BBC criticised for advert that heaps guilt on busy mothers
Festive promotion intended to be ‘heart-warming’ finds no favour with women who juggle work and family
FEATURING a mother who leaves the office to spend time with her teenage son, BBC One’s new Christmas advert was meant to be heart-warming reminder that family is all important.
But the two-minute film has divided female viewers into those who love it and those who believe it makes working mothers feel guilty.
Wonderland, made by the BBC’S inhouse creative team and set in a seaside town, begins with a harassed mother dashing out to work as her family have breakfast. Her teenage son texts her to ask if she is still coming to watch the Christmas lights being switched on that evening but she says she may be too busy.
The unhappy boy is pictured roaming the seafront, playing arcade games alone, while his mother is stuck behind her desk. Just as she becomes overwhelmed with work, time freezes and she leaves the office so the pair can spend precious time with each other.
The BBC said the message of the film is simple: “When you do manage to get some time with the ones you love, be sure to cherish it.”
But some women felt it struck the wrong tone and asked why the man pictured briefly at the breakfast table – the boy’s stepfather, according to the BBC, although this is not clear in the film – was not taking an active parenting role.
Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, the parenting forum, said: “Our users are pretty united in thinking the BBC’S Christmas ad hits a bit of a bum note. From the apparently incapable dad to the implication that mothers’ employment is both optional and selfish, it pulls off the distinctly non-festive trick of putting all the blame on already frantic mothers and making them feel pretty lousy (and, presumably, making emotionally competent fathers feel evermore invisible).”
One mother wrote on Mumsnet: “I feel like that woman every single day and, like lots of parents, I have no choice but to work full time. It’s a constant juggle and the guilt is unbearable. You can’t bloody well freeze time and I think they are playing on people’s emotions to sell a product.”
Another said: “Where is the dad? Why isn’t he sorting out the morning? Why isn’t he ridden with guilt? Why isn’t he taking time off to spend with his son?”
But another said: “I cried, but partly because my teenage children don’t want to spend any time with me!”
On social media, the response was largely positive, with many saying they
‘You can’t bloody well freeze time and I think they are playing on people’s emotions to sell a product’
had been moved to tears and it had reminded them of the importance of spending time with loved ones.
One wrote that it had struck a chord: “As a mum of three boys this has tipped me over the edge. Charity shop drop this morning, rugby fixtures, Christmas fairs, picking up the tree … cannot wait to press pause with my family this Christmas.”
Last year’s film, The Supporting Act, explored a similar theme but with a single father who appeared too busy to help his daughter practise for her school talent show, only to help her out in the end.
Working Families, a charity which helps companies including Barclays, Royal Mail and the Foreign Office with work-life balance, said Wonderland painted a negative picture of office life.
“Some working parents do have the experience portrayed in the ad but it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Catherine Gregory, the company’s head of marketing and communications.
“Work shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing or something that prevents us from spending time with our children. It’s possible, with the support of your employer, to have a fulfilling work life and also be there for loved ones who depend on you.
“The tide is turning in terms of that. Employers are starting to realise there is a business case for being flexible and family-friendly.”
A BBC spokesman said: “We have had an extraordinarily positive response to the film from audiences. Everyone is busy at this time of year and the film is simply about people cherishing the time they spend with loved ones.”