For Women-

[Croi_Leoin]

My friend sent me this today.

I know there's a lot of empowered women active in this lifestyle, but I also think there are some that could use the reminder: You're more beautiful than you know.

A Beauty-Oriented Social Experiment

 

[Stella_Omega]

I am really of two minds about it. It's very sweet, for sure. Also...

Very skinny.

And kinda white.

And the women are already pretty good looking... Nobody is fat, or really dark skinned, or has anything worse than an extra line or three around the eyes.

So, I dunno.

 

[knot_sweet]

What really bugs me is why do I have to consider myself beautiful?

Why is it so imperative for a woman to think she looks good?

Shouldn't we be valuing ourselves for more than how we look?

I'm not beautiful, never have been, never will be.

It's the simple truth, I'm totally ok with that, and why shouldn't I be??

I'm plenty awesome without being beautiful thank you very much.

 

[bhndblueyes88]

What really bugs me is why do I have to consider myself beautiful?

Why is it so imperative for a woman to think she looks good?

Shouldn't we be valuing ourselves for more than how we look?

I'm not beautiful, never have been, never will be.

It's the simple truth, I'm totally ok with that, and why shouldn't I be??

I'm plenty awesome without being beautiful thank you very much.

Well...I suppose they can't cover every aspect of beauty/female psychology in one go And they ARE a beauty/hygiene product company...

It's still a positive message they're sending, and it extends to our personalities as well. From what I've noticed, a lack of self-confidence rarely stops at skin-depth. Remembering that you probably think less of yourself than anyone else is just as important a message and while they don't explicitly explore that message, I don't think its excluded either.

And as much as everyone's still pretty "safe for tv" and good-looking, they're still far more normal appearing than most "normal" folk you see in media

Personally, I think the message they ARE sending is a positive enough message that I don't want to take away from it by picking it apart until it looks negative. Even if you feel that women shouldn't have to feel beautiful, the other simple fact of the matter is that many women DO think they have to be beautiful. If this can help those women, then that's enough for me to give praise to the video.

 

[Loverskitten]

Dear smart, intelligent, funny women in this thread, please watch my link in the "women" thread. One thing that rings true with this bunch, is the women who were inspired by reading wonen's names at the end of TV shows. They said "hey if they can do it, I can do it!"
Sorry to toot my own thread but please watch. I know you all are more than beautiful!
(Stella-am I some sort of radical now? Yipes)
I know y'all are better writers than I (I can't even post a story) but gooooo chicks!

 

[Croi_Leoin]

Well...I suppose they can't cover every aspect of beauty/female psychology in one go And they ARE a beauty/hygiene product company...

It's still a positive message they're sending, and it extends to our personalities as well. From what I've noticed, a lack of self-confidence rarely stops at skin-depth. Remembering that you probably think less of yourself than anyone else is just as important a message and while they don't explicitly explore that message, I don't think its excluded either.

And as much as everyone's still pretty "safe for tv" and good-looking, they're still far more normal appearing than most "normal" folk you see in media

Personally, I think the message they ARE sending is a positive enough message that I don't want to take away from it by picking it apart until it looks negative. Even if you feel that women shouldn't have to feel beautiful, the other simple fact of the matter is that many women DO think they have to be beautiful. If this can help those women, then that's enough for me to give praise to the video.

I support this- and the message I was simply trying to convey is that women can be their worst critics and let their exaggerated perception of their flaws impede the overall, beautiful person they are.

This video primarily focuses on a physical description, but beauty isn't skin deep. The intention was to encourage a woman's appreciation of herself. That's all.

@Knot_sweet: It was never implied that you weren't awesome. I think you're overanalyzing the message. Sorry if you felt objectified. That was obviously, for aforementioned reasons, not the intent.

 

[Ropebunny]

What really bugs me is why do I have to consider myself beautiful?

Why is it so imperative for a woman to think she looks good?

Shouldn't we be valuing ourselves for more than how we look?

I'm not beautiful, never have been, never will be.

It's the simple truth, I'm totally ok with that, and why shouldn't I be??

I'm plenty awesome without being beautiful thank you very much.

I'm with you on this.

I have days where I feel beautiful and days where I do not. This doesn't bother me coz I think my physical appearance is the least important and attractive thing about myself.

