Thursday, May 25, 2006

ITT Tech Rant

Alright, every time I see this commercial I always think to myself "I'm going to blog about that" but then forget. So here is my long-time-in-the-making rant.

You've probably seen the commercials for ITT tech. They star real life graduates that are giving their testimony as to the greatness of their life since obtaining their degree. So far so good, right? I mean a bit of love and loyalty to the alma mater isn't a bad thing in the least. However, the way one of the commercials portrays the before and after really gets my goat.

Nice looking gal most likely in her early 30's appears on camera, "I used to be a stay at home wife." (said as if the life achievement is comparable to that of the garden variety fungi) She continues, "I knew that if I wanted to give my kids everything they needed I'd need a degree." You can't see my expression in reaction to this, but suffice it to say it isn't celebratory.

I wish I could write ITT tech and complain about the bias of their advertising department, but alas I fear that isn't really where the problem is. Somewhere along the line women have come to believe the lie that those who can be productive members of society work, those who can't settle for being stay at home moms. And if you are a stay at home mom the basic assumption is that you're counting down until you get to ship them off to school at which point you're going to sit on the couch and eat bon bons. GRRRRRRRR! (yes, that is me growling.)

Really though I don't growl long, for more than anything this makes me really really sad. I think about this poor woman who was at home with her children and felt like it wasn't enough, that somehow the things they could buy with her paycheck were of more value than her time at home.

Yes, there are families that really do need two incomes. I mean truly need both, not need both because they like their two income life style. My mom for example had to work. At the time of my birth my dad didn't have a job and they needed to buy things like groceries. My rant is not against women in the work force who need to be there. There are also plenty of situations where women need to be the sole wage earners temporarily, or are able to have jobs else where that don't compromise their instructions to be keepers of their homes. I know many women back home who teach part time and it works quite well within the other responsibilities. So just to make it clear, I'm not ranting about anything like that. I don't think any moms who are working outside the home are somehow not as good as mothers who don't, or that there is a requirement Biblically to not earn an outside income, far from it.

Rather it is this mentality that working full time is somehow the preferred state for anyone who has half a brain. I really believe that this is why most women choose a full time career- because they have bought the lie that it is truly better, that they can't have a fulfilled life unless they are outside of the home, that their children will suffer for lack of stuff, that the larger home and the two cars is what is necessary for happiness.

That's what bothers me about this commercial- that the expressed sentiment is that the woman was able to escape from a meaningless existence into her best life now just because she got a full time job.

At this point I'm just rambling. But in summary I desire so much for women to break free from this mentality. No, working isn't bad for mom's to do, not at all. But staying home is a good thing, a fantastic first choice, not a consolation prize for those of us who couldn't come up with a better idea.