The twisted reality of fashion advertising
Up to 24 million people in the US experience an eating disorder. Nearly 50% of Americans know someone with an eating disorder. 15% of young women in the United States show considerable disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. Reports show girls as young as five years of age have weight concerns, and think about going on a diet. (Source)
Why is that?
Many people believe that the fashion industry and the media cause a huge amount of pressure to be piled on the shoulders of young women. I’d agree with that. How many glossy magazines do you see nowadays with Photoshopped images of models on the front cover? I’ve given up counting.
It’s refreshing to see Dove telling the truth with a novel commercial, called Dove Evolution (lasts just over a minute).
How does fashion affect you?
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there’s also a site that de-touches some glossy photography for the user. Very interactive and illuminating.
http://detouch.org/de-touch/med.php
Good Video. In my country, weight is the most concern for all girls and some girls are using the wrong way to lose weight.
That was amazing. I’m going to share this post with family and friends (especially my two early teen daughters). Very educational. Thanks.
Ahhh, and thus the reason why you definitely need to make a surprise visit to your girlfriend’s house BEFORE you propose.
Jennessa, Thailand is becoming more and more westernized, especially in the cities. Eating disorders aren’t such a reported problem in developing nations.
I hope your daughters find the commercial interesting, Bret. You’re very welcome.
Barry, indeed. Never propose before waking up beside your partner. That’s another acid test.
Here is another one:
http://gr8egypt.blogspot.com/2007/03/miracles-of-makeup.html
The whole ‘industry’ of fashion, diets, womens magazines etc. is just plain sick.
I just wish so many people didn’t fall for it.
Fashion doesn’t really affect me at all, except that I hate it. So many stupid things are “fashionable” and people don’t realize (or don’t care) about what it is actually doing to people (in terms of eating disorders).
Thanks for sharing… I had a similar video relating celebs and anorexia :(
[...] The twisted reality of fashion advertising : Creative Design :: (tags: fashion beauty advertising film videos) [...]
I must admit that allthought I work in this Industry and see things like that every day, as a designer and as a photographer, the film was shocking enought as it is.
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Further more this is my first time writing to your blog and I have also subscribed. You have made some very nice work here mate. Keep it up.
I wrote about this and one other Dove video here, as this sort of stuff is something I’m really passionate about, too. The media is so powerful over young people and even some (many?) adults. It’s not that I think it should be regulated to death, but we should be educated in its nature, and girls should not be led to feel insecure about themselves due to things like this.
That said, I’d like to express my personal frustration as a 20-year-old young woman who has always been a “string bean.” To this day, I weigh only 47kg/103lbs. and am 5′7/170cm. I’m fine with that. I’m happy with the way I am, and I am unbelievably healthy. I’ve just always been skinny, because of my metabolism. My mother was/is the same way.
Yet because [some] of the media have taken up the flag to talk about anorexia and bulimia, I now have people thinking that about me. I cannot say how heartbreaking that is for me–to be accused of an illness that I don’t have. An illness that anyone who knows me knows I don’t have (hell, I love food too much to go on a diet). But most people judge very quickly.
Ironically, while the majority gets tetchy, saying “those skinny models aren’t REAL women,” I end up in the crossfire, just for being who I am.
So I’m urging you and others to be careful of who you think does have a problem, because some of us truly are just, well, small. Women come in all different shapes and sizes, including plus and pencil! I wish the world would stop trying to demonize and call one or the other, or both, abnormal. There are people with problems, but there are even more who are just normal–but in their own way.
cmon.. people should have some goals to follow - when they see nice looking people on tv, they start jogging and going to gym, take care about the skin etc. have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-kSZsvBY-A
;)
Ilker, Chris, Sean, Hans, Romeo, Lelia, Julia,
Thanks for taking the time, and sorry for the late acknowledgment.
I know this is a really old entry, but I find it slightly amusing that Dove is owned by Unilever, the same company that takes care of products like Axe. However, in Axe ads, they have no issue pushing the ideal of the over photoshopped dame. I think it proves that Unilever is only being honest about these sorts of design practises and promoting “real women” when it turns into profit for them.