The Presentation Fashion Show is an event that is well attended but even more well known for its substantial contributions to Presentation’s work scholarship fund. As tradition goes, it’s a night filled with glitz and glam, where Pres alumni and parents gather to support the school as select members of the senior class strut their stuff on the runway.

However, the fashion show is also notoriously known for causing chaos among the senior class. Because students have to wait four years before they have a chance to be a model for the fashion show, they are especially peeved when they don’t get picked for the job. Furthermore, because the selection process is said to decide models based on a student’s involvement in the school, Pres girls are angered when their extracurricular activities are deemed unworthy.

While it’s definitely understandable for Pres girls to be a little upset if they are not chosen to model in the show, downright outrage is not the way to go. Students shouldn’t base their outlook on their entire high school career on whether or not they modeled in their high school fashion show. The knowledge gained and friendships made at this school are by far more important than the fleeting memories we will have of one fashion show weekend. In a few years, no one will even remember which senior was chosen for this event. As Ms. Miller reminded the senior class, even she wasn’t selected to be a model her senior year, but yet, life went on.

Moreover, contrary to popular belief, the fashion show is not about the models or hostesses—it’s supposed to be centered on raising money for other students’ tuition. If one steps back to look at the bigger picture, it may seem odd that an event that was originally focused on philanthropy has somehow grown into a competition throughout the senior class. Maybe if students took the main idea of the fashion show into consideration, there wouldn’t be such widespread unrest among the student body.

Therefore, the selection process that ‘elects’ models to the Fashion Show is just fine the way it is. Half the students are chosen by merit while the other half are selected based on pure luck of the draw. Furthermore, according to event coordinator Ms. Spencer, the physical drawing of participants in the fashion show was publicized to the students, outruling the possibility for a ‘conspiracy.’ This process leaves the majority of Presentation’s most involved students satisfied that their hard work paid off and another group of students who perhaps weren’t as involved pleasantly surprised with an opportunity to represent their class.

One must remember that, in the real world, models are typically assessed solely on exterior qualities: beauty and height. Given the stigma of fashion shows and modeling in general, Presentation does a fine job of choosing their models based on worthy qualities such as involvement and school spirit.

There is nothing wrong with letting loose and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. The thing is, there is a tomorrow and there will be more dances. With that in mind, each dance should be a unique and new experience with different themes and types of dance. One can be club like and fast, when another can have the traditions of a more formal setting.

It seems that people forget that there are more types of dance than just freaking or jumping. Someone doesn’t have to be a professional dancer or have taken classes in order to do more classy free form dancing. Think of the Father Daughter dance, for example. Most fathers will not know how to waltz, much less you. However, you don’t see everyone taking part in frivolous behaviors either.

Senior Katie Correia commented, “Even though the Father Daughter dance was different from a mixer, it was still a lot of fun. You don’t have to be an expert dancer to have a good time. My father and I won a trophy by just dancing freely.”

Imagine what it would be like if there was one dance that you could do with people of your own age group. The songs will be upbeat and fun, with everyone dancing and twirling in their groups of friends and with their dates without the need to grind or get too loud. The songs and dance can also slow down, allowing for more traditional dance. It would effectively cause everyone to appreciate other forms of dance and try out new things with their friends and have fun. The ball wouldn’t have to be stiff, but rather be a fresh revival of a classic, time honored convention.

Rachel Rovetto, junior, stated, “I love to dress up and have a reason to try new things. I think that by trying a new style of dance I could learn new things to show off to my friends and also have a reason to buy a new dress.”

A possibility to creating such a dance could stem from asking a ballroom dance instructor to host the dance, providing appropriate music and also asking for suggestions that may be implemented. During certain song intervals, a demonstration can be given to showcase a type of dance to the attendees. There could be a game in which all the boys can line up on one side of the floor and all the girls on the other. They would then be paired up at random for a few rounds of trying out the dance. Even if you were unable to understand the basic steps, trying new things with friends and meeting new people in the social setting makes for a wonderful night out.

