As I looked for positive ads to fulfill the second part of this assignment, I realized just how many ads perpetuate the “beauty myth.” I receive “People” magazine and I had to go through seven magazines to find a positive ad about women. Every ad I came across featured products for anti-aging or make-up that will make women look better. It really opened my eyes to the message that Jean Kilbourne states in the “Killing Us Softly” series. Advertisers have an agenda and it does not include showing women in a positive light. However, when I did come across a positive ad for women, it was a very woman-empowering ad.
The advertisement is for Quaker Instant Oatmeal that features a very happy and healthy looking woman. The main copy reads,” Say mmmmm for a healthy heart” followed by a sub-text that says, “A warm, yummy way to help lower your cholesterol.” This ad says that if you eat this oatmeal, you will have the chance to lead a healthier life. Other small shots of the woman show her exercising so it also promotes exercise while eating healthy.
The ad once again mainly targets women, but I think that is acceptable in this ad because it shows that this woman has a positive body image about herself. Age is also embraced here because the editor did not take out the lines on her face or overdo her face with makeup. I can’t even tell that she is wearing any.
By showing a woman eating, already this ad is combating eating disorders. According to Naomi Wolf, author of “The Beauty Myth,” where feminism taught women to put a higher value on ourselves, hunger teaches us how erode our self-esteem (Wolf, 197).” Feminism hasn’t gone away, it just fades a bit into the background sometimes with media being so prevalent and so readily available to women today.
This ad combats the stereotype of the perfect model in ads that has absolutely no lines or wrinkles on her body. According to Debra L. Gimlin, author of “Cosmetic Surgery: Paying for Your Beauty,” states “recipients (of cosmetic surgery) are overwhelmingly women who are dissatisfied with their looks. Today, aesthetic operations make up 45 percent of all plastic surgery (Gimlin, 106).” What used to be reserved for men who were maimed by war has now turned into a present for girls graduating from high school. Botox use is rampant in Hollywood and women ultimately feel that they are not allowed to age or else they will not be considered beautiful.
The lines around her face show when she smiles, and her smile looks genuine, like she is truly happy. Yes, the advertiser is out to make money, but women must eat, so why not promote something healthy and good body image. The crow’s feet around her eyes also say that she smiles a lot. This woman looks happy to be doing something for her, to make her feel better, not to please a man.
The lack of makeup and the frizzy hair also promote a natural look. It’s ok to not going out in public and be dressed to the nine’s because this woman looks gorgeous just as she is. Girls are starting to buy into the “beauty myth” from the day they are born and more ads like this are needed to combat this. No ten dollar tube of lipstick is going to magically make a man fall for you.
As we have seen, there are also steep increases in cases of anorexia and bulimia. This ad doesn’t tell you to go on a diet. It tells you to make a lifestyle change and with their product you can do that. The woman is exercising outdoors, so she is not afraid to mess up her hair or get pollutants on her skin. She is just living life to the fullest as a woman. Women need to see more positive ads like this one.
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