This image seems to be everywhere you look lately: I get it – our reaction to the first image is supposed to be “ewww!” and our reaction to the second is supposed to be “Oooh….fun and sexy!” But, the juxtaposition of these women is clearly manipulative. The Victoria’s Secret models all have their Zoolander model faces on and stand in isolation with body language that says “I am walking right by as you wait to get into the club and you will be thrilled I got so close to you!” The Dove women, on the other hand, are all touching each other, laughing and smiling with body language that says “Let’s go out for pizza and margaritas – you can be my new BFF!!!” Seriously – who would you rather hang out with? But here is the problem, kids: these juxtaposed images seem to be saying that it is not OK for the fashion/advertising world to suggest that woman should look one certain way in order to be considered beautiful. It seems to be saying: hey, women can look all different ways and still be beautiful. “Real Beauty” does not have to be size-emaciated. True. But… Aren’t these two images together actually saying that it is not OK to be very thin, with thighs that don’t touch? How is that even possible? Seriously – she is crossing her ankles and her thighs still don’t touch. Mine touch even when I am doing a split. Isn’t it kind of orchestrated to make the VS models seem sickly and unappealing? How is that better? How is it better to say thin is not beautiful? Is that the message we want to give to thin girls with no body fat as they develop into women? It seems to me like this image is designed to make the pendulum swing the other way. That does not feel like progress to me. But yet this image clearly resonates. When we see this we think ‘Finally! Someone pointing out that a narrowly defined image of beauty is ridiculous! Finally an end to the tyranny of skinny!” We love to see the ones on top fall. As a woman, I did what I think all women do when they see the Dove Real Beauty ads – I scanned the bodies to find the one that looked most like mine. Alarmingly, I found that, skin color and height not withstanding, all the bodies kind of looked like mine. About a size 10-14, between the ages of 25 and 45, ample booty, breasts, and thighs with a reasonably-defined waist and pretty smooth skin. Pssst…..Dove: it turns out you are not promoting diversity – you are just giving us a different standard to live up to. Now, don’t get me wrong – I love a turn of events that puts me at the top of the attractive gene pool – but alas, not really progress. I think real progress comes in the form of real diversity. I want to see these Dove women who look like me when I look in magazines and shop in stores – but I also want my friends who are bigger than me or smaller than me to find their doppelgangers when they shop. This only makes sense. The women in the Dove ad are probably all smaller than the average American woman. Indeed, they may only be considered “fat” in the advertising world. Real women and real beauty comes in a wide variety: thin and fat, tall and short, black and white and every color in between. P.S. I finally found a way to get my thighs not to touch – what do you think?

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