Laudable, laughable Lauren.

Though PBS claims to have no commercials, they do have a few. They promote Rhine River cruises and every Sunday night I see this Ralph Lauren commercial or others like it several times. The interesting thing about such commercials is that they are at once elegant and stylish and at the same time utterly ridiculous. Truly these beautiful women with their stoical expressions are absurd mannequins looking comically stylish in fashions nobody actually wears. Am I being unkind? Tell me that a woman in a strapless evening gown and top hat sitting sidesaddle on a horse isn't laughable. Go ahead, tell me!