My wife saw this and told me that it made her cry. I saw it today and was moved as well. It might be a bit cheesy or whatever but It brings up an interesting idea.

www.upworthy.com/2-people-described-the-...-what-happene?c=upw1

I see it is something to do with Dove who have often had that sort of forward thinking ad campaign regarding body image.




The video above (for those who are on phones or whatever and unable to view) is a sketch artist drawing woman as they describe themselves and women as described by others. I am taking it at face value and not thinking how it might be manipulated to push a product. I think it is certainly an interesting premise either way.

I think it could also be extended to the internet forum and how people see you based on your words. I wonder how some people see me just as I wonder about how people are in real life. It is interesting. Once you meet an internet person it can be strange.

So this is sort of two topics in one but I imagine the focus might be on the video perhaps.

The irony of a cosmetics company telling women to appreciate their inner/outer natural beauty is laughable.

I don't think you can see it separate from the product as years and years of women being told they need such products to make them attractive partly contributed/contributes to their negative self image.

As for forums, I'm not sure I get an impression of someone's physicality from their words but I'd agree it can be misleading regarding character.

As far as the forum selves I was thinking more generally not exclusively how they/we look but how we come across. I know it is not exactly the same thing it just led me from one thing to the other which is why I posted the video up in the first place. I also don`t think meaning is removed from the original ad even if it is an ad. I know the Bill Hicks angel above me says the ad is bad but this campaign still makes a good point I think.

I think as far as industry goes I understand what you are saying but it works both ways. Don`t buy into that and then you eventually wont get that, I know it is a david and goliath kind of fight but still...The industry spends a lot of money on things telling women (and to a lesser extent men) to be this or that etc. I do think it is worth applauding anything that goes against that trend however.

Dove does have an advertising angle here of course but I think it is a positive one and that is good. I don`t buy Dove products and am not about to but this is good to see. It is kind of like that store that introduced different shaped mannequins. It is a step in the right direction.

The main point I was making however was how we see ourselves versus how we are seen by others. I didn`t want to get hung up on the company or the advert or the industry it comes from which for the record is not cosmetics but creams and deodorants.

oioioi wrote:
This.

Additionally, as soon as I know something was created solely to advretise a product for a large multinational I cannot see anything other than a cynical attempt to manipulate people's emotions for the accumulation of profit,. I just can't see past it.

What makes this example particularly nauseating is the fact that Dove are a company that still uses animal experiments for cosmetics. That cunt with the pad should be sketching shit like this.



Apologies i-baster, I understand you wanted to use the ad to talk about something else, but it's what it triggers for me.

If my memory is correct, people on average have a tendency to over estimate their attractiveness. I'm sure I remember reading about a study whereby people were presented with a string of images of themselves with all but one digitally altered. They tended to select a more conventionally attractive image as being the real one. Though self esteem will play a major role. I guess we extrapolate our internal state onto what we see in the mirror. But again my memory is a bit hazy but I'm sure I remember reading something about how we can overestimate our attractiveness because we generally see ourselves every day in the mirror and just get used to our faces.

Not a problem. When I first saw the video I had no idea it was part of an ad campaign. I agree with you on animal testing and I agree with the comment oi made. I was aiming for something else but that is the nature of any discussion I guess. Just found it interesting.in itself.

One of my favourite movie quotes isfrom the cooler. I think it would be awesome if everyone got the opportunity to see themselves through the eyes of others - whether that be for a well needed esteem boost or burst.

The anonymity that forums offer can be awesome and difficult in equal measure - awesome because no matter what people claim most people do make judgements about someone based on the way they look - a couple of weeks ago there was an msm article about how this barbie clone girl was a member of mensa as if being blonde, buxom, female and into glitter and clothes somehow prevents you from also being intelligent.

In the mail today was an article asking readers to guess who out of four women had most recently had sex and who hadnt had any for 4 and a half years - exclaiming how the answers will 'shock'. All based on what the person looks like.

This is the only forum I have been on where I have not received pm's of a sexual nature - which is perhaps why I feel safe here. I have never felt judged here either - whether it be for the way I look or my views. I used to get the distinct impression that at least one female poster on ickes was not taken seriously in part because of the way she looked - despite having plenty of interesting things to say.