Call me a prude. Call me old fashioned. You can certainly call me annoyed. I'm annoyed with RedPlum's social media department. They changed their Facebook page cover photo today featuring a suggestive, in my opinion, photo of a nude man in bed with a sheet draped in a strategic area and the following phrase written beside him: "Who's your daddy? save.com is the mack daddy of coupon codes & deals Father's Day is June 16."
What in the world is this supposed to suggest to their fans and coupon users?
Printing coupons from their site is sexy?
Saving on your Father's Day gifts is hot?
There is a man at RedPlum headquarters laying around covered in a sheet waiting for you to print coupons or take advantage of their deals? (Pun intended)
Here's what I wrote to them on their Facebook page:
Christie Dedman Not sure what kind of image your marketing department wants Save.com to have but I find this a little disgusting. It seems like you're embracing a culture that is really anti-Fathers more than celebrating fathers who are attentive, affectionate, available and loving to their children. While I'm a longtime coupon proponent, I'm not a proponent for using suggestive photos to save on gifts etc.
As of the time of this post there was no reply to my question on Facebook. I'll let you know if they post something. This old joke is a sign of what's happening in our culture.
UPDATE - They did respond with the following:
Christie Dedman, first, thanks for posting. While we're not happy you're upset, we're glad you're talking to us. Here was our thinking: we want to celebrate husbands who are awesome dads, and encourage moms to lavish love and praise on those dads...without paying full price! Our newly updated shopping & coupon code site, Save.com, is the mack daddy of coupon codes and can save moms tons on what they're buying for the sexy, loving, amazing men they married and had kids with. Does that make more sense?
Mack or Mac Daddy has a number of meanings, but not any I would ascribe to my own dad or husband. Top pimp? Owner of women? Go
. (Warning graphic language used on Urban Dictionary)
What about 'Who's your daddy?' what does that mean? Go
While this suggestive image is actually a fact of life and one night stands do create offspring and fathers, I wouldn't say this gross image celebrates what it means to be a father.
A father is present.
A father is involved.
A father is affectionate.
A father is attentive.
A father is a disciplinarian and loving at the same time.
This image and marketing campaign repulsed me and certainly wouldn't be used in reverse for Mother's Day.
What if there was a woman in lingerie with a come hither look with the phrase 'Who's your sugar mama? Save.com is the hot mama of coupons and deals. Mother's Day is May 12.'
Wouldn't that be disgusting? Do we think of mom dressed in lace underwear or draped in a sheet? No we do not, or at least the kids don't or don't want to. In fact I'm pretty certain the RedPlum staff didn't want to either. Go
While it's still cheesy it's G-rated for the most part.
So please RedPlum rethink your disgusting cover photo and stop using tired jokes from the 90s.