Ballroom was invented as a social dance to celebrate, learn new skills and meet all sorts of people. Its purpose was to generate buzz and gather people into a community on a single dance floor. The different styles of dance have come from Spanish streets to Austrian nobles, and have grown and developed into timeless festivals the world over. By adapting this phenomenon in our community, we could breathe new life into a centuries old custom by bringing it to another venue.

David of Dance Boulevard on Hillsdale is a professional dance instructor who hosts formal balls at events yearly. “A ball is a great way to socialize people and teach them new ways to relate to each other. I started dancing when I was a teenager and I ended up finding a new community and passion. Attendees enjoy themselves and come back with their friends year after year.”

Small children try to dress like movie stars. Pre-teens try to dress like teenagers. Teenagers try to dress like adults. According to the Nickelodeon-Yankelovicht Youth Monitor, children are already describing themselves as “flirtatious and sexy” by age 12. When a child is that young, the only things they should be concerned about are celebrity crushes and having fun, not their flirting skills or how much sex appeal they have. 11-year old Booksin student, and brother of Pres Student Alexi Garofalo, Braydin Garofalo shares, “Girls at my school dress weird. They wear shorts that look like underwear and my teacher had to tell a girl to change because she was wearing a shirt that hung off her shoulder.”

Ms. Shrader says, “The skirts are too short and on free dress days, I see a lot of shorts that are way too short. Each generation pushes the envelope.”

Children get the idea that they need to dress to impress from T.V. ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” showcases a group of teenage girls who wear high heels to school on a daily basis. The show convinces pre-teens to wear uncomfortable, crippling shoes and wear sophisticated clothes that do not suit their age. Another culprit is “Toddlers and Tiaras,” which takes the game of dress-up to a whole new level. Seriously, in what world is it “cute” to cake pounds of makeup on a five- year old girl and dress her up in skimpy outfits to show off her spray tan? What ever happened to pigtails and overalls? 

But dressing inappropriately is just the first step to growing up too fast. It is no secret that kids are experiencing new things at earlier ages. Drugs, alcohol, and sex seem to become more common every day. Every time I hear about a student in middle school abusing drugs or alcohol, I am astounded. According to Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, drug use in middle school has increased about 63% since 2002. Not only are these things illegal to minors, but they should not be in the hands of such young kids. It has always been a stereotype that high school is the place where teenagers tend to experience these things for the first time. Has that stereotype been brought down to the middle school level? 

Not only are alcohol and drugs a huge issue, but sex is happening at younger ages as well. I remember when I was in only seventh grade, I had a classmate who came to school one day pregnant. I couldn’t and still can’t believe it. How could someone so young and innocent be pregnant when pregnancy and sex are supposed to happen way later in life? According to the American Public Health Association, 33% of kids have had sexual intercourse by ninth grade. Gross. Becoming sexually active is a major part in becoming an adult, not becoming a teenager. It needs to stop.

Promoting adult-like behavior is only going to cause a kid to waste their childhood away, as they are only going to be looking forward to the next step in life. Stop growing up. Enjoy the age you are at. There are many more age- appropriate things a child could be doing than the ones kids seem to do all of the time now. Taylor Swift even wrote a song about it, “Never Grow Up.” Listen to her. She is the voice of reason.

A Presentation senior was given a 60% chance at being chosen this year as a model, as 99 girls applied. While this may seem low, in the past years it was even worse, when only 40 girls were chosen instead of 60. However, due to new runway configurations the committee was allowed to select 20 more girls. While this larger number is an improvement, what about those 39 girls who were not chosen? Were these students not deserving enough?

To answer this question, one must first explore the selection process that the Presentation Fashion Show Participant Selection Committee must go through (listed to the right/left).

