these children going to be like 15 or 20 years down the road.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 16, 2010
Absolutely. Another awful thing being done to kids. When I was growing up, it was very unusual to see an overweight child, and even then, they were usually just a bit overweight, not fat.
alonewithcats
August 16, 2010
Sex even sells diapers? Well, shit.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 16, 2010
Well said, AWC.
duke1959
August 16, 2010
This problem could be helped if the government would insist that in the school food programs would provide good food for the children to eat. This site has some interesting information.
http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/
lifeintheboomerlane
August 16, 2010
Thanks for the link!
duke1959
August 16, 2010
no problem. something needs to be done.
badkidsgoodgrammar
August 16, 2010
I don’t even have kids and this commercial makes me cringe. It’s just, I don’t know….creepy? Pedophile-y? Regardless, I don’t want to see it. Or ever buy denim diapers.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 16, 2010
Thanks for your input, bkgg! And so far, I’m glad to see that no one who is responding to this post is trying to defend the commercial. I’ve seen other blog postings in which people write about how “adorable” it is. I’m wondering: What are they seeing???!!!
redriverpak
August 17, 2010
I agree! Advertisers these days don’t care about what lines they cross as long as it will sell whatever they are pitching…
duke1959
August 17, 2010
What really makes it tough is that these people who come up with this garbage only think about the right now. Instead of if we do this what are some of the long term consequences.
lifeintheboomerlane
August 17, 2010
And that mentality goes across the board. Magazines tout anorexic-looking models to young girls, and then we wonder why those girls end up with eating disorders. Nobody thinks past the buck.
duke1959
August 17, 2010
And then people why so many young girls have problems later in life. Of course those people who help create the problem are no where to be found.