The Juergen Teller shots of Victoria Beckham for Marc Jacobs' spring ad campaign were met with the usual awed glee when they were released earlier this year. But now there's a backlash! Liz Jones, a columnist at the Daily Mail, is worried that these ads "sum up just what's WRONG with high fashion." Specifically, she thinks the ads are "cruel," because they amount to an in-joke by the photographer and stylists to make Beckham appear gawky and helpless without the aid of Jacobs' fabulous fashion. Well, we do agree the ads are dumb. But Jones' accusation that they show Beckham "seemingly worshipping at the altar of designer fashion" is an equally dumb tautology. And while we applaud her confessional tone about being a slave to designers, it appears that someone has slapped this columnist upside the head with the "Obvious Day" stick:

A small group of people - stylists, photographers, hairdressers, make-up artists, designers - are, I've come to the conclusion, having a great deal of fun, and making a great deal of money at our expense.

These people do a very skilled and persuasive job: they bully us into buying more stuff.

No!

They are peddling the myth that if we only scrape together enough money to buy the things in the adverts and the fashion shoots they construct for us, we will be cool, just like them. We will be accepted, and beautiful, and happy, and liked.

Illusion-shattering!

It isn't wrong to love clothes, whether they are from designer stores or from the High Street. My advice is to buy something because you love it, not because you think it will give you a better life.

And not because you think it will gain you acceptance by the cool kids.

This is why everyone should wear Hanes t-shirts, exclusively. Good sentiment, but perhaps Jones should find another beat.

But yes: ridiculous ads.

[via Daily Mail UK]