Monday, May 23, 2011

The Glamorous Career of an Advertising Account Executive

My 5 year old graduated from Pre-K yesterday.



He's the one digging for gold right before expressing his desire to become a ninja paleontologist.

While we were eating breakfast this morning, DMo and I had a conversation about his future career choice.  During the conversation, he asked me what I wanted to be when I was a little girl.

DMo:  Mom, what did YOU want to be when you were my age?

Me: Well, I think I wanted to be a veterinarian.

DMo: Are you a veterinarian?

Me: No, I’m in advertising.

DMo: What’s advertising?

Me: You know when we’re watching TV, there is a break in the show for a couple of minutes and they show you new toys or new food to try?   Those are advertisements.

DMo: You mean the things we fast forward through?

Me:  Um… well… yes.

DMo: Oh… so you make the toys and food?

Me: No, we make commercials to SELL things like toys and food.

DMo: OH! You sell the food at a grocery store?

Me: Well… no… I talk to the people who make the toys and food to see what they want their advertisements to look like.

DMo: And then you make the commercials? 

Me: Um… no… then I tell people at my company what the people who make the toys and food want in their commercial, then THEY create it.

DMo: Why wouldn’t the people who make the toys and food just tell the people at your company who make the commercials instead of telling you? Don’t they like each other?

Me: Did you just call me a middle man?!

DMo: (after about a minute of silence) Mommy, maybe you should be a paleontologist.

If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be hanging my head in shame while seriously considering a career change.



TTFN,

The Middle Man

17 comments:

  1. Out of the mouths of babes. Kids are so honest and usually right.

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  2. Man, I love kids... lol

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  3. I wanted to be a paleontologist when I was his age. Working in retail, I deal with a lot of dinosaurs. Dream big, kiddo!

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  4. This is priceless!!! I will be laughing about this one for a while, thanks for sharing it! I love your blog!!

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  5. I freaking love the Office space reference! Gotta love the kids!

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  6. It's too bad you didn't want to be a princess or like the princess of all of the muffintops, because then you would be the winner!

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  7. I always told my kids, I wanted to be a great Mom! That was a no win if they tried to dispute. Ha winner!

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  8. I love that commercials are "the things we fast forward through."

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  9. Let's just say I KNOW EXACTLY what you do. And I can assure you that whatever you are getting paid, it's NOT enough. They need to double your pay and throw in other perks like massage therapy and meditation teachers in order for it to be sorta (but not really) ENOUGH!!!!!!!

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  10. P.S. And the title EXECUTIVE........hahahahaha. They are just trying to make you feel better.

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  11. sorry - but I'm definitely laughing... ahhhh, too funny :)

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  12. I love what kids say...unless it's some how making fun of me then I get all labile and stabby. hahaha

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  13. @Raquel- Right?! Leave it to my 5 y/o to make me feel like a failure at life!

    @Jenny- He's the funniest, smartest 5 y/o I know. And NO WAY am I biased because I'm his mother.

    @Stay- Yes, just one conversation with my child made me question my entire career. Hooray!

    @HYP- I bet you were the coolest paleontologist check-forger on your block!

    @Kathy- Aww, thank you! Bestest cheerleader ever.

    @Russell- I wasn't sure if anyone would get the Office Space reference, so I stuck my child in an Inotech shirt. Now I think I might buy this shirt.

    @Not (the artist formerly known as The)- I'm sure at one point I wanted to be a princess. Oh, if only I could go back and start this conversation again so my 5 y/o would stop looking at me with pity in his eyes.

    @Barbara- I'm going to have to use that one next time because OBVIOUSLY the true answer ended in disaster.

    @Desparate- I know, right? My entire career was summed up as "I produce the things nobody watches anymore". Thanks a lot, DVR technology.

    @France- Are you my coworker?!! I often refer to myself as an underpaid actress. It's a more fitting title than "Account Executive".

    R- It's OK, I'm laughing too. Through tears of failure.

    LLA- Yes, I can't wait for their teen years. They should have a plethora of material to make fun of me by then.

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  14. Love it! You have an award waiting at my blog!
    Jess

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  15. FUNNY! I have that same problem with my career. As an art director I don't write the copy, I don't draw the images, I don't photograph the pictures ... what do I do anyway? I just tell my kids I make other people's stuff look pretty.

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  16. That is hilarious. Husband and I will often ask each other that same question, "Soooo, what would you say you do here?"

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