Occasional Solipsism: Campaign For Real Beauty

One thing I appreciate about advertising here in the UK is that some companies - most notably Dove - are trying to use realistic models rather than these idealised women who, lets face it, don't look like anyone I know. The more people (and kids, especially) see these super-thing, super-beautiful women on TV, on billboards, and in general advertising, the more it becomes accepted that that is women are supposed to look like, and it doesn't do much good to the self-esteem of those of us who don't (i.e., 99% of everyone!).

So the Campaign For Real Beauty is something that I fully believe in. BoingBoing has a post about a video by Dove on how an ordinary, plain woman is transformed into a gorgeous model, and goes to show how (and why) our perceptions of beauty have become incredibly warped into something totally unrealistic. It's definitely worth watching; I've seen these before and after type photos before, but this video shows the step-by-step process, and it's absolutely unbelievable.