Psst! Did you see the FREE book offer?

[rebeccamumsnet]

Hello. We just wanted to jump up and down in an excited way and draw your attention to the fab book freebie being offered to all Mumsnetters by Radox.

We know a fair few of you have claimed your free book already but there are still some left - and we didn't want anyone to miss out.

Just click on the link to find out more - and happy reading!

PS If you haven't claimed your book, can you tell us why? Is it because you're waiting for a different month to get the book you really want?

Thanks

Oh, was all excited - but it's all chicklit. AAARRRGGGGHHHHH.

I haven't claimed any for pretty much the same reasons as the others who haven't - I don't enjoy chick-lit and it's pretty unimaginative of Radox to think that's what all us women like to read

It's a great idea - relax with a bath and a book, but the execution is clunky, badly thought-out and faintly patronising.

Surely only men and/or young, child-free women could decide that mothers needed to be 'selfish' with chick-lit

Being forced to lie in a luke warm bath which smells of cheap scent and reading a shit book: not "selfish". IMHO of course. Each to their own.

I'm still cross with radox for blocking my drainage pipes. Plus not a chick lit fan. Plus don't need to be on another mailing list!

Apart from tractors I would never read any of these, can't we have a more balanced choice. please please

Someone earlier mentioned that she would have preferred something like the Richard & Judy selection of books. I think that must have been the kind of selection I was expecting to see in this offer: not highbrow, but accessible and good and varied. The selection they have come up with instead does really suggest to be a kind of mild contempt for mothers. I wonder if MNHQ had any opportunity to give a view on the selection. Hope not: it would be awful to think they shared Radox's opinion of their users.

I have claimed... I'm not a fussy reader, and love a freebie.

Have not claimed for the reasons summarised so eloquently by Eleison and others above.

The campaign is stupid and patronising as well as offensive in that it suggests that mothers would only enjoy chick lit with pastel coloured jackets. Apart from tractors in Ukrainian I would never read any of the books listed, so have not claimed and in fact will NOT buy Radox (don't like it much anyway, but have bought it in the past when it was on offer, now annoyed and won't buy it even if it is on offer).

Havent claimed yet because there's only one decent one, and they've put it last, of course. The rest are crap. The whole thing remnids me of old ladies 'treating themselves' to a cake on Sunday, or a taxi back from town . Its really changed my impression of radox for the worse.

The April one looked like it might be OK and so I tried to Google it for a review, but the title and author aren't listed!

That's a bit of an oversight isn't it? It would be better if you could include this info.

Otherwise, I agree with the others. I thought ooh, free books! Then looked at them and though uh no, they're not for me. Except Tractors, which I have also read.

Agree with the Richard and Judy idea.

Tractors is fab, but have it already. Rest look dreadful.

And all that selfish crap. It's like feminism never happened.

I hadn't even looked at the titles, cos I didn't want to give radox the 'click' after the 'selfish time' comment, but now I am even more opposed. Unbelievably patronising selection of books on offer. There's room for all genres, but to assume that everyone on here only likes 'chicklit' and that's as much as our poor little lady brains can take.

I, like numerous others, do not read 'chicklit'.

I might get the tractors one, but probably not as I feel quite annoyed at the patronising stereotyping that Radox seem to be doing.

i am with the majority here - i did go to the website but i would not actually ever read any of the books in a million years

so thanks but no thanks :)

I would like a genuine answer from Radox as to why they have marketed this as "selfish time". Also, why they feel the need to bung chick lit crap in the offer (is it genuinely all they could get, or is it a choice?)? Is this all they think women read, when they are taking a break from ironing the shirts of their husband

I claimed. I actually like chicklit, although I agree that the choice of books is a bit meh.

The slogan is quite bad. Would a car forum offer its members the chance to "be selfish, get away from the pressures of family life, do something for yourself"?

Why is it seem as being selfish when we mothers do something for ourselves, when it benefits the entire family?

Shame that Radox did not come on to MN before they thought up the campaign. Or they should have perhaps gone to Netmums (no offence to posters on that site).

It's really sad, isn't it?
I can't imagine they'll come on and comment/apologise.

Unprune
I feel almost sorry for the marketing dept at Raddox, tbh.

If asked to justify the 'selfish tie' theme, Radox will just say: We are on your side, validating your entitlement to time for yourself, knowing how hard you work for other people. But of course we know that. What is irritating is the tag 'selfish'. Partly because it isn't remotely selfish to take care of yourself by having a bath or reading a book, and to say otherwise plays on the age-old association of pleasure with guilt that women have been taught. But mostly it is irritating because it is such a silly theme, aligning self-care with that alleged feminine fantasy of 'pampering', and flattering our little heads with the old cliche of mothers' martyrdom.

Coupled with the stupidity of the books on offer it is insulting, and this matters because the marketing of books to women is shot through with these attitudes, to the cost of female authors and readers -- see the Shriver article linked to below.

I'm glad MN started this thread. They are in a good position to give feedback to the marketers about how much their perception of women's reading is shortchanging women.

MmeLindt I imagine tbh that they won't get it.
Advertisers seem to have rhino hides where this sort of thing is concerned.

Yep I can imagine them thinking we just don't get it rather than really reflecting on the attitudes they are perpetuating. Maybe they could tell us to 'lighten up' too . Or maybe like the BBC they can tell us how actually the slogan was thought up by women, so we are all wrong Actually I'll stop giving tips as it could ruin a perfectly good bingo game...

Hehhehehe yes
I've just had a long hot bath, and enjoyed reflecting on how I felt neither guilty nor selfish for doing so.
It is such a lot of utter toss.