The not-so-recent phenomenon that still has me completely baffled are the family stickers people put on their cars. They are traditionally found on mini-vans and station wagons and depict a happy little stick figure family that often includes a briefcase-toting dad, a super mom, some smaller kids, and even a pet or four. The thing that completely confuses me is why would anyone feel the need to spend money on stickers to represent every member of their family and then deface their shiny Volvos with them?
The other alarming trend is that like the bird flu, it is spreading to other vehicles and changing in variety. After a quick Google search, I discovered you can buy these stickers with flip flops, footprints, sea turtles, and footballs of different sizes and colors to denote the age and gender of your family members. You can also go with a Mickey Mouse theme or just design them yourself on websites like http://www.familystickers.com. This website allows you to put these stick figures on mugs and shirts too!
First of all, as a kid I would have been completely mortified if my mom would have put these on our car (much less worn a t-shirt with our family on it). Just the honor roll bumper stickers were enough to instill the required amount of middle school torture. Is this a scheme by psychiatrists to make sure that kids have one more thing to later blame on their moms in future therapy sessions?
Is this perhaps a badge of honor for moms? “Look, I have procreated 3.2 times! I’m Super Mom!” Does depicting a happy little stick figure family on the back of their vans make them feel like they have it together when life is actually hectic, crazy, and usually far from perfect? Maybe it’s like the “Baby on Board” signs which I also don’t understand. Never in my life have I thought, “hmm… I think I’ll hit that car today, but oh no, I shouldn’t. There’s a baby on board!” Does distracting me with your car graffiti make me a safer driver for babies everywhere?
Again, I would love input since I am dumbfounded at this phenomenon. Is this a new requirement to get into the car loop to pick up your kids from school? Perhaps they’re a new demand by ritzy home owners associations: “Thou shalt not keep your garbage cans out after dark, mow your lawn on Sundays, and you must put stickers on your Town & Country so we can keep track of your kids and Fido too!”
Christina Waxlax
Great post, Christina! I had to laugh while reading it since I feel the same way. I would also never consider putting a family sticker on my car and I would have been embarrassed if my parents had done that, too. But I guess it’s like you said. People like to demonstrate that they are a happy family, even when they might not be in reality. But in today’s fast changing world, where life is characterized by stress, concerns about employment and other problems, people like to reach out for something that gives them stability, which the thought of a happy family certainly does. The other thing is that people really like to share what is going on in their life. Even though I haven’t seen a lot of my friends from high school in a while, I know exactly what’s going on in their lifes thanks to facebook. And to me the sticker is somewhat equivalent to the relationship status on facebook, only transferred to the real world.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I couldn't agree with you more. I hate these stickers!
ReplyDeleteI think it is weird how much people are willing to invite others into their lives. Like I give a damn if you have 2 kids, 1 dog, and a gold fish (that is probably going to die in 2 weeks). This is a phenomenon I wish would stop, but obviously the general population loves it.
It would be interesting to do an interview or a focus group with individuals that have purchased these stickers. I would love to know their motivation, and what they think the stickers say about them.
I think we should start investing in "sticker-scrapers" as this fad has to die out!
--Andrew Akers
I think that these stickers appeal to a very specific group of people. It's like you said; it's 'super moms' or those who would like to be considered to be super mom.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a very strange sort of validation. Somehow it seems like just being a great mom and having a family is not satisfactory enough anymore. One must scream it to the world for it to truly matter.
Even though this trend seems pretty stupid to me too, it does completely tie in with the huge movement towards people's need to share with the rest of the world. In the advent of social media we can think about how much people share with the world via the internet; what you're doing at any particular point in time, your marital status etc. It doesn't seem strange to us in that format, perhaps because it lives on the web but this need for expression lives both inside and outside of the websphere.
These stickers seem to be just an extension of this concept: a tangible status update that you post on your rear windshield like you would a status update on your facebook wall.
I do think it's a fad that would eventually die down but it does bring to light an important insight related to the general public's desire to share pieces of their lives with society. Whether that is via social media or car bumper doesn't matter once you can get your voice heard.
--Marielle des Etages
Christina,
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious! I agree completely and I believe these mom's want some kind of way to validate themselves. Let be clear, the supermoms sacrifice a lot and many of their daily tasks go unnoticed and under appreciated. The issue is that the recognition they need should come from their own family, not from some unknown spectator who is staring at your back windshield.
Ronald Williamson