Fair enough. Let’s start with the last point about how models can’t have been suspended or been on academic probation during the previous year. Really, are students who have been on academic probation or served a suspension during any of their four years at Presentation really a good choice to represent our school’s motto in the yearly fashion show? To create a fairer selection process based on school values, the last line should be changed to read, “models and hostesses must not have been on academic probation nor served a suspension throughout their four years at Presentation.”

The second criteria states that models must demonstrate ethical decision making. But how does the selection committee determine such a thing, especially as much of this ethical decision making is unknown to them? A selected student could have a secret party life that is undisclosed to members of the administration, including the selection committee. How can the selection committee effectively determine that a student makes ethical decisions when not in school?

Finally, let’s tackle the first criteria about students that are actively engaged at Pres and who reflect the school motto. Most people would agree that this is a better way to choose models than something superficial such as looks alone.

But at a school like Pres where pretty much everyone is very involved, what does “actively engaged” really mean? Given that 30-50% of the models are chosen by the selection committee, according to event director Ms. Spencer, knowing what “actively engaged” would help seniors understand their chances.

This year all five members of ASB and nine out of ten members of Core Team were selected as models for the fashion show. These students alone compile the 30% chosen by the selection committee. Clearly, these students are excellent examples of leadership at Pres and deserve to be chosen, but if holding an ASB or CT role automatically entitles a student to a model spot, then that should be communicated to the seniors.

Perhaps the selection committee could explain in writing how they weight a senior’s involvement at Pres–does a club officer position hold more weight than club membership? Does a starring role in the play mean more than a tech crew position? How much does a student’s GPA count for? Providing more clarity would help seniors understand why some students get chosen over others.

Adding to the seniors’ confusion is that once the first round of models are chosen, “the rest of the models will be randomly drawn from the remaining qualified applicants until all model positions are filled,” according to Ms. Miller’s letter to parents.

Several students have questioned the randomness of that second round, but Spencer stated that the “date of the drawing was publicized and all students were invited to attend the actual drawing selection, which took place in the center, however no students showed up.” The fact that the event was done publicly should assuage the fears of those who questioned the fairness of the random drawing, but shouldn’t the fact that no students showed up for the drawing clearly demonstrate that the event was not publicized enough? Many of the students I talked to were confused as to whether applicants were allowed to attend or not.

In the future, the second selection of models should be more heavily publicized, possibly through a class wide email, stating the date and time of the drawing. Although the public drawing of names may cause distress to applicants, it is a way to confirm the validity of the second round of selection. By more heavily publicizing the event, it will cause the process to not seem so secretive.

Better yet, maybe the random drawing shouldn’t happen at all. Aren’t there at least 60 qualified applicants at Pres that the selection committee could find? Although some may argue that this is unfair, it would guarantee that all students chosen truly met the criteria. Aren’t these students who work hard in all aspects of their life including academics, extracurriculars and Pres activities, the best role models for Presentation’s motto?

Another  alternative would be to double the number of girls accepted, and then have half appear in the lunch show and half in the dinner show. While some might argue that the dinner show has more prestige, as long as students were randomly assigned to each show, it shouldn’t be an issue and would ensure that everyone who wanted to participate could do so.

Although there has been much contention over the fashion show model selection process in the past, let us hope that next year many of the issues will be resolved, furthering improving the process to dissuade more issues to pop up in the future.

Can we just leave the poor man alone? President Obama should not be held accountable for all our country’s problems, failures and successes. The president is only one person in the government and although he holds tremendous authority, he does not hold all of the government’s power.

The president has seven main duties: to serve as an inspiration to Americans; to decide how laws are going to be enforced and choose who will help him run the Executive branch; to help make foreign policy; to decide how troops will be stationed, where ships will land and how missiles will be used; to influence Congress in its lawmaking by urging its members to pass a law, signing or vetoing a law, to help members of his political party get elected or appointed to government positions; to help the economy run smoothly by doing things like meeting with economic advisers, business leaders and labor leaders.

Note that the president is not responsible for lawmaking itself. This is Congress’ job, so the lack of useful laws that have been passed recently is due to Congressional log jams, not the president.

