Offbeat Bride | Brides Decide your political website is lame

I know I'm coming to the game a little late here, but I can't help it. While we can all agree that yes, empowerment is good … I think we can also all agree that BridesDecide.com is decidedly dumb. (You'll notice I'm not linking it — I refuse to give them clicks!) I realize that political demographers are all about finding niche voting blocs (soccer moms! upper class latinos! one-armed lactose intolerant gay men!), but targeting brides as a voter group is just ridonk.

I mean yes: women should vote! Go women! But other than progressives who refuse to get married to protest marriage inequality, getting engaged doesn't seem like much of a political of a statement, and "bride" is a pretty fleeting identity that women have for only a few months to a couple years — and if you're offbeat, it's often label worn with deep hesitation. Mostly, "bride" is a consumer market — not a lifestyle or political demographic.

Trying to pair political excitement with your consumer market just feels stupid. What's next? Rock The Vote Soy latte drinkers? Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Obama? Mr. Bento Owners Decide?

Comments (7)

On August 28th, 2007 at 10:06 AM
Nicole Kraft said

We've been joking about this site around the office for the past couple of weeks! How cheesy and utimately demeaning. Poor little brides need some help making decisions…
How about "Crocs Decide"…Wear blue if your for the dems and red if your the other guys. Purple if ya just want everone to get along! hehe!

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On August 28th, 2007 at 11:26 AM
Seal Press Blog said

… Yes, BridesDecide.com has been covered—notably and well by Tracy at Broadsheet and recently by our own Ariel Meadow Stallings, author of Offbeat Bride, who captured my feelings about the site with a brevity and lucidity I admire:

I think we can also all agree that BridesDecide.com is decidedly dumb …

Read entire post.

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On August 28th, 2007 at 4:57 PM
Serenity Now said

Hey Ariel-
Love the blog.
But I bristle a bit at the notion that to be off-beat, "I often am hesitant about the label "bride"".
I'm SUUUPER excited to be marrying an awesome guy, and super excited to be having a big party with my friends. That's the nuts and bolts of being a bride, IMHO. And the nuts and bolts of being indie or offbeat is that FH and I are doing it the way we want.
I think most would agree that the WIC is the problem; the suggestion that to be "right" you do X, Y, Z. But I dont think that "Bride" has to carry all that baggage.

Thanks for the flow of interesting tidbits Keep up the good work.

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On August 29th, 2007 at 3:55 PM
Never teh Bride said

Now I wish I hadn't linked it. Red wine drinking workaholics should be the ones to decide! People who have more than two cats decide! Peoplewhoshouldbeworkingrightnowdecide.com!

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On September 5th, 2007 at 7:32 AM
Lara said

One-Armed Lactose intolerant gay men UNITE!!!!

Oh yea, and what's the part about getting to see political candidates wedding pictures? That is SERIOUSLY unfortunate. Like the only thing that is interesting about politics is the wedding pictures. Now we are going to have an entire groups of people (bridal caucus?) who are choosing their candidate based on the up-dos that their bridesmaids chose. Ick Ick Ick

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On September 17th, 2007 at 5:25 AM
kelleyatbrideorama said

Yeah, this kind of thing makes no sense. I am all for power to women and all that ..but is THIS what we are using it to say? This is just pointless..but funny.

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On September 22nd, 2007 at 7:42 AM
allison said

Everyone in my office has been laughing about bridesdecide.com. Glad we're not the only ones to think it's dumb. I get my political updates at PolichicksOnline.com. It's for women, but it doesn't assume we're a bunch of silly dingbats.

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