Fun With The Marie Stopes Ad

Except for the Thatcherian voice towards the end detachedly mentioning that “YOU could be pregnant, ‘late women’” (paraphrased), it’s really simple to misinterpret this ad.

So don’t ever mute your TV again.

First we come upon Jenny Evans, the absentminded, 20-something desk slave who’s late for the 7:43 bus to King’s Cross again. She’s going to get sacked if she keeps this up.

Then Katie Simmons is late, too, for her sizing-up appointment at St George’s Academy. (She’ll never get into Cambridge if she isn’t prepped, even at sixteen months.) Why her mother thought it would be a good idea to drag her and her older brother through St James’s Park, where there are just too many distractions for even well behaved toddlers, is beyond me.

Finally, the roving eye focuses on poor Tabitha Wilson. She’s been waiting for hours for Shareen to show up so they can make bad pottery together. Why can’t anyone make it when they say they will?

I say shame on Marie Stopes for highlighting the tardiness of these women. I mean, no one follows Dr Stopes around with a TV camera pointing out every time she’s late for something.

And I know you’re perpetually late, Marie, because you died in 1958. So stop making a federal case out of other people’s problems.

Also read:

The Commercialization Of Abortion