Slate magazine recently launched Double X, a blog devoted to women’s issues, which feels like an hybrid of Jezebel (for its sass) and Feministing (for its feminist consciousness); The New York Times wrote an insightful article about the blog launch here.
I have been thoroughly enjoying this new site – so imagine my surprise when, this morning, I stumbled upon this ad from Sprint (the U.S. telecommunications company) on an article about Suprime Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (notice the top banner):
It reads: “Plastic surgeries happening in the U.S.: 31” … “Videos uploaded on sprint phones: 459”
A page reload yielded a similar ad about the # of “spray tans sold in the U.S.”
Plastic surgery? Spray tans? I understand the importance of niche marketing, but why is it that I have to witness obnoxious, stereotypical ads on a progressive site with a feminist slant? Am I the only one to notice a disconnect? Bah.
The advertising on blogs really pisses me off. On Jezebel yesterday the banner was inviting me to take my pick of asian girls for romance or marriage. And feministing had a banner about weight loss that was on every page. I love these sites but if they’re selling advertising space, even if it’s through google ads, surely they can exercise a bit of discretion.