India Knight "Stop breast-beating, sisters" - comment on charities' complaints re OK! article

[SueW]

In today's Times

Why can't they understand it's about underhand advertising?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[JeremyVile]

Beansprout - i have been criticised.

Www - was asked if she felt 'guilty'

pretty standard stuff....

[WideWebWitch]

Yes, I don't particularly like her for all sorts of (mainly feminist) reasons but I don't really care how she feeds her baby and I do think it's up to her.

[JeremyVile]

You had me at hello, you had me at hello.

[Nightynight]

jeremyv, are you then saying that formula milk advertising should be allowed?
that would probably push the low rates of breastfeeding in teh UK down to extinction.


Although Jordan got a lot of flak here that should have been directed at SMA, you cannot seriously think, that if she had merely been quoted saying she didnt want a baby drinking from her, that it would have got so much publicity?
Without the product placement, and the "quotes" that are obviously part of the ad, it would have got one thread on mumsnet, with everyone saying Typical, that that would have been that.

The reason why everyone is up in arms, is because of the SMA advertising - not because of jordan's decision to formula feed, or even her decision to talk about it.

I am disappointed that India Knight didn't get that.

[beansprout]

And I have been criticised for b/feeding. b/feeding after 6 months is routinely called "odd", "weird" etc on anyone with an ounce of respect for other people doesn't go around criticising others for these things.

I stand by my comment that ff is the norm though.

[JeremyVile]

I dont really have any more to say....if i start i'll be here forever and this isn't an argument that can be resolved.
It will rumble on and evolve and flare up and die down ad infinitum.......

...and i've got to go and stick pins in kittens eyes

[Gobbledigook]

'toxic, triumphantly judgmental people'

Describes a few people on MN down to a tee I think.

[fishie]

i am angry about this because of the message it gives,that breastfeeding women have some sort of agenda and wish to attack formula feeders. i couldnt give a stuff, just would prefer to live in a society where breastfeeding is supported and not denigrated.

[beansprout]

I'm sure IK did get that point Nightynight, but that wouldn't give her the same opportunity to slag off b/feeders though, would it? She might have to write a balanced article and that would never do.....

[beansprout]

And I have to go and be judgemental somewhere....

[WideWebWitch]

[IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo]

I wholeheartedly agree with this JeremyVile when she says "it seems to me that the people who get truly worked up about ff are a small section of bfers." But God... that small minority can get very nasty when they get worked up, making it look as if there were plenty of people who agrees with them and shares thei vitriol, which is not the case.

[WideWebWitch]

I think breastfeeding women DO routinely attack ff mothers, actually, on mn at least. Look at how the threads kick off.

[Gobbledigook]

Christ alive, I agree with JV

[beansprout]

And vice-versa too but please don't tar us all with the same brush. Some of us are quite nice really

[WideWebWitch]

I do think we should stop attacking each other for our various choices. I think we all know breastfeeding is best (oh maybe we don't all agree on that point but anyway) but plenty of people don't want to/don't like it/can't do it. So what, what's it to you? Breastfeed if you want to but leave those who don't alone.

[WideWebWitch]

That 'what's it to you?' wasn't addressed to anyone here btw, it was a general YOU as in ONE.

[IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo]

But WWW, you are talking then about the breastfeeding mafia which is an unexistant entity, remember? .

[IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo]

that was the response for your post at 9:24

[Gobbledigook]

Of course beansprout - in RL I only came up against one person that gave me a hard time for switching to formula and it really doesn't seem that big a deal, but on MN there are some real pieces of work.

[WideWebWitch]

Okaaaay. So to summarise this so far civilised discussion:

Some breastfeeders attack ffing
Others are quite nice really
Some ffeeders attack bfeeding
Others are quite nice really
Jordan is a porn star
She f feeds
Formula advertising is illegal but she took the SMA shilling we think?

[Gobbledigook]

Hmm, I don't think Jordan is a porn star is she? She's a glamour moggle

[WideWebWitch]

I think formula feeding women DO routinely attack bfeeding mothers, actually, on mn at least. Look at how the threads kick off.

(just to even things up!)

[Katy44]

I thought that article was quite hysterical, and she hadn't really understood the issues before writing it.
In her defense though, I took the comment about still being at bf in 5 years like a loony hippy to be an example of how, whatever you do, your choices are judged by someone (coming straight after the kittens' eyes comment).
Does anyone actually think ff is wrong?? Or look down on ff mothers? Surely the issues are Jordan influencing millions of little girls to think that their breasts are for sex only and that there's something a bit disgusting about using them to feed a baby? Also SMA adhering to the letter of the guidelines they've signed up to while cleverly managing to get their message across in other ways.
Celebrity endorsement works - think of all the stuff Beckham has endorsed. Advertisers don't do it on a whim, they know it works and probably have a very good idea of their return for every pound spent. They also know their market. Presumably all the people coming on here saying they wouldn't be influenced by how Jordan feeds her baby - you're not the people it's intended to influence!