In Response to Molly...

Do you think this gap-toothed phenomenon will soon be a thing of the past? Or will it stick around and make a name for itself?

I cannot say for sure if the "gap-toothed" phenomenon will stick around or quickly fade but I think what it stands for metaphorically is here to stay. I see the gap-tooth as a symbol of individuality but also normality. It helps you to relate more to that model because most of us had gap or crooked teeth at one point or another I'm sure. Having your model or spokesperson seem like a "real" person or the "girl next door" can only help propel ads and campaigns in my opinion. It gives the viewer something to relate to. 

But for those that like the "perfect" models, they can also find peace with the gap-toothed girl. She is different and people like different. Victoria Secret models most of the time have something different about each of them. Calvin Klein, Gucci, Armani all use "different" looking models and its part of what interests you into the product they are trying to sell. It is all a mind game with marketers and who knows if the gap-tooth will stay or fade like other fashion fads. 

Why don't you think fashion marketers have used a more simplistic model type sooner? Do you think sending a more realistic, positive message to viewers is important for marketers?

Apple iPad maker gives China workers a raise.

The top maker of Apple Inc's iPhones and iPads, Foxconn Technology Group, whose factories are under scrutiny over laby practices, has raised wages of it Chinese workers by 16-25 percent from this month alone, this is the third raise since 2010.  In a statement on Friday, Taiwan-based Foxconn said the pay of a junior level worker in Shenzhen, southern China, had risen to 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and could be further raised above 2,200 ($350) yuan if the worker passed a technical exam. Three years ago, the average pay per month was 900 yuan which is equivalent to $143.

This announcement  comes after Apple criticized working conditions at its sprawling chain of suppliers in China. It was said this week that a U.S. non-profit labor group had begun an "unprecedented" inspection of working conditions at its main contract manufacturers. Working practices at Foxconn's huge plants in China came under intense scrutiny in 2010 after a series of suicides among young workers. Last June three workers died in an explosion at a Foxconn plant in Chengdu, western China. 

Last month the New York Times published an investigation into working practices at Apple supplier's plants in China that documented poor health and safety conditions and long working hours. In response, Apple said the Washington D.C.-based Fair Labor Associated would monitor conditions at supplier plants beginning February 14. In an interview with Reuters on February 15, the FLA's president said that conditions at Apple supplier plants in China were far better than those at garment factories or other facilities elsewhere in the country. The last time Foxconn Group raised wages was June 2010, when the pay of its Chinese workers went up by over 30%.

Do you think its admirable that Apple recognized its inappropriate conditions and payment of its workers in China? Do you think they knew about it all along and are just played it off like it was a surprise to them?