Dec 20 2007
Is A Diamond Forever?
Last night, while I was sitting curled up on my corner of the couch reading blogs, and Mr. Hot was jumping around the living room screaming at officials calling phantom fouls during the Pistons game, we got into a discussion about the overabundance of jewelry ads on television during this time of the year. (I use the term discussion lightly.)
Y’know the ones. The “Every Kiss Begins with Kay” and “He Went to Jared” and “You Can Have an Affair With My Best Friend As Long as You Come Home With A Bag from Zales” commercials.
He believes they’re demeaning to women. That they would lead someone to believe that a diamond can make a woman forget every wrong ever done to her (yes, I’m talking to you Kobe Bryant).
“Aren’t women insulted by these commercials? What is it about receiving the exact same piece of jewelry that is being advertised all over the country that is so special?”
I’ve personally never been insulted by them. I am, if anything, apathetic towards the entire diamond thing. Practice Husband used to buy me a bracelet every year. By the end of 9 Christmases, I felt like I was being shackled. I love funky (and inexpensive) earrings. I tend to pull at necklaces - a habit, which has on more than one occasion - had me crawling around under my desk picking up beads. (And once, while wearing a skirt, in a conference room with 12 men.)
My most prized jewelry possessions are my wedding rings (Mom’s originals and my Gramma’s wedding band), the garnet from when I went to India, and my pearl/moonstone/amethyst ring from Amsterdam (both one of kind and picked out and bought by me to commemorate these trips).
As for the advertisements that pop up regularly from October September through January (during televised sporting events like, ehem, Pistons games?)? I figure they’re either to
- make men feel guilty enough to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on shiny carbon rocks to prove “you’d marry her all over again” when they treat their wives like crap the rest of the year or
- give the completely unimaginative man something to shop for or
- damn. I can’t even come up with three reasons.
I want to make it clear that if you are a recipient of the Journey Diamond Pendant or a 3-diamond ring (past, present and future!), I’m not necessarily implying that you should hire a private detective to tail your husband -or- that he has the creativity of a styrofoam coffeecup. Well, maybe I am implying it, but I don’t really mean to - I just don’t get it. And neither does Mr. Hot.
So, help us figure it out.
What do you think of the ads? Because it’s really the advertising that is being held up to the criticism here. You may love all of the jewelry that is advertised, and it may make you swoon and give ….. cookies! ….. when you see that little box under the tree, and that’s okay. Really. I know a lot of wonderful people (Mom) who fit that description. But the advertising. What’s your take on it?
—- Let me know in the comments. That way, when we’re watching the Pittsburgh/St. Louis game tonight, and see the guy painting his wife/girlfriend’s toenails for the eleventy-kazillionth time, we’ll have your brilliant insights to read. Which has to be better than “Helping Regular Guys since 1915” —-
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Scout *totally* thinks he needs to buy me jewelry. He bought me a necklace and *dangly* earrings for my first Mother’s Day. Which I wore the necklace about 15 minutes before Alex almost ripped it off me, the earrings I got more wear out of - but are now in a box awaiting the end of the rip stuff out of my ears phase.
He also continues to feel like he should have gotten me a BIGGER diamond in my wedding/engagement ring. When, dude, I bit my nails so much it’s a travesty to even *have* a diamond on my hand.
anyway. in his case - “SIZE MATTERS” it’s a “I bought this for my wife, see, see, I’m a good husband” gesture to the rest of the world.
At least I think so. But then, I could be wrong.
I think those ads are
lame
lame
lame
super lame
lame
lame
lame
I don’t hate them and I’m not offended by them, but I can’t believe the diamond industry is still using psychological warfare to increase sales. Lame.
One of my husband’s friends has an avatar that’s a silhouette of a women throwing her legs around a man. The text says, “Diamonds. She’ll pretty much have to.” I think that sums it up.
But what really annoys me about jewelry commercials is their UTTER STUPIDITY! Have you noticed they never actually talk about jewelry? All they say is stuff like, “we’ve always shopped at Jarod’s and always will,” or “their new diamonds are great. Really special.” Okay, so WHY do you shop there, and WHAT is so freaking great about the diamond???? They never explain, which does not tempt me in the least to shop there.
IMO, I tend to find those commercials tacky and overbearing. I don’t want to wear the same piece of jewelry that everyone and their momma is brainwashed into having. I want something that either I (a) buy myself or (b) thought is put into it. I also want to know WHERE my jewelry comes from. If I see ONE more commercial for that journey pendant :::ugh::: the foot might have to go through the TV.
Men are pretty much told “This is what you do” and even yesterday I listened to this DJ on the radio TELLING women “You just want jewelry”. When the woman protested he kept insisting he KNEW that’s what she wanted. All girls want jewelry. (Yes - he’s still single and doesn’t have a girlfriend. Wonder why).
I could care less about Jared, Littmans, ShaneCo. or whatever else mass marketed jewelry emporium is out there. I’m not a fan of the Tiffany blue box (don’t shoot me). I detest any celeb endorsed jewelry (Note to Jessica Simpson: Just don’t!) And, imo, not every kiss begins with Kays.
Just my two cents…
I get annoyed by this newish trend of an “it” piece of jewelry to commemorate your love each holiday. First it was the three-stone ring (for your past, present and future), then it was the circle pendant (because your love has no end), now it’s the journey necklace (show how your love has grown). Snooze.
