Apr 17, 2009

Advertising Onslaught


I've made some money doing commercials, thought I can't say I ever did a beauty product. I'm not the model type. Dove launched its Campaign for Real Beauty a couple years ago, featuring normal-sized women. It was a bit of a shocker.

Dove created a video called Evolution, about beauty photography and Photoshop.



Larry found one of their videos called "Onslaught"



Gotta love it.

9 comments:

Steve said...

Frightening is what I first think of after seeing this. Our 15 year-old daughter will definitely see these.

Marilyn Monroe would never make it today.

Steve in Central CA

gilliebean said...

My father helped me move to LA from Canada. One day, after arriving and before he took his flight back home, he said, "Gillian... I want you to look into the mirror each day and say to yourself, 'I won't give in to this Hollywood bullshit.'" I don't do it every day, but I won't ever forget it!

Jennifer Merck said...

Thanks for sharing this, Susan. I've enjoyed Dove's pieces and especially liked the Onslaught one because of how it connects with our little girls. My 9 year old is just at the age where she's starting to think about these things.

On another note, I just finished Angry Conversations with God. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. Thanks for your irreverence and your passion and your devotion and your creativity and your faith. I found the book thought-provoking and inspiring.

I won the book in a little contest Sally Lloyd-Jones had on her blog for the funniest kid story. Mine was about my 9 year old daughter voraciously eating bacon. There's more to the story (particularly the part that makes it funny), but it seems appropriate to mention it in the context of beauty and girls and eating . . . . For me, reading your blog entry was a moment of full circularity. Bacon to daughter to funny story to Sally to contest to prize to book to Susan to blog to Dove to beauty to thin thoughts to, well, bacon.

Thanks for making me think.

Anonymous said...

I'm raising two daughters, a teen and a 'tween,trying to keep them sane and balanced in a culture that tells them that porn stars are celebrities and celebrities are demigods. Holy hell on a biscuit, I'd go raise them in a compound if I thought it would help--aw, who am I kidding, none of us could stomach those hairstyles. Anyway, *shakes head to clear it*, my point is ...um, yeah, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed in those videos.

Lori said...

That second one left a lump in my throat as a potential mother of a daughter. Ugh.

Chad Estes said...

"Pretty Powerful," I said.

"What? asked my 16 year old.

"These two videos. Come watch"

We watch them again.

"Wow, you were right, pretty powerful."

"What does it make you think?"

"That I should go purge," she teased.

Susan Isaacs said...

Wow, Chad. What a COOL daughter. (don't let her do it. I went that route)

Claudia said...

Wow, these are really great videos.

Ummm... I love your blog! Found you via Lori Rooney and her 'what question would you ask' competition.

jenna said...

Susan,
I have so much I wish I could say to you, and I have no idea where to begin. Let me start with this blog post.

(By the way, SO excited that you have a blog! I am officially following this thing, and telling all my friends that I made go and buy your book to do the same! I'll get back to the book thing in a second...)

These videos just about blew my mind. I immediately grabbed my journal and scribbled down a reminder to show this to my girls. You see, I work with a youth group at a church in Alabama, and there are over 150 girls in grades 6-12 that I am there to be some sort of positive influence, minister, sister, friend, mentor type person in their lives. They need to see this.

And that leads me to my next comment. I literally just finished your book. Like, tears still fresh on my face. Thank you so much for writing that. God straight called me out, especially in those last few chapters. My copy of the book is just bleeding blue from my underlines and circles and boxes and exclamations.

You see, I have found myself in a middle class pansy white church girl's Dark Night of the Soul lately myself. (I am about to finish my 1st year in this ministry if that tells you anything...) God just hasn't been speaking like I am used to, and the people around me don't talk about Him like I do... we don't speak the same language or hear Him the same way... and I was worn out and frustrated and completely doubting His purpose for me, and honestly, I was angry. Through your story, I feel like I was able to connect with you and it was almost like you were sharing in my experiences with me. But even more importantly, your story showed me God again. In a more clear light. Away from my misperceptions and expectations of Him.

Thank you so much.
(Sorry this is the longest blog comment ever!)

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