Should Paula the Surf Mom be given a brand new car?

I've long been an admirer of Paula the Surf Mom but, most unexpectedly, find that my affection for her means that I'm currently delving into the recesses of my knowledge of US law. The reason is this Lincoln ad...

There are, for those who read Paula's excellent blog regularly, some obvious similarities between the attractive female who plays the lead role in the ad and Paula herself. Said attractive female has two female surf groms in tow, and while Paula's daughters are not old enough to surf yet there is little doubt that they will be doing so almost as soon as they have learnt to crawl. Like Paula, the lady who heads up the ad is blonde. She is pictured driving to and then arriving at a break in a Lincoln MKX (sans plates) as a collection of surf dudes look on with what can only be described as admiration verging on desire. However, this seems set to turn to wistfulness as the accompanying commentary goes like this: "My dream was always to catch the perfect wave. And then I realised - I caught three." The wistfulness arises because the blonde is accompanied not just by the two young groms but by another blonde, adult female - who, we can readily infer, is her partner.

The "all new Lincoln MKX" is described as "the perfect car for perfect summers," something that the surf dudes appear to overlook as their heads drop, knowing, as they now do, that the two blonde babes are out of reach. The four females take to the water, as a deep masculine voice intones: "Life's calling - where to next?"

Where to, indeed? Now it's been a while since I was up to speed with US media law, but I recall that personality and image rights can found a cause of action far more easily across the pond than on these rather more traditional shores. It seems to me that Paula - who recently wrote about her partner, "the Debs" (also blonde and, as Paula says, a hottie) - might have had a large part of her life and personality co-opted by Lincoln (whose MKX in the ad is big, black and very shiny, with loads of room for boards - a snip with a starting price of $34,795). So much that maybe Paula might even have a legal claim. This would seem to turn on the precise timing of the making of the ad - if before Paula the Surf Mom, as we know and love her, came into existence, then all this is mere coincidence. But if after Paula's incarnation in the blogosphere, it seems to me that Lincoln might want to explain where they got the idea for the ad from.

Or, of course, Lincoln could give Paula a new MKX. After all, life is calling, and if the answer to the question of "where next?" is, for Paula, a trip to see a lawyer, that would seem to be a fate that Lincoln, like the rest of us, wouldn't wish on anyone.

Comments

[Paula The Surf Mom]

yeah right on Alex... power to the Surf Mom

[seababe100]

Paula should get two new cars!

[Kat]

Very much worth a try!

[penfold]

The Pirate Queen absolutely deserves a free Lincoln. Proving it may be somewhat tricky unless someone from Lincoln confesses (maybe under duress...)!
Good luck...

[Jones]

No one should have see a lawyer unless they have done something very bad. I agree - give Paula a car!

[simon jayham]

A car a ski and sponsorship for her
too push the envelope. On a personal side I hate these cheesey ads, but, with my surf school cap on, I must say they are great as it encourages more people to.."Life's calling - where to next?" well, hopefully to one of my surf schools! I always check Paula's blog it rocks..

[Moley]

As a surf dad, I find this ad sexist and discriminatory. It has caused me untold personal injury and distress for which Lincoln must be held accountable.
Paula, if your claim succeeds - as it clearly should for such blatant passing off - can you have your lawyer call me!

[Neil Watson]

Hang on a minute - does Paula have a case? Check out the ad again. Apart from the fact that three girls and four boards emerge from a car which looked empty when it arrived, how old is the last girl? Young enough to be mum's eldest surfing daughter, I'd say.
Don't count your chickens - or a new Lincoln, Paula!

[steve v]

I'm with Neil. I've seen that commercial here in the states countless times, and always assumed the 4th girl was the oldest daughter. She doesn't look much older than 16 or 17. Either that, or the main/narrator woman is doing a hell of a job at robbing the cradle (which I'm sure she's perfectly capable of).

[Alf Alderson]

Hey, the States is the ultimate in litigation culture - go for the car Paula!

And might I suggest that here in the UK Nissan run a similar ad featuring some has-been old git driving one of their pick ups.

Nah, it would never sell would it...?

[B Bredehorst]

You deserve the car Paula!!!

[Isabelle]

I also thought the eldest one was also another daughter...but if it could be interpreted as an under-age lover, then surely Paula could sue twice, once for plagiarism of her blog and again for defamation...although don't forget too many cars may wreck the planet..

[Steve]

Dude,
You are an idiot. The third "adult" female is the oldest daughter. If you examine slightly closer; the girls are equally aged gapped as siblings would be. Also, the "adult" female appears to be considerably younger than the "Mom". Stop reading in so much.

[Phil Sweeney]

Dude, where is your sense of irony?

[Alex Wade]

Interesting comments to this story. I've had a look at the video again and maybe the 'three daughters to one surf mom' camp have a point. Then again, why the crestfallen looks on the five dudes if they're simply siblings + mom?

I'm currently waiting for illumination from Lincoln. As soon as I have it, I will post an appropriately serious piece of analysis...

[David Jenson]

There's another irony in the commercial. Nothing is said about the poor bloke who is working himself into an early heart attack paying for the expensive life-style of the "surfer girls"

[Paula The Surf Mom]

Hey!!! I got my own money and presently drive a Chevy Avalanche that I pay for all by my little old self to get my three perfect waves to our surf breaks.

[Marvin Daye]

I am a producer with the ABC Hit television show Wife Swap-now in it's 4th season. We are looking for families who love to catch a wave and families who compete in surfing competitions to participate in this once in a lifetime experience.

I thought I might reach out to you to see if you would be interested in participating in Wife Swap or perhaps you could recommend a family you think would be great candidates for our show.

Wife Swap is a fascinating story of what happens when two married couples see themselves and their spouses in a whole new light. The New York Post says, "It should be called ‘Life Swap’ because it's not just the wives who learn something here. It's the families."

The premise of Wife Swap is that one parent from each household swaps
places for a week to experience how another family runs their lives. It
is an incredible family experience and opportunity to both learn and teach different family values.

Potential families must consist of two parents that have at least one
child age 5 or older and can live anywhere in the United States. Families featured on the show will receive a $20,000 honorarium. If you refer a family that is selected you receive $1,000.

To submit for the show please call 646-747-7945, or email a family photo and description to marvin.daye@rdfnewyork.com.

More information about Wife Swap is available at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Marvin Daye, Casting Producer
ABC/Wife Swap
RDF USA
1790 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10019
(646) 747-7945
marvin.daye@rdfnewyork.com
marvin.dayerdfwifeswap@gmail.com

[Curious]

Ok...Someone has GOT to know the name of the song that they play during the commercial...PLEASE!!!

[R]

As a middle age mom with an outdoorsy life, I *adore* this commercial. I only wish I could be a surfer mom, but I live in the northern Rockies. It never occurred to me that the fourth female was anything other than the oldest daughter - the first of the three "waves".