We can’t count on mom forever

How to put an elephant in a refrigerator is a classic joke. You can find countless ways for different occupation and majors. A college professor would order his assistant to do it. I learned a new solution yesterday. You can simply shout, “Mom!”

Lately, Dongbu Insurance and LG Electronics are waging a psychological war over “mom” commercial campaigns. Dongbu claims LG copied its television commercial, while LG argues otherwise. At any rate, commercials for both companies are about people searching for their moms. Dongbu Insurance’s campaign shows a child being chased by a dog, a child at a dentist’s office and children who fell off a bicycle. They all call out, “Mom!” A message follows: “Children think calling their mom will solve every problem.”

LG Electronics’ commercial for a washing machine features a child who has gotten his clothes dirty and a woman who spills ketchup and coffee on her outfit. While making juice, a young man gets his shirt dirty and shouts, “Mom!”

The insurance commercial has only children, so it is reasonable for them to call for their mothers. However, LG uses grown men and women who seek mom’s help and the man who spills juice calls his mother in an irritated voice when it is clearly his own fault.

Nevertheless, many people feel empathetic and think, “He acts just like my son.”

I heard about a private conversation among a few legal professionals. Those who graduated from a prestigious foreign language high school and the best university and passed the bar exam are obviously smart. When you have such an elite as an associate judge, he would be good at doing what he’s supposed to do and is asked to do. However, they are lacking something.

In contrast, young judges who graduated from the same high school but went to another college tend to be more opinionated and like new challenges. They have more room for improvement and growth. Interestingly, the experience of not following the guidance of their parents in high school has helped them become more independent and adventurous. This is not to generalize the tendency of graduates of different schools, but a law firm executive had a similar view. When attorneys at a law firm are in their late 30s, they need to become active in sales, and the lawyers who grew up outside Seoul tend to be more competitive.

In your professional career, there is no “mom” to call when you need help. Nowadays, many 30-year-olds have yet to be weaned from their parents. Look at the campaign banners and slogans on the streets, and you can hardly find a demand. They are all filled with motherly offers. The politicians are making promises that they cannot keep. When things go wrong, will they call out “Mom”?

* The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

by Noh Jae-hyun