Normal beauty

[vaneramos]

On an overnight trip, primary purpose to spend a little time with djjo, I make the pleasant acquaintance of osodecanela, Weaver. The three of us spend an hour or so in Romney Wools. Today just Weaver and I tour Kensington Market. We buy fruit, an eclectic grab bag of day-old bread, a small trove from Global Cheese (one of my favourite shops in Toronto), Turkish delight, dried strawberries, and the Iberian real orange juice soda that is ubiquitous in West Toronto, and have a picnic in the park. It is a perfect day.

This evening, descending into the subway en route to the bus station, I am stopped in my tracks by an ad depicting a row of women in panties and bras. Now. I am one who detests exploitive commercialism, but the unusual thing about these women is how usual they are, as if half a dozen commuters from the platform had decided to reveal their assets. We have soft tummies, wide bottoms, oddly proportioned hips, and extra large busts. What's more, they're flaunting their normalcy with obvious delight.

Maybe it's because just having left my sweetie I'm feeling sentimental, but these women look so happy and I'm so proud of them, that I want to have sex with all of them. Omigod, and I'm at least a Kinsey 4.5. I can't remember the last time a woman turned my head, and I've certainly never been attracted to a model in a cosmetics ad before.

I realize this ad campaign is not news elsewhere, but this is the first time I've seen it.

Kudos to Dove for getting my attention.

Comments

[blue-by-you.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the Dove campaign. Oprah even had a show about it. We had a picnic today, too (well, yesterday now). It was lovely. Glad you had such a great one, too.

Beauty...

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Van,

I have to applaud Dove for their innovative thinking. When this campaign came out last year, there was a lot of criticism over it but eventually it died off. I think it's about time time people see "normal" sized bodies. I've realized that as an American, I get a little too obsessed with the size 0 mentality.

Geez, look at me...I'm talking like a woman using woman's sizes to discuss stuff? I'm so gay.

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

Hmph. Now I want to bathe in Dove while out for a picnic.

Just for the record I reacted pretty much the same way to the ad campaign; I have no idea what my Kinsey score is, but what with one thing and another, not much interest in women that way either.

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

My Kinsey number isn't a *lot* different from yours, and I had the same reaction. I think what the ad sells is authenticity, and I think we crave that, wherever we find it.

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Gosh Van they all look model-gorgeous to me anyway, what are you talking about, soft tummies and wide bottoms? :o) I see none of that! Just figures I can only dream of inhabiting ever again.

Re: Beauty...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It doesn't matter, Paul. You're fabulous either way. I remember reading an article about it (though I missed the controversy), but I didn't see any actual ads until now. I really try to avoid buying into the obsession, but it affects all of us, no matter how little we watch TV and ignore the images.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It makes me curious what's behind this ad, because I rarely feel any positive emotional feelings toward any ad. Almost makes me wonder if there's something subliminal going on. Still, I appreciate it.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Authenticity, that's very possible. Although I can't help wondering whether there's something subliminal going on here, my reaction was so strong. It's rare that commercial advertising invokes any positive response from me.

But no question, it was partly the women's facial expressions that attracted me. None of that haughty supermodel indifference. These gestures are engaging.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Weirdly, the effect is somewhat lost in that website photo. Standing nine feet tall opposite a subway platform, they show their physical idiosyncrasies more readily. And in the posters I saw, not all the models were young. It's almost as if the images were airbrushed for their appearance online, which is confusing.

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what's behind it either, but obviously a very effective ad! (and I appreciate the use of normally shaped women in ads)

[grandiva1968.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes indeedy, I love Dove!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I dunno, those women are so fabulous, maybe Dove is targetting gay men!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I remember reading about the Campaign For Real Beauty months and months ago, in fact I think I also commented in my journal, but I can't find the entry. It's strange how long it took the actual ads to come to my attention.