Never too early for some Def Leppard

A friend at worked passed along some info on the Ritmo, an advanced in utero stereo system.

That's right - this is a special device that you can strap around your belly to play music for your unborn child. And according to the website, not doing this is basically condemning your child to a life of mediocrity and social awkardness. In a section on the website called "The Science" they offer a number of very science-y sounding tidbits like this:

"Current research shows that musical interactions from these earliest moments are directly related to brain development and may be the building blocks for future musical ability, intellectual development, and ultimately full functioning in the culture in which the child lives"

I'm not even a mother yet, but already I've become extremely aware of the marketing approach to mothers, especially new mothers, in which the underlying message is always "IF YOU DON'T DO THIS YOU ARE A BAD MOTHER AND YOUR CHILD WILL BE A FAILURE." Sometimes the marketers are more subtle about it, but not always.

The FAQ section also notes that the belt that holds the audio system can be washed up to 5,000 times. That seems kind of excessive, doesn't it?