I have big problems with how incredibly important appearance is to some females (and a good portion of males too), especially within my generation.

:radical feminist alert:

I think *beauty* products should be banned.
We should all be encouraged to stay away from mirrors.
And they should start making boys toys in pink. Plus sequins. My son would looove a pink, sequined Transformer...

 

[knot_sweet]

And they should start making boys toys in pink. Plus sequins. My son would looove a pink, sequined Transformer...

If you aren't just winding us all up, then I can totally suggest pink glittery nail polish as a toy paint tool.

Alternatively, there are some spray paints that come in metallic and glitter finishes too now.

 

[positivetension]

My friend sent me this today.

I know there's a lot of empowered women active in this lifestyle, but I also think there are some that could use the reminder: You're more beautiful than you know.

A Beauty-Oriented Social Experiment

Dove is owned by Unilever, who also make and promote Axe products. I find their messaging inconsistent and disingenuous. Sorry.

 

[Salenku]

My friend sent me this today.

I know there's a lot of empowered women active in this lifestyle, but I also think there are some that could use the reminder: You're more beautiful than you know.

A Beauty-Oriented Social Experiment

Beauty means more to me than appearance. That's good-looking or pretty. I think beauty is that intangible thing which shows through from the inside. If this is what was meant by the OP (and I took it this way), then I think it's a lovely sentiment. Thank you. Xxxx

 

[Keroin]

Dove is owned by Unilever, who also make and promote Axe products. I find their messaging inconsistent and disingenuous. Sorry.

This.

It is ALL about the money. So, the message is lovely but the people putting out the message just want to manipulate us and part us with our money.

If you find yourself feeling the warm fuzzies after that Dove commercial (as I did), here's something you should watch/read...

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/05/24/onslaught-dove-vs-axe/

ETA: Gotta love how they're working both sides of the room.

 

[Netzach]

I've lived as both superficially beautiful and superficially ugly, it's one of the interesting facets of the disease I've got, the meds will radically alter my face, my ability to eat will radically alter my weight (to my chagrin, but whatever). My skin used to be TV flawless - it is not now. My hair used to be thick and TV lustrous, it is definitely not now.

I'm with knot sweet. The more times I'm on the merry go round, the more I ask myself why everyone cares, why ANYONE who's not paying me to look a certain way uses "you look good" as a marker of anything. If it's not in my bank balance, I would worry about it less than ever. Do I love makeup? Hell yes, because I like painting everything in my vicinity more than anything to do with other people. Have I switched to the stuff at the co-op after reading Welcome to Cancerland? You bet your bippy.

I've looked great at my least healthy and least happy.

The woman at the end is completely 100 percent wrong. Getting PAST it is what's "so important" to your health and happiness. Realizing that you can't control other people's perceptions of you is what's "so important" and putting your mind to something more useful. Hopefully this small moment is leading her into that direction, at least.

I wish women would have someone write a list of all the things they actually DO and have them look at that.

And these products are filled with carcinogens and penetrative agents to deliver them to your bloodstream as quickly as possible. Axe ads bother me a LOT less than that.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Here are two women that are dear to me; they are the kinds of women you will NEVER see in Dove commercials

Thing about beauty is-- it is exactly, skin deep. And our society judges women exactly on their surface. And that's horrible, both for plain women who cannot make their value visible, and pretty ones who cannot be recognised as anything but pretty.

When Amy Winehouse died, the most common comment I read? "She was so pretty when she was young!"
Not: "She was so talented, and she lived her life so hard!"

I'll tell you-- I don't instantly warm up to a conventionally beautiful woman. I have to wait and see if there's anyone looking out of her eyes. And yes, there almost always is... capable, frustrated, bewildered.

 

[FurryFury]

I agree with you about beauty. My whole life I've wanted people to acknowledge what is in my head rather that that outer shell they were so interested in. Even now as I see that so called beauty and sexiness fading, I have people online telling me how beautiful I am and what does that mean?

It means they think it's a compliment that is important or compelling in some way. It means they want something from me base solely on my looks. Not based on what I think, what interest me, what I can do or anything real or important to me.

I know I'm tougher on myself than I am on anyone else or that anyone else is on me. I love that message in case any ladies haven't gotten it, lighten up on yourself. That's something I've been working on for years.