Why I hate the ‘campaign for real beauty’
It’s still an exceptionally narrow scope of women, all primped and preened in the same way. The women may be slightly larger and curvier, but they are still operating within the same paradigm as the rest of the beauty industry.
And because it’s better that what we’ve had before or better than nothing, we’re SETTLING. We’re lapping it up like the grateful little lapdogs that we are. We’ve been conditioned to be so happy when the industry throws as a bone, and that’s a good thing for the patriarchy because that means we’re not seeing through it.
What I will need to see to accept that we really truly value diverse beauty is:
-A model in a wheelchair or somehow other not typical able bodied
-A fat woman - and no none of the women currently on the adverts are fat by any standard other than the impossibly prohibitive modelling industry - I’m talking 250-300lb and Yes, they can be sexy too
-A model with hairy legs or armpits
I particularly hate that even this argument takes us away from the important issue: we have traditionally been reduced to looks/appearance as women for too long. Stop making this the only issue, PLEASE. If we truly want to value and appreciate the diversity in people, we need to appreciate the ugly as much as we appreciate the beautiful. We need to realise that intelligence, kindness, humour, generosity, career, ambitions, success, skill, talent and a whole Host of other things should be more important than this one small thing.
If you are beautiful then there is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t feel good about yourself. And if you’re a beautiful fat person, then that should be appreciated too.
But where does that leave all the ugly people, both fat and thin? Do we not matter, are not important?