The Dove Misfire

Read a piece about those awful Dove ads – you know the ones – the “models” are “real women.” Evidently, this is code for “doughy” and the celebration of their doughiness. The article takes basically the same attitude I do – no reason we must be assaulted by images of these chunky females that we would never wish to emulate. Of course, that’s not the point; the aim is to make “regular” women feel better about their thick waistlines and big derrières.

Reminds me of a trend a few years ago (could be a decade for all I know) for gyms to hire overweight aerobic instructors to attract “normal” women. You know, not intimidate "regular" women by actual fit instructors. I felt the same way about that whole fad – um, yuck. How motivating is a chubby instructor – all that exercise must not be working too well. Or, maybe it is, but losing the battle against the hordes of evil Little Debbies.

The article mentions athletes (and their bodies) not being considered normal [by "normal" women]. True, those athletes have chosen goals that require a lean, muscled body. Doesn’t necessarily make them freaks.

Point is, I’d rather see and emulate those kinds of bodies than be pacified by ads geared to 1) make me feel better about myself looking just like those gals in the ads, or 2) make me feel good because those chunky monkeys look worse than I do. Either way, these ads aren’t presenting, in my mind, a particularly positive message. Just sayin’.