Brooke Shields what r u thinking?

October 7, 2008 | By:

Okay, I am huge fan of Brooke Shields.  Never mind the fact that she’s gorgeous or that I knew her as a tween in NYC, never mind the fact that she’s one of the few celebrities that was honest about her infertility.  I am a huge fan of a hugely talented, beautiful, working mother of two children conceived after a very long battle with infertility.  But this new advertising campaign she has going for VW is pissing me off. 

Having babies just to get German engineering?  Having Babies so you can buy a Minivan.  PULEASE.

Now let me clarify that today I pointed to my own minivan and proudly declared it my badge of motherhood.  I drive a minivan because I worked damn hard to become a mother.  And if I have my way, all of those 8 seats in my minivan will be filled with children or paraphanalia related to children.  My Minivan is My Status Symbol that I am a MOM.  So don’t mess with me when it comes to minivans.  I think they are way cool (and it does have 260 hp, put that up against most cars and see who’s got the ova?). 

Which brings me back to Brooke Shields person promoting VW’s new minivan. How insensitive can she be to her own people?  Really, like I am going to go out and have another baby to buy a VW minivan (which looks amazingly like my Honda Odyssey)?  Like I can JUST GO OUT AND GET PREGNANT FOR ANY OL’ REASON?  LIKE I HAVE A CHOICE OF WHEN AND HOW I MIGHT PROCREATE?

And more to the point, like I am going to be able to afford a new car anytime soon if I do undergo tens of thousands of dollars of assisted reproductive technologies or adoption expenses to have another child?  I guess Brooke never had to consider how expensive her IVF cost?  Maybe I should change the title of my book that even millionaires think this stuff is expensive.  Apparently the Shields family is rolling in it and doesn’t realize that in this economy, most of us are worried about our mortgage payments and the next IVF bill and not so much concerned about driving a fancy new minivan. I know I’ll be driving that Honda for a very long time  . . . and I’ll bet Brooke that my Honda outlasts her VW. 

But more to the point, I am tired, so tired of the hypocricy in Hollywood.  For once, I had a celebrity that I adored from childhood, that I had a personal connection to on so many different levels.  And I hate, loathe and despise the fact that she put her name on an ad that is so hurtful to millions of Americans trying to conceive or adopt everyday.  She sold out.  on us.  on me. 

And shame on VW.  I hope that the the millions of Americans struggling to have a baby boycott a company that equates baby-making with going on a little shopping spree.  My god, the analogy is appalling.

Buy a VW (and I used to own one) . . . never, ever again.  Watch Lipstick Jungle.  Not really sure about that, then again, I live in a cave and don’t get a lot of t.v. time anyway. 

and yeah, I’m back and I’m blogging!  Thanks for your patience.

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Comments

  1. Heather says:

    I just read your book. I laughed and cried and felt much more at peace with my insanity:)

    After 4 miscarriages, plenty of blood tests, a lap and a hysteroscopy the last thing I wanted to see was that commercial.

    Glad I am not just an angry infertile crazy person….

  2. Liz says:

    I am glad to hear that I am not an angry infertile person too. The silence on the blog was deafening (sp?) lol! I feel more normal now too! Sorry to hear about what you’ve been through. Totally sucks. let me know if I can help.

  3. Liz says:

    Okay, last night I actually got some t.v. time and was watching Army Wives with my DH. An ad came on for the VW minivan with Brooke a/k/a sell-out Shields. The t.v. ad (I had only seen the print ad before) is even worse! OMG. She actually talks about people utilizing IVF to have TRIPLETS to fill their minivan up. UMM. I was alarmed and disturbed before. But I need a thesaurus now. How many different ways can I find to say insensitive, offensive and (okay now I have to stop lest I get rude) . . . I am truly astonished. I am demanding an apologogy. Does anyone know how I can reach either Ms. Shields, her publicist, or VW’s advertising agency?

  4. Delia says:

    I’m totally with you.

    According to whorepresents.com:

    1. Brooke Shields’s Agent = Rob Kim
    2. Brooke Shields’s Attorney = Cliff Gilbert-Lurie
    3. Brooke Shields’s Commercial Agent = Gueran Ducoty
    4. Brooke Shields’s Publicist = Cari Ross

    and according to everyonewhosanyone.com the agent’s email address is kimr@unitedtalent.com. Good luck!

  5. Kathy says:

    Here is the email address to send a message expressing disgust to the agency responsible for these commercials:

    Crispin Porter + Bogusky
    info@cpbgroup.com

  6. Heather says:

    I’d like to send a letter of expressing my disgust to the ad agency AND VW, but I’d like to read on this blog first that someone has actually done this AND gotten a reply that their comments were received. I’m a current VW owner and, upon finding this blog forthe first time tonight, I’m fired up to scream at the company from which I purchased my used car… I’m so disgusted by this ad and sell-out Shields… I admired her before for what she had done to bring infertily to light for so many clueless and insensitive Americans, but her sellout participation is the disgusting ad is horrify and EXTREMELY insulting and painful.

    So, anyone sent letters or emails yet? Are the above sources valid? Thanks.

  7. Renee H says:

    I had to explain to my hubby why this commercial was so bad. He didn’t get it at first – I’m practically up in arms anytime I see something this insensitive!!
    Did anyone have any luck with their approaches to try to get through to Ms. Insensitive Shields?