I am ALL FOR gifts of jewelry, but this mass-marketed stuff does nothing for me.
Those ads all annoy the crap out of me, especially the Shane Co. & Jared ones. My engagement/wedding ring was from a private jeweler, which is nice because I have yet to see it’s twin. I do have to admit that I’d like some diamond earrings down the line, just some studs, but other than that I don’t see the point of all that jewelery. You want to give your wife a real gift? Give me gift certificates for a cleaning service and a day spa. That’ll get you laid a whole lot more than a necklace that everybody and their mother have!
I agree that the advertising is overbearing and overdone. And I’m not a fan of the “It” piece of jewelry, as Laurel called it above. That said, if your wife or girlfriend appreciates beautiful jewelry, and you want to buy it for her, then do. But do it because she will truly enjoy it, not because it’s “the gift” this year!
My sister asked for a leaf blower this year and her husband thought she was joking. She wasn’t, so I loaned her mine.
Diamonds are not always a girl’s best friend.
[...] Jocelyn had some great ideas on this topic.You can read a snippet of the post here.…up on my corner of the couch reading blogs, and Mr … prized jewelry possessions are my wedding rings (Mom’s originals and my Gramma’s [...]
Those ads annoy the shit out of me. They basically are saying “He doesn’t REALLY love you unless he buys you an expensive piece of jewelry.” Give me a break. They’re starting to do the same thing towards women - have you noticed the preponderance of ads for plasma tvs and the like? “Don’t just give a gift, grant a wish.” Because nothing says love like a flat screen television.
If I find a piece of jewelry I want, I’ll save my money and buy it myself. It’s not that I don’t want TCBIM to buy me jewelry, but I don’t want him to feel obligated to do it. Know what I mean? It means more if he does it because he wants to, not because he bought into the advertising hype and got me the necklace/ring/bracelet of the moment.
3. Men buy it out fear of their woman, wife, whatever never giving them any every again.
I really feel sad for the guys and wonder about women who put the screws to their man about what expensive piece of jewelery they BETTER get them. Doesn’t that take the meaning out of it? The thought? The surprise?
I don’t think the ads are demeaning just lame and no, I will never want a mass produced piece of jewelery. Especially if it is featured in an ad. Why not just throw in a Chia pet and the CLapper while you are at it?
I guess I never thought about it as demeaning. Ultimately aren’t there only a handful of really cool tv ads anyway? Maybe I’m not watching the right channels. However, I think that we ALL know someone (as Hot pointed out) that MUST have the ‘BEST’ and ‘IT’ items. Fortunately all the really cool, level-headed, ladies are here
They’re directed at men who are truly dumb enough to believe that women want crappy-quality diamonds from chain retailers–I mean what sets the Kay Diamond necklace apart from the identical cubic zicronium (Sp?) one at the “jewelry counter” at Target? $100?
I loved this post because Mr. D and I have had the same questions many a time (since Halloween, it seems, when they began airing).
I hate the commercials, and think they paint both women and men with an unflattering brush. Women only want big diamonds! Men are too stupid to figure this out on their own! (Like the radio commercial for KayJarShawWhatever when the woman’s friends are all ‘How did he know about FancySchmancy Store?’ ‘His dad told him. Well, his mom told his dad to tell him.’ gag.) The Husband always rolls his eyes at these commercials because he thinks they portray the women as shallow because of how they swoon as soon as they see the earrings/necklace/ring, but I think the men look like idiots, too, since they can’t come up with a gift idea on their own.
I like jewelry. I wear a wide variety of styles of jewelry. Buying me sparkly jewelry does not increase The Husband’s chances of getting romance. Buying me things other than sparkly jewelry does not decrease The Husband’s chances of getting romance. In the 15+ years we have been together, I have been choked up only by three jewelry gifts- (1) the engagement ring he hid in the star on the tree, (2) the diamond stud earrings he bought with the intention of me wearing them on our wedding day, (3) the the mother’s ring he snuck out of my jewelry box to ‘update’ when we had the surprise kid (he knew I never wore it anymore once The Younger Son was born, so he took it back to the jeweler to find out if a third stone could be added.)
Thoughtful comments. Smart readers. A lot of men watching sports are totally clueless about what to get their missus. They may recall the cold shoulder after giving her a vacuum or something they thought would be cool. They really just don’t want to be in the doghouse.
That is who these ads appeal to. The clueless. And, the women are partly to blame for this. You know, the ones who say “If you really loved me, you would know what I want.” Yes, it appears that love is a psychic exercise.
No wonder they figure they can’t go wrong with a diamond piece of crap.
I hate diamonds in general. I just think it’s so dumb. It’s a rock. What makes it special? Only the fact that we value it. Why do we value it? Because other people do. Why are diamonds expensive? Because they hold them back so that they retain value.
People spend a ton of money on something that has no resale value, that has no inherent worth, that has no use, that isn’t even the prettiest rock. There are other prettier rocks. The only reason people like them is because it shows that someone thought you were worth spending money on. So I guess if that floats someone’s boat, carry on. I just - think it’s really dumb and pointless, and considering the very tragic human cost most diamonds carry - sad.
I was basically going to say the same thing Laurel did…so ditto Laurel!
My engagement ring is a star sapphire and my wedding band is a Celtic knot, both picked by me for their uniqueness and what they mean to me. I don’t think I would feel comfortable wearing the same diamonds (or wedding band for that matter) as every other woman in the world. How blah…