A few weeks ago there was an article on MTV.com titled "Can't Squeeze Into a Size 2? Neither Can Teen Mags' Newest Models". Accompanying it was the now-famous photo of the Dove girls, in all their plus-sized splendor and sassy white undies.
The articles says "Real girls with real hips are giving the waifs of runways past a run for their money?"
Really?
Cause I've been reading a lot of hate (misdirected and erroneous hate, in my opinion, but hate nonetheless) about how gross it is to see "real" women like the Dove girls in ads. Crap like "If I wanted to see fat people, I wouldn't look in magazines etc."
I'm from the school of thought that every little bit is progress (I love ya Dove for what yer doin'). And if the teen mags think that images of REAL girls sell, and change their content so they can sell more mags and keep making money... wellll, I'd call that the power of the people and their pocketbooks.
And given who's in currently charge at some of the teen mags (the very cool Atoosa Rubenstein at Seventeen, Christina Kelly at Elle Girl and Susan Schulz at Cosmo Girl) , I'm optimistic things will keep improving.
What do you think?
I love the Dove campaigne and what they are doing as well. On the other hand, I am a slim young woman (naturally) who models. I am all for the more plus sized to get out there and show that they too are beautiful. But it's a bit harsh to be branded as "waifs" and "non-real" just because we are thinner than the average American. To be called a waif, from what I can imagine, is just as bad as being called fat. They know what it's like to be called fat, so why do they go to the extreme to say such comments about thin models? I have some think model friends who also are totaly IN favor of the Dove girls, but sometimes remarks from their campaigne offend her in a way. She says that some things people say is pretty harsh. Do they know that's what they are doing? Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you about Dove, but I just wanted to point that out.
Good blogs, by the way. I'll definitely keep reading!
Posted by: Ashley | December 11, 2005 at 01:39 PM
I love the Dove campaigne and what they are doing as well. On the other hand, I am a slim young woman (naturally) who models. I am all for the more plus sized to get out there and show that they too are beautiful. But it's a bit harsh to be branded as "waifs" and "non-real" just because we are thinner than the average American. To be called a waif, from what I can imagine, is just as bad as being called fat. They know what it's like to be called fat, so why do they go to the extreme to say such comments about thin models? I have some think model friends who also are totaly IN favor of the Dove girls, but sometimes remarks from their campaigne offend her in a way. She says that some things people say is pretty harsh. Do they know that's what they are doing? Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you about Dove, but I just wanted to point that out.
Good blogs, by the way. I'll definitely keep reading!
Posted by: Ashley | December 11, 2005 at 01:41 PM