I am extremely impressed by the amount of TV programmes in the past year about ‘real’ beauty and how unattainable and fake a lot of the female bodies we see in the media and showbiz arena really are.
The most recent of these is Gok Wan’s ‘Miss Naked Beauty.’ Although at times this programme irritates me – aren’t we all a bit sick of reality contests by now? – the key ideals it promotes are so beneficial. The idea that a spokeswoman will be discovered who can attempt to alter the perceptions of the way normal women view themselves and the way they look is refreshing and I believe that the right candidate can really help to fight the battle against the false media portrayals.
But, is ‘the media’ the main culprit? I think that if a drastic and lasting change is to occur then the beauty and fashion industries need to make a lot of amendments as well. In some countries, fashion associations are beginning to understand the detrimental effects sending skeletal girls down the catwalk will have on both the models themselves and the public who absorb these images. For instance, the Spanish fashion industry have imposed a minimum BMI for its models during fashion events. However, the UK is yet to follow in their footsteps.
One of my all time favourite TV women, Dawn Porter, has taken part in a number of shows focused on revealing the truth behind the media and celebrity obsession with beauty and dieting. One of these was ‘Super Slim Me’ in which Dawn attempted to slim down to an American Size 0. She didn’t actually achieve her goal but she did – rather comically, I love her – lose a lot of weight as well as losing enthusiasm, a social life and the will to live at certain points. ‘Dawn Gets Naked’ was also successful as it documented her quest to celebrate the normal female body and reveal the truth about airbrushing and surgical enhacement. Like Gok she attempts to prove that celebrities and media portrayals of women are fake, unattainable and the pursuit of this supposed ‘perfection’ makes people extremely miserable.
A specific example I have been interested in for a while – which was highlighted on Alesha Dixon’s enlightening TV programme, ‘Look But Don’t Touch’ – was devised by Lexis PR for Dove’s ‘real beauty’ campaign. Dove are pioneers in the way that they now refuse to conform to prescribed stereotypes of beauty and produce advertising with real models, radiating natural beauty.
It’s vital that messages continue to be conveyed to the public as I know first hand the damaging effects these images and ideals can have on women of all ages. I don’t want to come across as a nutcase on a crusade here but changing perceptions of beauty and forcing the beauty and fashion industries to alter their use of fake women is something I would love to become a part of and help raise awareness for. I will definitely be on the look out for future campaigns and TV shows as I’m sure more and more people will start to become aware of these issues and will feel passionately about making a change.
Tags: advertising, beauty, Dawn Porter, Gok Wan, Me, TV