Society also needs to realize that the president does not run the executive branch by himself. His advisers, such as the Secretary of Education, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, help him tackle issues within their own jurisdictions. Therefore, the president holds less than a third of the government’s power.

Duties notwithstanding, you may blame the current recession or the War in Afghanistan on Obama. However, the fact is that these existed before he took office. The recession officially began around December 2007; Obama wasn’t elected until November 2008. The War in Afghanistan started in 2001, probably before Obama even considered running for office.

He is also not at fault for some smaller, more recent issues, such as the Solyndra scandal, where the government funded the tech company Solyndra with millions of dollars but the money “disappeared” and the company declared bankruptcy. Solyndra’s loan application was filed by the Bush Administration, and was nearly complete by the time Obama took office in January 2009.

Coming in to the presidency with so many preexisting issues has also been problematic. A prime example of this is the floundering economy and the difficulties it has posed to the Obama administration. As previously stated, the recession began in 2007, and the country was up to its knees in economic problems when Obama took office in 2008. In a recession this large, there is no one good way to jumpstart the economy of the entire nation. It will take at least a few more years before the economy is able to completely recover, so Obama cannot be held responsible for failing to improve things overnight. If anything, people should be glad that the economy has been improving at all, which it did not do during the first few years of the Great Depression. Also, part of the rebuilding of the economy comes from passing various laws, which is Congress’ responsibility.

Of course, Obama is responsible for successes and failures within his term. He ended the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and refused to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and does not recognize same-sex marriage for federal purposes like Social Security survivors’ benefits and joint tax filings. In addition, one of his priorities was to find Osama bin Laden, so bin Laden’s death was one of Obama’s major accomplishments in the past three years.

Clearly, the president does not have absolute power. He does not even create laws! He is able to veto the laws, but Congress writes and passes the laws. Obama should also not be blamed for things that happened before he took office. In addition, he has done some good things for our country. People need to realize that President Obama is not the most terrible person in America and should not be blamed for everything that is wrong with the country.

Holding hands and little kisses followed by long hugs are expected of couples, even among the high school communities, and I have no problem with seeing happy couples together. But lately, many couples have taken it to the level where it becomes a tournament of raging tonsil hockey matches of multiple games.

These people make it very difficult for everyone to enjoy a day out with the family when they are forcing you to stare at “loving” actions. If you don’t want to see it, don’t look, right? Wrong. I’m sorry, but your face sucking is the furthest thing from obscure as I am attempting to stroll down the street with my family during the holiday season.

We get it. You like each other. You’re in love. And that’s great. But do you really think that the whole world wants to see the rubbing of butts and swapping of saliva? I just find it hard to go to the movies on the weekends with a group of my friends because all the couples use the presence of darkness in the theater to make it their own personal room. Um…there is still light coming off of the movie screen. Unfortunately, we can see you and hear your extremely audible make-out sessions.

Yeah, sure, you’re a cute couple. You hold hands, put your head on the this shoulder and give the occasional pecks on the lips, which is acceptable in public. But I beg you, please don’t start eating each other’s faces. That is what going out is for. Do everyone a favor and go out to eat at a restaurant and eat the food. That is what is meant for public eyes to see.

Oh, and don’t put your friends through it either! I mean, if they are already third-wheeling it to begin with then they should expect to witness some puppy love kisses, but for heaven’s sake, do not put them through PDA torture. As senior Amy Luong stated, “It can get really uncomfortable when you’re with your friends that are a couple. It usually ends up with you just standing there while they do their thing. It makes the situation awkward.”

Another Presentation student, who wishes to remain anonymous, described a specific incident where she was disgusted by her friends’ PDA. “I was at a friend’s house with a group of people, two of which are a couple. We all decided to watch a movie in the family room. I was sitting on the couch attempting to watch it because I had never seen it before. And throughout the entire movie the couple was being gross.

