Monday, May 11, 2009

This One Goes Out To All My Amply-Endowed Sisterfriends Out There: You Fought, You Won, And I Got To Laugh (While I Was Envious)

In what galaxy do you ever think a woman would be correct when she says this about a boardroom--and I'm quoting here--"They didn't want a lot of big-breasted women storming their meeting"?

I know. I'll give you a minute or two.

(Certainly I would be a bit intimidated if this were to happen at a meeting and my company were, say, The Small-Breasted Women's Bitching Society, Inc. Of which I might just be an enthusiastic board member. But I digress.)

Anyway.

Just such a nightmare scenario, described by a co-founder of the group Busts 4 Justice, is what caused a re-evaluation of a brassiere pricing policy by British retailer Marks & Spencer. You can read all about it here. But, really, as you know from past experience, I will be bringing the best of it to you right here.

But first I want to laud Gregory Katz, the AP writer who I'm positive must also write for The Onion or National Lampoon or Mad Magazine or some other similar publication because, honestly, no phrase was left unturned; no chance for punning was left untaken.

It seems that Marks & Spencer (M&S) had begun adding a $3 surcharge on all bras that were size DD or larger, which resulted in a "spreading consumer revolt." (The grammarian in me absolutely revelled in that ambiguous modifier. I so want to believe that Gregory did it on purpose!)

Naturally, the company, confronted by Busts 4 Justice and its co-founder...wait for it, and I could not make this up if I wanted to...Becky MOUNT, soon saw the error of its ways. There was an entire Facebook campaign of 14000 women behind this effort! M&S took out a full page ad to apologize. But of course. They also offered a 25% reduction on all bras for two weeks. Oh, word choice!

May I just offer this next paragraph up without comment to you? "We are just overwhelmed," said Becky Mount, a co-founder of the Busts 4 Justice group that brought retailing icon M&S to its knees.... "We've won, and we never thought it would happen so quickly."

Oh dear lord. Where are my pills?

Finally, victory came...er...arrived when the group "which grew exponentially" made their threat to appear in force at the company's annual meeting. Ms. Mount also said of her group's triumph that it was likely M&S realized that "they were dealing with a much bigger force than they thought originally."


Indeed.

16 comments:

  1. Marks & Spencer got
    Busted big time, my oh my;
    Tit for tat or die?
    (I used to get all my smalls at Marks & Sparks, back when my smalls really were small.)

    Becky MOUNT? That is a sucky last name even during the best of times, lol.

    ********************
    the word verification is "frolig." I swear I am going to start collecting the word verification words. they have such potential, really... can't you just hear the paraphrase: "twas frolig, and the slithy toves..."

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  2. I wonder why no one contacted me to join Busts 4 Justice?! Nance, where on earth do you find this stuff? LOL!!

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  3. Go, Ms. Mount! That Ms. Mount must be a real juggernaut.

    My verification word was colocris. Perhaps a relative of Ludacris? Or sort of sounds like a laxative.

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  4. Thank goodness the ladies stood up for themselves! (Says J, currently a 34D)

    Ortizzle, I loved your phrase there. Very well done.

    My word verification is pannesse. I'm not sure if I'm having pannesse for lunch, or if I'm going there on holiday. Hmmm.

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  5. I come here for the British S & M stories.

    Pardon, M & S.

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  6. V-Grrrl--LOL! I'm just glad you get to come...er...whatever...here. Sigh. Glad you're here.

    J.@jj--"Currently"? Are you getting elective surgery soon? Or is there a little pump in your bra? Hmmm.... Anyway. "Pannesse" is pretty long for a word ver. Sorry. I think it sounds like a hair product. "My hair is so shiny now, thanks to Pannesse!"
    **NOTE TO COMMENTERS: THERE IS NO NEED FOR ALL OF YOU TO DISCLOSE YOUR BRA SIZES. I, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL NOT BE DOING SO. EVER. **

    sputnik--Nancy might be mad if you stole her pun with "juggernaut." Just sayin'! LOL.

    Nina--You really are a Justified Bust. This I know. And I found it in the Business section of the Plain Dealer! It was right in my face. So to speak.

    Ortizzle--If you're trying to make me fall even more deeply in love with you by commenting IN A HAIKU, it worked. What is halfway between Texas and Ohio? We must have a meetup this summer. It would be frolig if we didn't.

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  7. Well, now they've done it! Marks and Spencer charged me the $3.00 extra because I wear a 44DD bra and I sent it right back to them and asked for a refund.

    When I got my receipt and my money back I was satisfied until I read the return slip and it said:

    "RETURNED: ONE HAMMOCK"

    Tell me the truth, Nance. Do you think they were being snide?

    My Word verification was: EARRAXI

    Sounds like a Baghdad cab.....

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  8. Oh, we are all too funny here starting with your hysterical post. The right writer can have so much fun with such a story!

    Not much point in sharing bra sizes anyway, because it's been revealed that most of us are wearing the wrong size. Turns out when we're wearing something like a 38DD, we're supposed to be wearing a 42L (or something like that). Try finding that size in your local Macy's (or M&S if you live in the UK). If you order a special bra like that, with the money you have left over you might not be able to buy all your groceries for the week. And, we're supposed to buy several bras and not wear the same one every day, so maybe we won't be able to make our mortgage payment as a result. LOL There, we're back on the economy problems ... all roads lead to ...

    Shirley

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  9. Shirley--I hate bras. I prefer my little spandex camis. But, I can get away with them. Sigh.

    Nancy--Only if they said it was a two-seater.

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  10. I have to wonder the same as Nina on this one Nance, how DO you find this stuff??? LOL!

    P.S. I really came over here to see if the rumor Nina told me was true...and alas...it is...and here I thought I was on only ONE hiatus. Sigh.

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  11. Tera--I don't understand. There's no "demotion" about being in the "Temping/On Hiatus" blogroll. I want to make sure anyone who is looking for a blog to read from my sidebar realizes that, although I recommend/read those blogs myself, they might not be entirely up-to-date or updated regularly at the present. You even say yourself that you're on a hiatus. Relax!

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  12. Oh, I say 'currently', because I seem to have gained a bit of weight over the last few years, which has taken me from a C to a D. I'd like to lose the weight, and then be a C. But that would involve giving up both wine and cheez its. Sigh.

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  13. J@jj--If only martinis and Lay's Original Potato Chips made me gain boob weight! Alas, they do not.

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  14. Sadly, the boob weight is outpaced by ass weight. Sigh.

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  15. All I'm saying is that if I ever become a porn star, Becky Mount will totally be my stage name. Which is not going to happen unless this whole journalism gig goes south. Oh, wait...

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  16. TMT--Holy crap. You're so right about that being a porn star name. The poor dear. Thanks for joining us here at the Dept. Please stop by often!

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Oh, thank you for joining the fray!

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