This afternoon I watched one of the latest television commercials for Kay Jewelers.
They have a jingle that pleasantly sings, "Every Kiss Begins with Kay."
In this latest ad, a son watches as his Father gives his Mother a "Kay" gift box and is instantly rewarded with a kiss. The boy then retreats to his room, and with a red crayon marks "kay" on a paper box. Later in the ad, the boy rings the doorbell of a young girl who accepts the box and quickly kisses the boy.
Bill Maher has a famous bit citing this "romantic reward" as being no different from outright prostitution. Family Guy spoofed the same concept in a more graphic motif:
However, back to this afternoon's ad for Kay:
It's not the advancement of this Capitalistic Coitus that bothers me. It's the inclusion of the Father's son. It's that this poor young boy must believe that the only way to have long lasting romantic involvement is at the price of materialistic objects with no intrinsic value beyond financial worth. Am I wrong for wanting the child to go at least until young adulthood to learn the truth?
Valentine's Day is this week. Enjoy.