“I was sitting next to them, only inches away, and my friend was sitting on top of her boyfriend, making out. They were giggling and tickling each other and just constantly kissing. I couldn’t even hear the movie and everybody there was extremely uncomfortable. It was so disgusting and I didn’t even know what to do about it. All I know is that I don’t need to see that.”

Enough is enough with the over the top, inappropriate PDAs. Go ahead and go to the mall, walk around a park, or go to any other public places for a date with your boyfriend, but remember to keep it PG. There are children everywhere that do not need to be exposed to and shocked by your levels of intimacy. Keep calm, carry on, and if you can’t do that, then do as they say: get a room.

But should there be a limit for how much Presentation uses technology?

With all of the new technology Presentation uses to advance its curriculum, there is also a financial commitment that students must make to keep up with this progress.

For example, the program Lingtlanguage requires a microphone that can be plugged into a computer. Though this program is great to test a student’s progress with pronunciation in foreign language classes, the price of the microphone may not be so easy to accept.

For many families, the price of Presentation’s tuition is difficult enough to afford, aside from the many other expenses that come with school.

Especially during these difficult economic times, each and every expense means a lot to families. This should be kept in mind as Presentation continues to develop its use of technology.

Though the push towards going paperless is certainly good for the environment, it also means Presentation’s dependency on technology increases. Consequently, students must have the necessary technology to complete their schoolwork.

Sure, there are some students who are not affected at all, but there also students who do not have the luxury of having a laptop with all the gimmicks required to complete some of the assignments they are assigned. Those student’s families may have a PC desktop computer at home, but if it does not have a microphone and updated versions of Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, she will have a very difficult time with the work she is assigned.

Some people may argue there is no limit because Presentation provides all the technology necessary to complete all assignments assigned to students. Mrs. Stampfl said, “I do not believe there is a limit on how much technology a teacher can use because the school’s computer labs are open in the morning, at lunch, and after school.”

However, students may not be able to go to the computer lab during these times. Many homework assignments take longer than the time that the computer lab is open. These times are also when clubs meet, groups work on projects, and when extracurricular activities take place. This means that students do not always have the option to use Pres’s equipment. For example, room 101 often closes by 4 p.m., which makes it difficult for students to access the lab.

The simple luxury of Internet access is also not always available to all Presentation students. No matter if the assignment is an English paper or a science handout, if there is no Internet access, those assignments can be impossible to complete. Going to a local library is not always an option because the student would need to find a ride, libraries are not open very late due to city budget cuts, and when they are, there is often not an open computer to use.

Having a computer at all, with or without all the bells and whistles, is a luxury–one that not all students at Presentation have. Those students are at a disadvantage even now since many teachers already use blogs and assign many research based assignments that require a computer with Internet.

While advancing a class with technology to expand the teacher’s abilities in terms of assessment techniques can be good, it is not always the answer. Ms. Bohorquez said, “Good teaching is not based on technology.” Even with technology, a teacher must still teach his or her students, and technology does not go hand in hand with that.

A computer program will not ensure a student understands a concept. It takes face to face conversation with the teacher to explain the class material. Ms. Bohorquez said technology is good, but teachers should also think of ways to assess students without it.

So, while it is great that Presentation looks for new ways to advance its curriculum, the school should keep in mind the implications that come with its new developments. It is not always as easy as telling students their homework assignments; some of those students may not have all the necessary equipment required to complete their homework and projects.

At the beginning of each day, students gather in the halls and sit with their friends before class begins. Often, these large groups of girls block entire rows of lockers, forcing the owners of said lockers to maneuver around them to get their books.

Instead of making girls navigate around backpacks and half-asleep students just to get to their lockers, simply move when you see someone struggling to get her things.

One of the largest problems in the hallways is the tendency of students to stop abruptly. Students without the cat-like reflexes needed to respond to these abrupt stops often run into people and drop their things as a result.

By this time in the school year, everybody, including freshmen, should know where they are headed—it shouldn’t come as a surprise that your next class is in the new building. If you decide to change course while on your journey through the hallway, make a smooth transition to the other side of the hall, rather than merely stopping and leaving the person behind you to guess where you might go next.

Students often wish to talk to their friends during passing periods. There is absolutely no issue with this—just step aside to do so. There is no need to stand in the middle of the hallway to discuss the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries with your best friend. Walk to the side and allow others to scurry off to class.

Perhaps even worse than the students who stop in the hallways are those who move at glacial paces. Pres girls often walk slowly because they are trying to talk or because their next class is close by. Even if your next class is a free period, you must understand that there are others who must get to the new building. Again, either walk to the side to finish your discussion, or politely allow them to head on their way—both the student and Mrs. Doolin will appreciate this.

At the same time, students cannot go barreling through the hallways. They must allow others to pass as well and understand that everyone has somewhere important to be.

Often, hurried students run into each other in passing. A simple “excuse me” or “I’m sorry” is all that we ask. Something so small can make or break someone’s day—someone running into you without apologizing can make a bad day even worse.

We must all try our best to make the hallways better places. Simple actions like smiling and letting others go before you can really create a more pleasant atmosphere.

As corny as it may sound, we need to remember our manners. When someone opens a door for you, thank them. When someone tries to pass you, let them. If you see someone struggling to open a door, open it for them.

It is difficult to remember common manners in the face of stress and sleep deprivation, but we must always live by the most basic principles of courtesy that we were taught in our youths, even in the cutthroat world of the Pres hallways.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are a seemingly normal couple in Tontitown, Arkansas, except for the fact that they’re raising nineteen kids (including two sets of fraternal twins), most of whom actually ended up raising each other. They’ve been starring on and off in a show on TLC since September 2008, when they only had seventeen children. That’s two children in the last three years, meaning Michelle was almost constantly pregnant since the show started.

Mathematical calculations show that ever since Jim Bob and Michelle’s marriage in 1984, she’s been impregnated, on average, once every eighteen months. And not only has she been almost constantly pregnant for the last three years, they recently announced the miscarriage of what would have been their twentieth child– something that stirs up more controversy because the older children now have kids of their own that are older than their siblings. What kind of stress does this large a family put on the kids, let alone Michelle?

The Duggar family claims proud usage of the “buddy system,” a system extensively described on their family website, where an older child is paired with a younger one and is responsible for providing for them and keeping them happy. Obviously, with so many children so close in age, Michelle would be under a lot of stress, but what merits saddling your children with a child to take care of on top of the pressures of schoolwork and attempts to maintain a social life?

Wouldn’t it be difficult to make friends anyway if everyone knew you as “that one kid with all the brothers and sisters?” Compound that with the fact that the child has to care for a younger sibling. I honestly don’t think, in that situation, that the child would have any time to talk to her parents, let alone her peers.

Although the stress on the child is considerable, the stress on Michelle must be much greater. Even though the kids are assisting her with much of the work, the fact remains that Michelle has given birth to nineteen children and, despite the recent miscarriage, may still be anticipating giving birth to a twentieth, something most women would label a desperate bid for popularity.

But is it really? Jim Bob proudly supports the conservative methodology of avoiding birth control and accepting the gifts God blesses them with. Understandably, having even one child takes a toll on a woman’s health and appearance, but nineteen children? Her last child was born with serious medical problems– the baby was born fifteen weeks premature and with gastrointestinal issues– and, Michelle has been pregnant at least twenty-two times as well, counting her latest. From her latest blog posts (yes, they have a family blog), she seems upset that, at age 45 she’s approaching menopause, because doctors have told her not to get pregnant again. Indeed, a study done at Columbia University found that 2.9% of women older than 40 have babies with birth defects, compared with 1.7% of women younger than 35. The health risks of many pregnancies to the mother seem to multiply with each successive child, ranging everywhere from internal bleeding to gallbladder disease and malnutrition.

