We've Come a Long Way?

Then:

Now:

Nevermind that the latter ad, like those annoying Dove ‘Real Beauty’ ads, basically consists of a company patting itself on the back for broadening the spectrum of women it’s willing to parade around half-nekkid to sell a product.

(Here’s where I’m finna be a hypocrite, tho: That first woman in the black? Very much, thanks.)

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.

Latest posts by G.D. (see all)

  • Tasha

    Yeah we actually have come a long way, although yes there’s a waay longer way to go. Funny if you as a male are tired of the half a step forward 5 steps back thing. Imagine how tired i am of the social ideal and zero representation at age 34. So they took a itty bitty step forward and are patting themselves on the back for making money off of it as long as they keep going it’s all good well this and that naked show on lifetime

  • If you’re going to gauge progress by what a corporation does, you’re always going to be disappointed. Big companies are notoriously slow at realizing what everyone else has already.

    For example, ad companies are just starting to recognize that putting a black person in an ad doesn’t mean white people won’t buy the product.

    Also, Tab is gross.

    Also, also … black underwear, eh?

  • shani: How can one go wrong with black underwear?

  • Jason

    That Tab commercial–ew. Weird.

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  • verdeluz

    I wonder how being a mind-sticker played out against the widespread belief in a Tab-cancer link.

    (I’m not sure where I stand on the Dove campaign.. They’re obvious marketing ploys that aren’t quite so moving to the slightly older and wiser among us, but I think there are a lot of young girls out there for whom images like these make a difference in terms of constructing a healthy self-image.)

  • rakia

    I’m a big fan of the Dove campaign. I hadn’t seen this FOTL commercial, but I like it a lot. I’m totally desensitizied to seeing bra-and-pantied women on tv, but this commercial would’ve caught my attention in a positive way. And I guess that’s the point, right?

  • rakia: it’s certainly good marketing, but those ads always struck me a little cynical — especially considering they were using those women to advertise skin-firming cream.

    “Love yourself, girl! But also? You might wanna holler at the cellulite.”

  • rakia

    G.D.: I think you’re mistaken about what products these “real-sized” women are specifically selling. I haven’t seen an ad for cellulite or skin-firming cream or whatever using “real-sized” women. It’s usually underwear, bras, lotion, soap, or some other beauty product. I haven’t seen them in any fix-the-fat ads.

    My point is that these commericals say we can look sexy at any healthy size. What’s cynical about that?

  • JPool

    Tab: Tastes like freshly laundered (white) children.

  • “My point is that these commericals say we can look sexy at any healthy size. What’s cynical about that?”

    Because they’re saying that in order to get you to buy their product?

  • robynj

    G.D. — Ummm… duh? Are we expecting them to NOT try and sell product? This is about an ad, no?

  • robyn: of course; that’s what they SHOULD do and are supposed to do. But these campaigns seems to get a pass that, say, the proliferation of Negroes in Lincoln Navigator ads during February doesn’t.

  • robynj

    G.D. – Ha. But you know why that is — they’re checking the… (black) box (while trying to sell product). I don’t expect those writing the checks to be sensitive or even aware of cultural nuances. So yeah.. low expectations and what not. But I’m not sure I understand your concerns about the Dove campaign since, if they hadn’t chosen “real” women, they would have used the same (non-real?) women they usually do.

  • robyn: I don’t have concerns with the Dove campaign. We agree: it was pretty shrewd.

    But it is interesting to me, though, that people feel so protective of an advertising campaign.

  • quadmoniker

    I never looked at the Dove campaign as anything more than a campaign, but what shocked me most about it is how many commentators called those women fat. They were sizes 4 to 12, which means that none of them were plus size. I don’t look to beauty ads to improve young ladies’ self esteem, but I do wonder if having more images of “normal” women around might do something to change the weird perception that some people have about what is normal and what is not.

  • Lorenzo

    the girl in the black panties, cotdamn!