This past year or so Dove has been promoting their “get real for women” campaign where they are trying to get across to women and more importantly to young girls that the real woman image is not one of a skinny minny walking down a runway but a healthy female with a healthy self esteem. Their commercials are showing women of all ages, all sizes and all races.
Today I was watching a tv news program where men were up in arms trying to get other men to sign petitions to have these ads removed off the media because this is not what real women look like. Unbeknownst to some of these men the camera men showed their wives, their mothers, their sisters and daughters and how funny it was to see their faces when the news show showed them that the female members of their families were indeed “real” and not anything like the women they felt they wanted to see portrayed. There was some crow pie being swallowed at that point.
I had to wonder how many men met their womenfolk that night with a chagrined and apologetic look on their faces. I had to also wonder how many of these women met their men with the proverbial rolling pin in their hands.
The other day I asked my husband why it was when we first met and I was toothpick thin he said he loved me that way then years later when I had gained a substantial amount of weight he still said he loved me that way…now I am in between and he still says the same thing.. I asked which time was it that he had lied to me.. at the beginning, in the middle or at the end (now) and he said don’t you get it yet? It’s you I love not the size you are.
Guess he won’t be facing a rolling pin anytime soon. Do any of you think Dove is being untrue to their portrayal of what a real woman looks like?
For the life of me I cannot understand why more women arent wildly enthusiastic about it. Why do women tolerate and support companies that promote unhealthy self image? Victoria Secrets and Calvin Klein shouldnt be in business because if only people who looked like theor models bought their stuff then they wouldnt have anyone to sell to. So, someone please explain to me why women keep buying into something they know is ba and unhealthy?
Because they know that is what “MOST” men want and they think if they will have this perfect body then the men will want them. It’s unhealthy, unrealistic and makes a bad situation worse. I was actually in a lingerie store the other day to get some new bras and they were starting to move all the flannel and cotton jammies out of the way and I asked if they were coming in with some new colors and the clerk said oh no we are making way for Christmas things.
I asked already? And what are you showcasing? So she showed me a few things and I said what woman buys these? And she replies oh it’s not for the women to buy it’s for the men to buy cause they think that is women want. She went on to say the 2 months before Christmas and the month of Feb (for Valentine’s) they stock up on itsy bitsy teenie weeiny things as that is what the men want to buy and the other 9 months of the year they stock up on cotton jammies, t-chirts and long plaid bottoms etc as that is what the women want to buy.
I looked at her and said wouldn’t it make more sense to TELL the men what the women really want them to buy? And she said then they would lose all those sales as the men would never buy those. Stupid just plain stupid.
I haven’t seen the ads but I just took a glance on their website. I think it’s awesome.
Did you hear about Jamie Lee Curtis posing in a magazine without any touchups? She wanted women to see the real thing. Here’s the picture:
http://images.meredith.com/lhj/images/2002/08/l_jamielee1.jpg
Pretty brave of her. It’s really amazing what goes into altering images you see in magazines. I’ve seen portfolios of touch-up artists online and it’s just crazy what they’ll do.
I think Dove is doing a great job of portraying “real” women. I wish more companies did this!
It puzzles me that these men were trying to get the ads removed? Do they think we all want to look like the pencil thin barbie models?
I think women are beautiful when they are true to themselves. I don’t like shows like Extreme Makeover or “The Swan” because they perpetuate the idea that in order to be acceptably beautiful you have to look a certain way. Beauty is in the strength and daily lives of women. Makeup or clothes or a certain shape don’t make us beautiful. Hollywood isn’t beautiful, it encourages low self worth and a distorted body image. What beauty is, is confidence and character and the natural faces and bodies that were created for us by our Heavenly Father.
We could take a page from the books of young children, those without self consciousness, who are just themselves. It’s too bad they can’t keep that as they get older. It saddens me when I see young preteens …and girls even younger than that, who think they are “fat” or “ugly”. They aren’t. Every single one of them are beautiful.
Oh and men who want women to have perfect bodies, faces, etc, should take a long hard look in the mirror first.
Thank GOODNESS I married a man who thinks I am beautiful all the time :)
Sally…I love this campaign. I have a friend that has gone out of her way to support it. Buying dove and even purchasing the T shirts with the slogan: “Be yourself, be beautiful”. Which she has given as gifts to all her girlfriends. Myself included. I’m surprised it has gotten so much flack. Proof that this truly is a self-absorbed society.
Susan M,
Thanks for the photo. Since black is often used to disguise flaws, however, I find it interesting they dressed her in black. Why not use red or white, for example?
Mary Siever
The men weren’t trying to get the ads removed because they starred “real women” but because these women didn’t represent real women. The average women does not look like that! yes its a step up from the average commercial but unfortunately it becomes worse when they claim that thats what real women look like. Real women are not thin models, some maybe but the average women is not. Quote “men were up in arms trying to get other men to sign petitions to have these ads removed off the media because this is not what real women look like”
Men have been fooled too… Women are image conscious because the pics in magazines tell them they are not the ideal and that becoming that ideal (an impossible endeavor) will make them happy, desirable and successful. Men, on the other hand, have been led to believe that this sort of woman exists and that attracting and acquiring her is a kind of status symbol trophy representing his happiness, desirability and success.
It’s all a gimic. But – now that you are enlightened and understand that 99% of the images are modified – can you mentally regroup and see it all as a kind of fantasy artwork… something not to aspire for, but instead just something to entertain you while suspending disbelief – like science fiction films or romance novels?