Real Beauty
Have you seen the Dove campaigns for real beauty? They are absolutely amazing. The latest one is emphasizing beautiful, real women over the age of 50 - they call it their "pro-age" campaign. The commercial that ran on TV was pulled and is now banned. Go to http://www.doveproage.com/ to watch the commercial. And you have to see this for an unbelievable lesson: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/film_fullscreen_evo.html

No wonder we have such a warped idea of what beauty looks like. I was flipping through the channels the other day, and came across the Tyra Banks show (yes I know - annoying). Tyra was at an eating disorders rehab facility and was interviewing a 26 year old woman who was a tabloid photographer. When the photographer told Tyra that she promoted the warped perception that women need to be skinny through ANTM, Ms Banks didn't like that. "Oh no I don't - it just so happens that all the girls that apply are stick skinny (ya right) and this year I made sure to include not one, but TWO plus size models." Please - give me a break. How long do you think those "fatties" will last on the show. Tyra then went on to point out that she is now considered overweight at 161 pounds but loves the way she looks and considers it healthy.

The funniest thing that the tabloid photographer said was that most of the celebrities that she's come across have been really beautiful, but not very nice people. (I suppose that tabloid photographers aren't exactly their favourite people though, are they?) All they have is their looks. I've always said that they should take an average schmo (like me) and put them through Hollywood boot camp. Personal trainer, facial treatments (peels, lasers, Botox, fillers), hair extensions, stylists .... the works. Just to see how they turn out in the end. Look at somebody like Nicole Kidman - do you remember what she looked like when she was a young, Australian actor? Frizzy big red hair, bushy brows, and a completely different body shape. They have molded her into the plastic barbie doll that she is today.

We need to stop focusing on what is unattainable on the outside, and start focusing on the wonderful people that we are on the inside.