Comments on: Ethical advertising or smart advertising? http://literarylens.org/2009/04/ethical-advertising-or-smart-advertising/ Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:08:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Lauren Felton http://literarylens.org/2009/04/ethical-advertising-or-smart-advertising/comment-page-1/#comment-1150 Lauren Felton Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:20:42 +0000 http://looking-in.net/photo/?p=84#comment-1150 It's not about what they're saying outright; it's about the implications of their campaign. Obviously Dove doesn't caption their images with "thin women aren't real" -- but this campaign and similar campaigns put forth the claim that "real women have curves," which very much does imply something negative about thin women. Also, some women may have mixed racial backgrounds, but that doesn't change the fact that the whiter you are, the more beautiful you are considered to be by society. This image is no different from any other advertisement that promotes that mindset. I have no way of knowing the racial background of each woman in this image, but it's no mistake that most of them are pretty light-skinned and have very white characteristics. Just because there are different skin tones in this image doesn't make it all that progressive -- it's like when modeling agencies look for "white women dipped in chocolate" when considering black models. They might be black, but still plays into a very troubling standard of beauty that values whiteness. So, is there diversity in this image? Superficially, yes. But it's not as progressive as some would like to believe. It’s not about what they’re saying outright; it’s about the implications of their campaign. Obviously Dove doesn’t caption their images with “thin women aren’t real” — but this campaign and similar campaigns put forth the claim that “real women have curves,” which very much does imply something negative about thin women.

Also, some women may have mixed racial backgrounds, but that doesn’t change the fact that the whiter you are, the more beautiful you are considered to be by society. This image is no different from any other advertisement that promotes that mindset. I have no way of knowing the racial background of each woman in this image, but it’s no mistake that most of them are pretty light-skinned and have very white characteristics. Just because there are different skin tones in this image doesn’t make it all that progressive — it’s like when modeling agencies look for “white women dipped in chocolate” when considering black models. They might be black, but still plays into a very troubling standard of beauty that values whiteness. So, is there diversity in this image? Superficially, yes. But it’s not as progressive as some would like to believe.

]]> By: Marisqa http://literarylens.org/2009/04/ethical-advertising-or-smart-advertising/comment-page-1/#comment-1149 Marisqa Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:04:05 +0000 http://looking-in.net/photo/?p=84#comment-1149 Dove pictures women that are both thin and not very thin. You even admitted that. So nobody's picking on someone who is "very thin", or lacks curves. There are not four different shades of white either. There are so many races and mixed race women in our society. An Asian women would have been nice to see though. Dove pictures women that are both thin and not very thin. You even admitted that. So nobody’s picking on someone who is “very thin”, or lacks curves. There are not four different shades of white either. There are so many races and mixed race women in our society. An Asian women would have been nice to see though.

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