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Beauty and Brawn in advertising

5/5/2013

4 Comments

 
Even though it's 2013, people (advertisers in particular) don't seem to know how to address strong, beautiful women. If a woman doesn't meet the cultural (but unrealistic and unhealthy) ideal of a thin, tall, fashionable, waif-like model, she's told that she need to change so that she's more perfect and more desirable, even if they are currently healthy and fit and beautiful. 


How would you feel in the following situations?

Situation #1: How would you feel if you're working out at the gym and a guy comments on your appearance? Maybe something like, "You look hot in those workout clothes." While a little flattered, it makes me feel a little uncomfortable and objectified. My purpose at the gym is to get my workout in, not to be eye candy. 

Situation #2: How would you feel if you're running a race, and a spectator yells, "Lookin' good! Keep it up! You're doing great!"? This makes me feel GREAT. While I know I'm sweaty and huffing and puffing, and it's not "sexy," neither I nor the spectator think I'm out there to put on a show. It's encouraging to feel that my effort is acknowledged, respected, maybe even admired.



Now let's take a look at two advertisements:

Advertisement #1: The Bare Minerals #GoBare campaign (I first read about it yesterday, on TheGloss). Some local DC frat boys held up some signs at the Nike's Women Marathon DC:
Picture
[image source]
Like Situation #1 with the guy at the gym, the Bare Minerals' ad campaign suggests that it is necessary or desirable for women to have male approval regarding their workout and their workout clothes. That's a little degrading, isn't it?




Advertisement #2
One of four print ads from Nike's 2011 campaign. 
Picture
These Nike ads celebrate women who are healthy and fit, and tell all of the haters that they can shove it--these strong badass ladies don't need your approval. Like Situation #2, you're being encouraged for your effort, for what you can DO, for going out there and kicking ass (no matter what place you're finishing).




I know that ads are meant to sell product, but that profit shouldn't come at the price of someone's self-esteem. I think it's important to tell companies when they're being out of line, and I feel that Bare Minerals needs to go back to it's core principles.

Readers--what do you think? Was the Bare Minerals campaign cute, or disrespectful?
4 Comments
Gigi
5/6/2013 05:23:18 am

I COMPLETELY agree--the Bare Minerals' ad gives me chills of disgust and I'm not even running. How very degrading as opposed to the Nike ad. Actually, Nike is wonderful because some men tend to call their significant others "thunder thighs" as a demeaning term; they turned it around completely!

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Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex link
5/7/2013 03:15:20 pm

I was working out at the gym today, DRIPPING sweat, thinking about the Bare Minerals ad... and that beautiful is the farthest thing from my mind. Strong and persistent, but definitely not looking cute!

I've had people comment about my muscular thighs in a less than admiring way and it made me pretty self conscious but the thunder thighs ad really changed the way I looked at them! I still have times when I don't love them, but I try harder to appreciate them, and not care what others think.

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Citrine link
5/25/2013 05:25:58 pm

Haha, now I know why Shiseido is having a lot of deficits this year (after having bought BareMineral). Anyway, I actually like how Shiseido (and most Japanese brands) do their campaign, it's more about us having fun/a good life/adventure with the colors than if-you-wear-this-you-will-hook-up-with-guy sort of things I see here.

I didn't think of degrading when I saw the picture...More like creepy as hell. It kind of reminds me those tumblr posts (or other posting of the sorts, men allover the world do that "empowering" BS) where a guy goes: "Girls, we love you for who you are. Don't dress up or cover yourself with makeup" or like "Girls, you know that most men hate it when you cover your nail with polish, right ?" ... Because we can't just do those things for ourselves.

In real life I actually hate getting compliment from males ... Maybe it's because for the few instances it's always from older (I mean men older than my father), misogynistic men and it's always followed by some sort of harassment ("Oh, since you are dressing up for male attention anyway so after I, the almighty male, acknowledge your effort, I can stare at your chest all I want and make sexist remark!')

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Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex link
5/26/2013 02:46:01 pm

It's definitely creepy as hell. I kind of wonder if male behavior like this is downplayed as just being "creepy" when it really should just be considered flat out inappropriate? It's permissible for them to tell us when to wear or not wear makeup or how much makeup to wear? I wear makeup because I *like* it. If I were stranded on a deserted island, I'd still want my makeup and skincare products!

Citrine, I can see why you hate getting compliments, if it's in that context. It's not really a "compliment" at all. :(

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