In an article in the New York Daily News, Dr. Michael Abraham states that “older moms– those in their 40s like Duggar — are at a greater than average risk of both gallbladder disease and gestational diabetes. And their infants are more likely to have genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome.” Other problems such as weaker uterine contractions and incontinence can appear due to many pregnancies and be exacerbated, leading to problems for both the mother and baby.

Even though most of the problem here might be an extremely overpromoted methodology that is out of touch with the current time, the stress on Michelle and the kids is beyond measure. The fact that they are financially independent, unlike Nadya Suleman and her fourteen children whose fifteen minutes of fame were stretched until no one cared anymore is certainly an argument in their favor. However, families like this have been phased out for a reason, and even though it gets you a lucrative deal with TLC, having twenty kids is simply irresponsible.

Allstate has recently been airing a new commercial with a spokesman called Mayhem. Mayhem can be whatever he desires. In one commercial he is a wind storm that is blowing on a tree. He is standing on top of the loose tree branch and yells, “shaky, shaky, shaky!” until the branch falls on top of your car. The obvious mistake you made here was that you did not buy Allstate before a man pretending to be a windstorm jumps on a tree above your car. What were you thinking?

The Target Christmas advertisements that have been running this season has really caught people’s eye. First, there is a manic middle-aged woman in her red and white track suit who trains, works out, makes cookies and shares strategies on how to get door busters first. She will give short tips and make you first (behind her of course) in line for Target sales. Oh joy, spending all my money at Target! I don’t think waking up at 4 a.m. is early enough for this type of joy. Target is one of the worst ads because they show the meaning of Christmas through marketing older women to spend all their money shopping.

Weight loss ads are always so motivating and let other people know that it is possible for them to look and feel good about themselves again. This ad (see picture) has the intention, but just a few major flaws. Did anyone notice that the ethnicity of the woman went from black to white? Also the ad notes that the woman went from flab to fab, though a slight grammar correction could be made, changing it from flab to slightly less flab.

My favorite ads that make me feel so fresh and rejuvenated are the ads by Neutrogena and other face washing companies. There is always a fun bottle of soap floating in the air with water, pomegranates and citrus fruits being thrown behind it! After one of the paid beautiful celebrities’ smiles at the camera scrubbing their face with the soap they lean over the wash it off. This is the best part because they splash an absurd amount of water onto their face. That is just going to make a mess. Their clothes are going to be all wet, the floor is going to get water stains if they don’t dry it up after and one splash of water probably didn’t take all the soap off so they are going to have to do it all over again!

A classic ad campaign that not only makes me laugh but gives women a chance to buy a man’s product for their man is Old Spice. Viewers watching this advertisement are aware of how “cheesy” the commercial is but you cannot help but love seeing that shirtless muscular male on a gorgeous white stallion selling body wash. Already driving to Target after watching that.

What makes a good advertisement can be the simple strategy of making fun of other advertisements that sell the same product. The U Kotex ad portrays this in one of the funniest ways. There is an average girl talking about how she feels when she is on her period, listing that she feels really pure, likes to run on the beach, twirl in slow motion, dance and do this all wearing white spandex. The tampon ads today lead you to believe that you can do gymnastics and wear a small white tennis shirt all while feeling great on your period. ERR, wrong! Thank you, U Kotex for sending that reality check to the other tampon advertisers and the women watching these commercials.

Soda advertisements usually involve a polar bear drinking Coca Cola, but one of the best ads that has no purpose to it other than entertainment is the Sundrop soda advertisement. The “Sundrop girl” opens a can of Sundrop and begins to “drop it like it’s hot” in several different locations. She drops it in front of a man who is waiting at a signal in his car, during a yoga class, then on a boat passing two boys fishing and then fishing it off at a pool party. The best part about this ad is that the girl who is “dropping it” is not some hot and great dancer, but a mismatched dressed average girl who really knows how to drop it like it’s hot.

Advertisements today all try to make one point and that is to get you interested in what they have to say or what they are selling. Whether it is the best or the worst ad in the end, it is the ad that you remember that counts.