Update: Miss Bimbo off her diet pills.The boys behind missbimbo.com had second thoughts about the messages they were sending their players:

As a result of this rather surprising media attention we have decided to remove the option of purchasing diet pills from the game. We apologise to any players whom this may inconvenience but we feel in light of this weeks proceedings it is the correct action to take.

Can a Bratz doll represent a strong role model? I’m going with “no,” but would like to hear the arguments.

Relaunched Sweet Valley High books have thinner characters. Thanks to Facebook PEM Fan Juliet Ray. Why would Random House a) even think to do this and b) point it out in a press release?

Celebrating Families attacks consumer culture in the U.K. Psychologists Maye Taylor and Helen Sanderson believe parents are unfairly blamed in the media:

They are getting all the responsibility for what is being claimed as a breakdown in family life and all the experts are telling them they are doing it wrong. We are both psychologists and both parents and we thought we would fight back.”

Good idea!

On day four of The Horrible Virus that Attacked Our House and All the Adults Inside, I dragged myself and my six-year-old to the local SuperAmerica for two gallons of milk, soup, crackers, and a big Gatorade.

It took pretty much all my strength to bring those items up to the checkout, and I had to take three trips since there were no shopping baskets. Once in line, of course, it took a while for our turn, so I concentrated on remaining vertical while my daughter stared eye-to-eye with the candy rack.

Mommy, can I get something?

No, honey, you can have a cookie when we get home.

But I want something!

I know you do, but you’re not going to get it.

But Mommy . . . !

Mommy’s NOT IN THE MOOD, honey!

But, but . . . it’s all right HERE!

If I had the strength, I would have explained to her about product placement in retail stores but instead I mumbled, bastards.

I bring this up because it is sort of related to Amy’s post on the marketing trend she calls “outrage baiting.” Among other things, she cites the newest thing in candy bars, caffeine, and a new additive to make any drink an “energy” drink, Blow. It’s a white powder that comes in a vial. Of course.

“Blow” and caffeinated candy bars would never be marketed to children, according to their manufacturers.

PHEW. Now all I have to worry about on the candy rack is the Bratz “perfume” bottle with powdered candy, “wand,” and matching pink mirror. Those edgy Bratz products!

Photo courtesy dosenation.com

Of course I’m on the Bratz mailing list. This came today:

If you can’t read that, it says:

Hey Bratz Fan! Head on down to your local Subway restaurants from Novemer 19th to December 30th and get Fashionably Fit! With every purchase of a super delish “Fresh Fit for Kids” meal you’ll get free fabulous Bratz swag. Being beautiful means taking care of yourself and above all eating healthy! Check out BRATZ.COM for more info! Later Style Star, The Bratz 

Great, I’m thinking, one fast-food place I don’t mind taking my kids to and now I have to avoid Subway, too. And what exactly is “fashionably fit?”

And, free swag? They’ve made a Bratz-themed evergreen decoration for my door?

Clicking through I find that the free giveaway is a “glam n’ go compact” or a “Bratz express your bratitude door hanger.”

And they’ve trademarked “bratitude.”

I do have a point here. Check out the background pattern on the ad. Look closely.

Isaac Larian, is this still my twisted sense of what I see in an advertisement?