The Adoption Lynch Mob Needs To Take A Chill Pill Before Freaking Out About This Commercial

Kay Jewelers, known for their ever-so-cheesy commercials about love and Christmas and old people that will make me cry at the drop of a hat, decided to take their most recent advertisement in a different direction. The latest Kay Jewelers ad is adoption-themed.

If you take just 30 seconds to watch this commercial, you may be filled with all of the warm fuzzies as the husband gives the wife a fancy little necklace before they bring home their adopted child. I have no personal experience with adoption, but I always have thought it to be a wonderful, selfless act. I’ve considered it for myself in the past, but now I am maxed out with two young kids in my house.

The critics of the commercial say that it is full of adoption stereotypes and myths. For example”¦

Show up at the agency where you’ve placed your order and have your baby delivered to you, a gorgeous little bundle of certainty! Celebrate your shiny life with shiny things! Because of course after completing your adoption application and homestudy, and after taking on the lifelong responsibility of parenting, you still have money to burn!

Apparently, this touchy-feely commercial overlooks all of the heartache that goes into adoption, i.e. hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on fertility treatments, as well as emotional pain and stress. I’m not denying that all of these things are true, but why are we looking a gift horse in the mouth here?

I’m not part of the adoption community, but I appreciate that major retailers are making an attempt to make commercials more diverse. I’m not sure what the critics of this commercial expected. Is it really possible to tell a heartbreaking infertility and adoption story in just 30 seconds? And if so, do you think it would make people want to buy Kay’s cheesy jewelry?

I get that some people that have experienced the arduous process of adoption firsthand might get their feathers ruffled by this ad. I would hope that most people could see the bigger picture and appreciate the hope that this commercial is trying to portray. And then go buy yourself some damn jewelry.

(photo: Getty Images)