Monday, April 21, 2008

Looking for Lots of Good Women

The Marines has scraped the bottom of the barely eligible barrel for male recruits -- felons, those who hadn't completed their high school education, a tad overweight. Not exactly the image portrayed in their ads, or their image. Their ads also sorta skipped a major demographic that could be open to being recruited (and to kick their sorry-ass male counterparts' butts): women. There's an idea!

The New York Times reports today there are now ads in women's mags like Self and Fitness, as well as -- wait for it -- on American Idol. Not sure who they're going for there. Chances of being a Marine are slightly higher than being the next Idol. And the humiliation factor might even be about the same for newbies.

There is something about this cynical type of targeting that makes my skin crawl. First it was going after high school students, then seriously under-qualified men. Now the desperate armed forces need to fill their ranks with more fodder. The few, the proud? I guess there are too few. Let's hope not too many women fall for that line.

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