Saw this commercial and went to the website to see more.
http://realbeautysketches.dove.us
(http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/images/pic2-back.jpg)
Pretty interesting stuff.
Oh yeah, I saw a bump about this on Adult Swim. It is interesting.
This bothers me, for the reason that I would really like to see messages that are more along the lines of "your value transcends your appearance" or "beauty isn't the most important thing about you".
The most brilliant, complex, and interesting person I have ever known asked me once, with a hesitant yearning in her voice, if she was pretty. I was dumbfounded... I didn't know what to say. The thing is, "pretty" is a ridiculously inadequate term to apply to her. Pretty. Huh. Pretty. Yes, like a volcano is pretty. Like a tidal wave is pretty. I mean, yes, she is attractive to look upon. But "pretty"? Hold on there, let me completely rescale everything about the world that makes a person make sense... ok, now, yes, you are pretty. You have glossy hair and symmetrical features. But
what the fuck
I felt like someone was asking a question that MADE NO SENSE in the context of who she is. Because "pretty" is the least significant or her many significant attributes.
So yeah, we are all probably more beautiful than we think we are
but more importantly, it doesn't really matter.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on May 03, 2013, 04:12:04 AM
This bothers me, for the reason that I would really like to see messages that are more along the lines of "your value transcends your appearance" or "beauty isn't the most important thing about you".
The most brilliant, complex, and interesting person I have ever known asked me once, with a hesitant yearning in her voice, if she was pretty. I was dumbfounded... I didn't know what to say. The thing is, "pretty" is a ridiculously inadequate term to apply to her. Pretty. Huh. Pretty. Yes, like a volcano is pretty. Like a tidal wave is pretty. I mean, yes, she is attractive to look upon. But "pretty"? Hold on there, let me completely rescale everything about the world that makes a person make sense... ok, now, yes, you are pretty. You have glossy hair and symmetrical features. But
what the fuck
I felt like someone was asking a question that MADE NO SENSE in the context of who she is. Because "pretty" is the least significant or her many significant attributes.
So yeah, we are all probably more beautiful than we think we are
but more importantly, it doesn't really matter.
I find it interesting that so many people are caught up in how they look, are convinced they are not pretty, and let it dictate how they are treated or how they think they should be treated.
Quote from: Cardinal Pizza Deliverance. on May 03, 2013, 04:20:53 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on May 03, 2013, 04:12:04 AM
This bothers me, for the reason that I would really like to see messages that are more along the lines of "your value transcends your appearance" or "beauty isn't the most important thing about you".
The most brilliant, complex, and interesting person I have ever known asked me once, with a hesitant yearning in her voice, if she was pretty. I was dumbfounded... I didn't know what to say. The thing is, "pretty" is a ridiculously inadequate term to apply to her. Pretty. Huh. Pretty. Yes, like a volcano is pretty. Like a tidal wave is pretty. I mean, yes, she is attractive to look upon. But "pretty"? Hold on there, let me completely rescale everything about the world that makes a person make sense... ok, now, yes, you are pretty. You have glossy hair and symmetrical features. But
what the fuck
I felt like someone was asking a question that MADE NO SENSE in the context of who she is. Because "pretty" is the least significant or her many significant attributes.
So yeah, we are all probably more beautiful than we think we are
but more importantly, it doesn't really matter.
I find it interesting that so many people are caught up in how they look, are convinced they are not pretty, and let it dictate how they are treated or how they think they should be treated.
Yeah, it actually really, really sucks.
I think the point of this project is more about awareness. Not so much as physical beauty, but being aware of the faults you have in your own self-image.
My daughter picks up a rock she finds significant and points out that it's a pretty rock. It is, I say. And of course it is... We humans have this peculiar sense of judgment of natural things like that. When someone asks me if I think they're pretty, I reply with, "yes". Because they are...we all are...
...that is unless you're my Aunt Marla...she's buttfuckUGH-LEE.
Quote from: Suu on May 03, 2013, 04:48:41 AM
I think the point of this project is more about awareness. Not so much as physical beauty, but being aware of the faults you have in your own self-image.
Yeah, it has value. But it bothers me because it STILL focuses on beauty as a source of value, as in "you have more value than you think because you aren't as ugly as you think you are".
Someday maybe we'll move past that. I hope. Not that beauty isn't a wonderful thing, just that it isn't where we should get the majority of our self-worth.
Disconnected thoughts-
I didn't catch if all sketched appeared on film. It would be interesting to see a self/stranger/actual comparison with a larger sample.
The "Stranger" descriptor is accurate to a degree. They have met the person for an unknown amount of time and it was mentioned in the advert that they had to "be nice". That kind of twists it a bit. I'd guess there'd be a bit of a variance between how Men and Women would describe each other, again several unknown factors could twist it either way though.
Dove on the whole piss me off a bit for still shouting about the "regular people" thing. Just fucking do it, don't make a fuss.
Oh. Right. Marketing tool.
Dove is a brand owned Unilever, the same company that owns the Axe brand of male deodorant.
Here's one of their commercials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU (chosen by search results / # of views - Axe has way more sexist commercials out there.)
So, while I can kind of appreciate what Unilever is doing under the Dove label, it's all about strategically positioning their Dove brand. Unilever clearly doesn't give two shits about women except as an income stream; they're perfectly happy spending millions on ad campaigns showing mindless hordes of bikini women. (It took effort to get that many white models in one place. You don't get that many stereotypically attractive women by posting a want ad in only one city.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_(toiletries)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_(brand)
This was going around facebook awhile back, and I could swear they took some stuff out since then. I remember a Black lady saying "I thought I was darker!" There's a positive message in it, but there's a backhanded "light skin /blue eyes/skinny/no freckles/etc. is BETTER than dark/brown eyes/etc.".
Then again, what GA said re:
QuoteUnilever clearly doesn't give two shits about women except as an income stream
"Tell me about you sack" #RealBeautyBalls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzDUbUQ-qjg