Moderator Haley at Redefining Body Image re Dove’s beauty sketches video:
I love this spot. I really do. Sometimes, I enjoy the way Dove frames these issues, and I can appreciate it.
But in the back of my mind, I am always thinking about the hypocrisy of embracing the notion of “real women” while leaving out a massive part of the population - as if they are any less real.
Dove says they are committed to building positive self esteem and inspiring ALL WOMEN and girls - but from what I can tell, that only applies so long as you’re not over a size 18. Deathfatties be damned.
A good point, but I have to say my reaction to the video (perhaps because I’ve been in a “hey kids get off my lawn” mindset recently) was more like moderator Liz’s:
Also, the same company owns Axe, which uses some of the grossest, most objectifying images of women around at the moment. Basically, I like the idea of the “Real Beauty” campaign, but am deeply deeply skeptical of Dove’s motives, and critical of their execution, which as Haley said, is still exclusive of a lot of people even though they claim to be body positive and to represent all women.
Like the RBI folks, I agree that the idea of expanding our cultural notion of beauty is worthwhile. But my BS detector went off when all these relative strangers were able to so accurately depict these women in a way that was more flattering than they could themselves.
Weight Maven is written by Beth Mazur. Beth believes that obesity is more symptom than cause and that the real problem is our Western diet -- especially sugar, refined grains, and industrial oils. Beth writes about nutrition, ancestral health, & food policy. And cats! 
This is terrific food for thought… it really has me thinking! But I’ve decided it’s likely best not to overthink this issue. Whatever Dove’s motives are (and they are nearly ALWAYS about selling their product), I like the message that’s conveyed here. If it helps any number of women rethink their self image in a positive way, then brava.
If I were a sociologist or women’s studies researcher, I’d probably have a longer comment on the implications of this video leading folks to rethink their self image. But it is clear that lots of folks, not just women, find that it resonates with them.
The main motive of any profit-seeking entity is always to sell. The way they do that may or may not enrich our lives. Selling aside, I don’t think the message here is harmful and may be helpful to some. But on another level it highlights to me how this whole body image thing is a little too much navel-gazing and falls into the category of first world problems.
I would rather see an advertising campaign with positive images of women than an advertising campaign with negative images of women - but I don’t give Dove a whole lot of credit for anything besides trying to sell their stuff. I’ve always been aware that their “Real Beauty” campaign is *advertising* designed to sell beauty products, which still perpetuates the idea that 1) women are required to look and/or feel beautiful, and 2) you need some sort of commercial products to do so. And I think it’s point #1 that annoys me the most, this massive cultural imperative to be attractive. This particular video, with the teary emotion, tends to make me roll my eyes. I understand their pain, but I don’t see Dove as a savior; they’re just perpetuating the problem. It’s kind of like a company that hits you with a hammer, then just happens to sell you some aspirin to take the pain away. Better to remove the hammer.
Mister Worms, I too become exasperated with the navel-gazing quality, so I think I know where you’re coming from, but I have to say I don’t think this is in any way a first world problem. The policing of women’s bodies, which takes many forms, seems to be a global and social constant, in every stratum of society, in every culture. Women don’t usually have the option of being allowed to be unselfconscious about their bodies.