Don't like the media's images of women? Join Dove's campaign

By Hayley Hayden

March 3, 2008 | Every day both women and men are bombarded with images of beauty and perfection. Over 78 percent of women in America compare themselves to the perfect size 2, tan, sexy models that appear on the magazine covers. This has got to stop. BNET gives specific details of how much cause and effect media models have on women today.

In a Newsweek article, "Media Myths," an example of how just how bad media is affecting different societies all over the world. Before the TV arrived in Fiji in 1995, only three percent of the population had eating disorders, in fact it was considered to be beautiful to be large, but three years after the TV arrived over 15 percent had eating disorders and being large was no longer acceptable.

Dove Inc. has taken charge of clearing our view on this image-perfect world. They have started a campaign called Campaign For Real Beauty, to help women understand that the women they see on TV, billboards and magazines covers are not the actual women.

The women that you see on covers of magazines have been distorted. Dove has a short clip that shows exactly what a model and the picture itself goes through in order to be on the cover or up on a billboard.

The clip begins with a statement, stating that "All this talk about fashion models. How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?"

This clip has a woman positioned in front of a camera with makeup artist and hair styles beautifying her for a photo shot, spending hours to make her more beautiful, but the additional and final steps are taken long after the model is done posing.

The end of the clip finishes with the models picture being edited and digitally enhanced. The models face is stretched and thinned along with her neck being lengthened. Her eyes, lips and hair enlarged with the final touch of her skin being darkened, not one thing on the woman face is left untouched. The woman at the beginning of the YouTube is significantly different and no longer recognizable compared the final picture produced that is shown at the end.

After viewing this clip Norma- Jean Kuhr, a journalism student at Utah State said, "I think that this is really disturbing. This clip goes to show how much money and concern goes into selling a product and how our misconception of media reflects our views on society and our values."

"That's freaking nuts!" said Travis Brackus a freshmen at Utah State, "no one really believes that things like that are distorted, but it really is. Its just like a sleeper it snicks up you, its hard not to judge other girls, because you see a lot of that but you know that it's not true."

"I feel deceived. I knew that this stuff happened but I still feel deceived" said Logan Smith, a freshmen at Utah State. The people that have viewed the clip have all expressed the same feelings and concerns that media is twisting our views and thoughts when it comes to beauty and looks.

Travis Chambers a public relations major at Utah State had two things to say about woman and their looks compared to the medias.

"One, I think a woman is more attractive if they are normal, and on the other hand I think that having an exotic women, makes the product look more exquisite" said Chambers, "Sadly beauty and perfection is what businesses need in order to have their product survive."

All of the girls who viewed the clip took exception to the underlying messages, and the feeling of being lied and betrayed too.

"I really appreciate this campaign that Dove is doing to try to explain to girls that they are really perfect to way they are" said Katelyn Erekson. "No wonder our perspective of beauty is distorted. Every girl deserves to feel beautiful just the way she is."

Media has led men and women to believe that if you don't look like that perfect model on the cover of a magazine, than you are not attractive, that you are not perfect, that you are not beautiful. Dove is simply trying to put things back into perspective.

People that feel strongly about this, please cast your votes at Doves Campaign For Real Beauty. Men and women can cast their vote and give their opinions to help raise awareness of this campaign.

What the media is feeding us is not real. Men and women need to understand that who you are, is what makes you, you. That's what makes you your own kind of beautiful, but it is up you personally to decided if you are going to compare yourself to what you see in the media. The can look or you can look the other way, your choice.

For more information please e-mail me or visit my blog.

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