Reactions To Bikini Stroller Ad Are Hilarious AF

In case you aren't up on your baby stroller news these days, the popular brand Bugaboo (which is basically like the Mercedes of stroller brands) recently released a brand new jogging stroller, the Bugaboo Runner. Avid runners with kids instantly rejoiced, since finding an ultra-sleek (albeit $815) jogging stroller is apparently super hard to come by. But all that unabashed excitement took a not-so-great turn last week, when the retailer unveiled an ad featuring model Ymre Stiekema pushing the Bugaboo Runner — in a bikini and sneakers. (You know, as one is known to do.) Unsurprisingly, the image caused plenty of moms' heads to explode immediately. It also opened the floodgates to a bevy of hilarious one-liners on Facebook and Instagram from women who wanted to kindly tap Bugaboo on the shoulder and say, in a nutshell, WTF?

WTF indeed. I'll be honest, here; the photo made my eyes roll, too, and I'm not even a mom. That's probably because the very point of it is kind of a head scratcher. It shows the 23-year-old model gliding along the sidewalk while pushing her young son. At first, the mind goes straight to the superficial: Stiekema looks undeniably gorgeous; like a gazelle in motion. She's got long, super toned legs — legs that look like they haven't jiggled since... well, ever. Her skin is glowing, and there's not a single sweat bead to be seen. But soon enough, the mind circles back to some more obvious questions. Like, Who the eff pushes their kid around town in nothing but sneakers and a bikini? And, Will the world stop giving me hints that right after I pop out a kid I'm supposed to snap back immediately and become some flawless supermodel?

All of this was not lost on Bugaboo's Facebook fans, who immediately had a field day in the comments section, and chimed in with some hilariously on-point comebacks. Take Mandi Cakes, who's received 360+ likes so far with this simple one-liner: "I prefer running naked with my children."

Ellie Rew also kept it real by imagining a scenario in which she too would leave the house in a barely-there bikini:

I'm not gonna cus her out for what she's wearing but I have 2 children and if was running in this on the school run it would be because I'd forgotten to put my clothes on because we're late for school, my 5 year old had fallen off his scooter, my 2 year old refuses to put his shoes on and there's a good chance I haven't had the time to do my bikini line. There's an image to leave you with.

Many others just couldn't let go of the fact that it seemed Bugaboo was majorly missing the mark on their target audience. "I can almost see her uterus," joked Danielle Bould. "Come on Bugaboo... who are you trying to sell these to?!"

Still, not all were poking fun at the ad. Especially those who felt like Bugaboo wasn't actually aiming to market the "average" customer. "I notice that a lot of people seem upset with this photo because this woman is so fit and the average woman is not and this theory that this stroller's target audience should be the average woman," wrote Jeanne Makowski. "I would venture to guess that the target audience for this particular adaptation of the Bugaboo is for the more athletic parent, hence Bugaboo runner. I think it's a brilliant adaptation."

In an email to Bustle Monday, a rep for Bugaboo stated:

We designed our Bugaboo Runner jogging extension with active parents in mind. We want to inspire moms and dads everywhere to explore the world with their families, while keeping up with an active and healthy lifestyle. In addition to Ymre Stiekema – a mom who enjoys running and happens to be a model – our marketing initiatives feature parents who love running, including our own staff at Bugaboo, providing their experiences with their children and the Bugaboo Runner. We believe that all parents should run free no matter where they are on their fitness journeys and what they choose to wear on their runs.

Rachel Werts, who seems to agree, also jumped in to defend the brand — and called out her fellow commenters for bashing another mom. "Really ladies?" wrote Werts. "Are you that judgemental (sic) or jealous that you have to question what she is running in? Women should support each other not tear each other down because you feel inadequate. I would never get away with wearing that while I run, but great for her!"

On that last point, I do have to say Werts has a point. Because it's true — we should be building up other moms (well, make that all women) regardless. Maintaining a healthy body image can be an ongoing struggle for all of us, and is exactly why campaigns like #LoveYourLines, which celebrates postpartum body positivity, exist in the first place. Still, to be fair, most of the comments don't seem to take issue with how awesome Stiekema's body is, but rather how on display it is. Because really, "sex" may sell everything — but baby strollers? Can we at least draw the line there?

Images: Bugaboo/Facebook; Bugaboo.com