Talbots Dips Into Empowerment Advertising With Mixed Results

It opens with the a double feminist whammy—a woman being described as “bossy” and turning it into a compliment. Accepting the compliment is an additional triumph. But some of these other things that you do because you’re a lady don’t really hit the mark for me:

1. Fall asleep in a parking lot.
2. Win at poker.
3. Have a purse full of crap.

Personally, I don’t like being called “a lady” most of the time, unless it’s someone yelling, “Lady, get out of the zoo, you’re scaring the animals!” But it seems like Talbots is trying to be generally positive about it? Like, doing anything and everything that makes you feel good is ladylike and worthy of celebration (and perhaps a shopping stop at Talbots). So here are some things I did today Because I’m A Lady that I feel good about:

1. Carried a 14 lb bag of cat litter up four flights of stairs.
2. Wore lipstick alone in my apartment/posted about it on Instagram.
3. Texted a friend to see how her UTI is doing.
4. Ate a salad.

Wow. I’m a stereotype. Talbots, you’ve held a mirror up to me today, and are asking that I accept what I see. Then hashtag it. Thank you.