As I was reading the Rice article: "Between body & culture:
Beauty, ability and growing up female," I was reminded of this Dove
“evolution” commercial. This video has two objectives: the spread Dove’s
campaign for self-esteem, as well as to market their products. The main
character of the commercial is first seen in the dark, with all of her
imperfections left unseen, shortly after that the lights are turned up and her
looks are evolved through artificial means.
This video illustrates the "ideal" beauty that so many women
around the globe feel pressured to live up to. Watching this video it is
amazing what makeup, hairstylists, and photoshop can change.
The absence of language in the short film allows the viewer to focus on
the evolution taking place. The film ends with the line, “No wonder our
perception of beauty is distorted.”
This film reveals the artificiality of what is considered beauty. As you
watch the video consider this question:
1. What basic emotion does this video make you feel, and does it make
you want to take any action to change the definition of beauty in our society?
Megan Jansen
I had seen this video before and think it has a powerful message to its viewers about the false portrayal of beauty in media. However, do you think that it is relatable to all women in the U.S.? The woman featured in the ad already adheres to the western ideology of beauty (i.e. white, blond and thin) and by having her make-up and hair done just puts her in the “above average” category. Though it is typically young white upper-middle class women who exhibit more body image issues, there is definitely a need for the female beauty ideology to include non-white individuals. Additionally, even though this ad addresses the unattainable female beauty ideology, I don’t feel it does much in terms of activism and shifting the paradigm. I felt that in the end, even though the “fakeness” is revealed, the image still looks good and people will still strive for “that perfection”.
ReplyDeleteWanted to share the 'Fair and Lovely' commercial that I mentioned in class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a1iXt1yPsk
ReplyDeleteIt's in the Hindi language, but the message is pretty clear. Father wishes he'd had a boy to support the family, girl vows to make her father proud by becoming an air hostess. Of course, in order to do that she has to get her skin to become many shades lighter. Basically, these Fair and Lovely ads have the same theme: girl is dark-skinned and has a hopeless future, girl turns fair and can achieve anything she sets out to.
Obviously, this message is wrong on SO many levels. Not only does it promote colourism, it's also sexist! Although the mindset among India's youth is changing, it's hard to believe that ridiculous commercials such as this one are still allowed to be aired.