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This was in the mail:

Life’s Too Short To Clean Your Own House.

A lovely brochure, featuring a lovely couple, with two lovely blond children, sitting in a lovely family room. The dad is reading a book with one of the daughters. The mom is laughing over a laptop with the other daughter. A pretty picture.

Short answer portion of the quiz:
1. Why did the advertising folks choose to put two girls in the picture instead of a girl and a boy?
2. Why did they choose to have the mom pose with the laptop?
3. Who cleans the housecleaners’ houses?

Bonus question: are the perky college students pictured on the inside of the brochure real housecleaners or just models?

Comments

John said…
Sorry, too easy.

1. Because 'girls at leisure on account of not having to clean house' send a more powerful message than 'boys at leisure.' Boys are always at leisure.

1a. Maybe they don't clean houses with boys in them. That would make sense.

2. Come on. It's clip art.

2a. Okay. Because Mom is still responsible for the housecleaning, and she is using the internet to requisition the cleaning service.

2b (for real). Because Mom works professionally outside the home. We can assume Dad does. But we need evidence that this Mom's life in particular is too short.

3. Who cuts the barber's hair?

Bonus: They're in a brochure. Ergo, they're models. However, this is a misstep. You want for housecleaners a dour frumpy couple of middle-age, who despise you only slightly less than they despise filth. Have you seen a college student's room lately?

I recommend you do not hire this company, and put the brochure in a time capsule for the day women are liberated. Oh, wait....
1:39 AM
John said…
Follow up (I know, I'm a nerd):

(a) A better way of expressing number 2 is: If the roles were reversed, and the mom were reading to the child, one would be compelled to ask, "Hey! If she has time to sit and read, why ain't she cleaning?"

(b) Thanks for the quiz. I enjoyed it. I'll expect my grades in the mail. Along with a gross of Mr. Clean.
10:22 AM
listeme said…
You get an A, John.
7:25 PM
Anonymous said…
Now, John - think hard: how could you have got that elusive A+? (you're tough, Marsh, tough!)
9:22 PM
John said…
I suppose my answer to #3 was too smart-alecky.

Although, to be honest, until you mentioned it, I wouldn't have looked for anything higher than an A. But I'm an underachiever.
10:19 PM
listeme said…
Smart alec remarks earn bonus points with me!

(Although I should be careful saying that where my children can hear me...)
11:03 PM
Anonymous said…
By bonus points do you mean a solid whuppin'?

I couldn't resist. ;)

- Dan
1:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Smart alec!
7:24 AM
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