I saw this being spread around on Facebook with captions about how good it is to be “real” and how great a campaign this is.
I feel like neither of these are ‘real’ to be honest. My body type isn’t really represented in either image and both images are still only promoting one specific body type, not a spectrum. I get the idea, but I don’t think it’s all that helpful. It’s still perpetuating the ideal that one body type is better than another. I’d prefer a campaign with a wide range of different bodies, different women proud of who they are and what they look like.
I don’t understand the concept that in order to appreciate one body type, you have to bash another. There is nothing wrong with either body type displayed as long as they are happy and healthy. I’m sick of this one or the other thing. It’s insulting either way. I’m not skinny or fit like the Victoria’s Secret models, but I’m not curvy like the Dove ones. Does that mean I’m not a “real” woman? Saying one is more “real” than the other isn’t fair. Both are very real. Just different. And all body types should be represented, appreciated and celebrated.
Victoria’s Secret should not be running a “love your body” style campaign when they are very clearly only promoting one body to love. However, I still don’t like the “real beauty” campaign either because I’m not that body type and I want to feel like I’m just as “real” and “beautiful” as those women, who are gorgeous and curvy and lovely.
All I’m saying is that both bodies and all the one’s in between like my own, like yours, like all my friends, should also be represented if we’re trying to promote a “love your body”/”real beauty” thing. There are more than these two body types to love and all of them are real and beautiful. Just my thoughts.
