It's Monday, and whilst I am so ready for the icy grips of February to give up and make way for sunnier days, I am content with focussing on feel good heart warming content. The latest of which, this Dove campaign, nurtures my soul like Nanas chunky lamb stew. Here in London, a thousand miles from my Nana, and her stew, anything that comes close to warming my insides deserves a shout out. For a while now Dove has been heading this campaign for real beauty. Whilst I doubt the suits profiting from Dove sales actually lose sleep over the state of women's body image, I must admit that when considering the damage the female beauty industry has steadily inflicted on women over the years, this campaign provides some much needed relief.
The latest campaign video features a Police sketch artist and a few women, who one by one were asked to describe themselves. The women all started to list their perceived flaws in great detail. The sketch artist, who could not see them, drew them from how they described themselves. Next the sketch artist talked to people who had just met the women, and asked them to describe what they saw. The result was astounding. The sketches from the women's own view of themselves was remarkably different ( and worse) then the beautiful ( and far more realistic) images the strangers had described to the artist.
What was terrifying is that this is bone chillingly realistic of how most women perceive themselves and a brilliantly illustrates that many womens self image is in desperate need of repair.
Sadly and all to tellingly, it is revolutionary for a beauty brand to sell to women based on the fact that they are beautiful just the way they are.
Where as most beauty brands position themselves as a like a frienimy (bitchilly telling you what's wrong with you, whilst ever offering to help fix it- kinda) Dove is working to generate good will towards your self image. It is brilliant PR.
The campaign for real beauty is a far cry from typical beauty campaigns whose key messages can be distilled to "because you are not good enough" and "fix it honey"... that "it" referring to anything that is naturally you....apparently the way God made us is flawed. Hairy, flabby, freckled & aged....the natural woman as at odds with beauty.
As the video displays the battle to reconcile ones self image with the expectations of society can last long into maturity. I came across the quote below whist doing my dissertation on fashion and femininity. It oh so sadly illustrates the lifelong battle with self perception women face through out their lives.
“ My sensible relation to mirrors came to an abrupt and regrettable end with the onset of adolescence..Vulnerable to peer pressure and feminine norms which promptly wrecked my alliance with my mirror image. Soon I was as preoccupied with my looks and as distraught with what I in the looking glass as every other girl in my circle.” -Meyers, T ( 2002). Mirror Memoire Mirage: Appearance, Aging and Women. In: Gender In The Mirror. New York : Oxford University Press. 148
There is hope. like anything, the first step to recovery is to admit you are sick.
Stop the cycle of abuse, the next time you look in the mirror and dis what God gave you, hazard the thought that you are perfect just the way you are. If you chose to wear makeup and hair, let that be your personal choice, and engage in that for pleasure, but never because you feel you have to. Know this, your default switch is perfection.
Life By Lois
Watch video here:
