Less attractive women whinging about attractive advert lady

[anonymous-user]

Murcielago_Boy said:

Revel in your obesity or "mediocrity" if you wish. THAT is even more awesome than looking "great."

But jeez, don't cry about how the appearance of people that that take the time and effort to look a certain way makes you feel. Then you're just pathetic.

And Sexism has no role to play.

They're not decrying the woman's body

They probably admire the effort etc that's gone in to maintining it (or hate the photoshop used which could well be the case). It's the use of it to belittle other women for what may be their perfectly healthy body to sell some weight loss/protein supplements. It's the shaming of them saying that they have to have that body to show it at the beach.

Yes, ripped men get used as eye candy but you don't see the same mass-audience (not men's fitness etc) advertising targeting people in this way for men.

Plus the CEO's response, laughing at eating disorders and mental illnesses is disgusting.

[c8bof]

JensenA has it spot on with his comments about dinosaurs, I'm afraid (IMO). It's not that (we) women demand the right to be fatties and eat as much cake as we want; it's more to do with the (continued) objectification of women's bodies and someone, (most probably a bloke), saying that a 'beach ready' body is one like that in the advert and that alone.

It's very clear that the continued image of the 'perfect' female body *is* making women feel insecure; talk to teenage girls and they will refer to the airbrushed images of perfection in women's glossies as their ideal. This advert is just more of the same thing. It does make women who are not 'perfect' feel ashamed about their own bodies, and I think that sucks, frankly. I'm no stick insect; I like cake (there, I've said it) but I run half marathons and climb mountains. With the best will in the world, I'm never going have the 'beach ready' body like in the advert. I'm a size 12 and automatically compare myself with the figure in the advert, and yes, it does make me feel bad for having wobbly bits and not being as fit as she is. I feel that I can't take my body out to the beach because I'm not 'beach ready' and that's why some women are protesting. It's not about celebrating fatness, far from it. There are some perfectly healthy women out there with perfectly normal bodies who don't look like the airbrushed skelf in the advert and they are being told that they are not 'beach ready'.

I love reading Pistonheads. I think Mumsnet is st. But I hate the constant misogyny that exists here; that women are just tits and arse to be leered at; and this thread exemplifies that misogyny yet again. It's quite sad. Try taking a step outside of your normal (male) comfort zone and accept that women have some valid opinions and viewpoints too.

(cue comments about getting back in the kitchen in 3, 2, .....)

[FredClogs]

I get it, but most of the complaints over the objectification of women(and men) in overly idealized aspirational and sexualised advertising is aimed entirely at the wrong people. Guess what, if the advert annoys you, gets you emotional and creates conversation it's working!

Also be under no illusion, the suicide rate and body confusion and self esteem issues are as equally problematic in men and boys as in women and girls. It's no easier being a podgy, skinny, scruffy or intellectual 19 year old boy than girl - it's a great deal harder, with as many negative images and stereo types (I'm a middle aged Clooney look a like before anyone takes the piss)

[Oakey]

c8bof said:

JensenA has it spot on with his comments about dinosaurs, I'm afraid (IMO). It's not that (we) women demand the right to be fatties and eat as much cake as we want; it's more to do with the (continued) objectification of women's bodies and someone, (most probably a bloke), saying that a 'beach ready' body is one like that in the advert and that alone.

It's very clear that the continued image of the 'perfect' female body *is* making women feel insecure; talk to teenage girls and they will refer to the airbrushed images of perfection in women's glossies as their ideal. This advert is just more of the same thing. It does make women who are not 'perfect' feel ashamed about their own bodies, and I think that sucks, frankly. I'm no stick insect; I like cake (there, I've said it) but I run half marathons and climb mountains. With the best will in the world, I'm never going have the 'beach ready' body like in the advert. I'm a size 12 and automatically compare myself with the figure in the advert, and yes, it does make me feel bad for having wobbly bits and not being as fit as she is. I feel that I can't take my body out to the beach because I'm not 'beach ready' and that's why some women are protesting. It's not about celebrating fatness, far from it. There are some perfectly healthy women out there with perfectly normal bodies who don't look like the airbrushed skelf in the advert and they are being told that they are not 'beach ready'.

I love reading Pistonheads. I think Mumsnet is st. But I hate the constant misogyny that exists here; that women are just tits and arse to be leered at; and this thread exemplifies that misogyny yet again. It's quite sad. Try taking a step outside of your normal (male) comfort zone and accept that women have some valid opinions and viewpoints too.

(cue comments about getting back in the kitchen in 3, 2, .....)

Is this a derogatory term?

[Hoofy]

c8bof said:

With the best will in the world, I'm never going have the 'beach ready' body like in the advert.

Don't see why not.

[Oakey]

BBC said:

The Advertising Standards Authority has received 216 complaints, which it says are generally about what is seen as the campaign's promotion of an unhealthy body image

Guardian said:

The Advertising Standards Authority said it had received 216 complaints with the general nature being that the ad is “offensive, irresponsible and harmful because it promotes an unhealthy body image”.

Am I understanding this correctly, they're complaining that the girl in the poster promotes the image of an unhealthy body?

Or are they saying that it promotes the idea that anything other than that body is unhealthy?

[c8bof]

Skelf - no, it's a Scottish word for a thin thing - most commonly used for a wee bit of wood that gets stuck in your skin. Not derogatory. (I think the English equivalent is probably a splinter?) I'd love to be seen as a skelf but see my cake-reasoning below...

Hoofy - I run three to four times a week, I'm going to take up cycling, I also have a reasonable diet. I've got no desperate urge (or time) to put in the amount of work to get me to looking like the girl in the ad. Sure, it would be lovely, but I'm also realistic and know that I enjoy cake far too much to give it up

Edited for spellig

Edited by c8bof on Tuesday 28th April 21:23

[Oakey]

It sounds derogatory, especially if you say it in a Scottish accent

[anonymous-user]

Frik said:

okgo said:

Why should I be made to feel like I only should take my top off if I carry a can of diet coke, work as a window cleaner, and make women flow like rivers due to my rippling 6 pack and pecs?

What a load of fking st. It works both ways, men don't give a fk, neither should women.

The diet coke can ad has had enough battering on here. Have we got any other examples of male sexism we could use?

Edited by Frik on Tuesday 28th April 18:37

OK

How about this tube ad - it has the happy ladies having a good stare and the poor unfortunate men who envy - clearly they are failures who must change their bodies.

I remember the 'outcry' about this when it was running, the view from some of the ladies in my office - 'oh yes, I remember that ad, that's why I first bought from them.'

[grumbledoak]

wsurfa said:

OK

...

Good example, but you are just going to be told that it doesn't happen as much, it isn't the same, and anyway it doesn't matter. To her.

[Oakey]

What the hell is that even selling?

[popeyewhite]

Murcielago_Boy said:

Well because that's what a "beach body" is. Low bodyfat, defined and toned muscles and generally healthy and athletic... And that applies to Men too.

The problem is it's a meaningless construct dreamt up first by Charles Atlas (who was a fake) for men, praying on their insecurities to sell something. For women it's a meaningless construct that has nothing to do with health or athleticism because we all know you don't have to have beach body to be healthy or athletic. And I too would get sick of being told what I should look like to go on the beach by some numpty trying to sell me something.

I'm sure you yourself have a perfect six pack and bulging biceps though...you better or you wouldn't fit on my beach.

[Meoricin]

Why is the term 'beach body' suddenly being interpreted as if it was ever intended to be some literal rule?

It's always just been a way to ask if someone is comfortable enough with their body to take their clothes off in a public environment.

If you're ashamed of your body don't take it out on other people, or try to read some offensive/malicious intent into other people's pride in theirs. If someone's a dick about your body, then call them out on being a dick, explain how you're happy with it. If you're not happy with it, then it's on you to change it, not on others to pander to your insecurities.

[Dr Murdoch]

Hoofy said:

Don't see why not.

One day you'll have a girlfriend or you mummy and daddy will give you a sister?

Then you 'may' understand...

My missus hips are super wide, totally child bearing in the extreme. With all the money in the world she would never be able to be as slim as the person in the ad. My missus goes to the gym three times a week and eats, well, salad..

Idiot

[Mr GrimNasty]

c8bof said:

JensenA has it spot on with his comments about dinosaurs, I'm afraid (IMO). It's not that (we) women demand the right to be fatties and eat as much cake as we want; it's more to do with the (continued) objectification of women's bodies and someone, (most probably a bloke), saying that a 'beach ready' body is one like that in the advert and that alone.

It's very clear that the continued image of the 'perfect' female body *is* making women feel insecure; talk to teenage girls and they will refer to the airbrushed images of perfection in women's glossies as their ideal. This advert is just more of the same thing. It does make women who are not 'perfect' feel ashamed about their own bodies, and I think that sucks, frankly. I'm no stick insect; I like cake (there, I've said it) but I run half marathons and climb mountains. With the best will in the world, I'm never going have the 'beach ready' body like in the advert. I'm a size 12 and automatically compare myself with the figure in the advert, and yes, it does make me feel bad for having wobbly bits and not being as fit as she is. I feel that I can't take my body out to the beach because I'm not 'beach ready' and that's why some women are protesting. It's not about celebrating fatness, far from it. There are some perfectly healthy women out there with perfectly normal bodies who don't look like the airbrushed skelf in the advert and they are being told that they are not 'beach ready'.

I love reading Pistonheads. I think Mumsnet is st. But I hate the constant misogyny that exists here; that women are just tits and arse to be leered at; and this thread exemplifies that misogyny yet again. It's quite sad. Try taking a step outside of your normal (male) comfort zone and accept that women have some valid opinions and viewpoints too.

(cue comments about getting back in the kitchen in 3, 2, .....)

Risible and pathetic. You've swallowed the PC/feminist book of claptrap of how to pretend to be a victim and demonize men.

Here's something that may surprise you, the vast majority of men (including on PH) respect women, hold them in awe, and if they have a prod it is with affection and humour. Except people like you, who don't have a sense of humour.

You should try being a bloke in today's world, the exam system, jobs, careers all twisted against our abilities for no reason other than to make women appear more successful, effectively no equality rights, no way to call foul, constant ridiculing and belittling in TV programs, adverts, every piece of science research telling males why they are inferior, male illnesses/cancers ignored and money poured into women's problems, and every male image is of perfectly toned torsos - all unchallenged.

But men just ignore it and carry on. No wonder the biggest killer of middle aged men is suicide.

Well done, what a brilliant world you've created. At least men now know that women view them with contempt. If you want a war, you'll get it.

[photosnob]

Dr Murdoch said:

One day you'll have a girlfriend or you mummy and daddy will give you a sister?

Then you 'may' understand...

My missus hips are super wide, totally child bearing in the extreme. With all the money in the world she would never be able to be as slim as the person in the ad. My missus goes to the gym three times a week and eats, well, salad..

Idiot

Then she needs to learn to diet properly. Salad... Where is her protein and fats coming from? Nutrition is very very simple. The size of your hips have NO bearing on your BF.

I'd stop calling people an 'idiot' when you don't understand basic nutrition or physiology.

[Frik]

Mr GrimNasty said:

If you want a war, you'll get it.

Persecution complex, much?

[anonymous-user]

popeyewhite said:

Murcielago_Boy said:

Well because that's what a "beach body" is. Low bodyfat, defined and toned muscles and generally healthy and athletic... And that applies to Men too.

The problem is it's a meaningless construct dreamt up first by Charles Atlas (who was a fake) for men, praying on their insecurities to sell something. For women it's a meaningless construct that has nothing to do with health or athleticism because we all know you don't have to have beach body to be healthy or athletic. And I too would get sick of being told what I should look like to go on the beach by some numpty trying to sell me something.

I'm sure you yourself have a perfect six pack and bulging biceps though...you better or you wouldn't fit on my beach.

So the greeks were copying Charles Atlas? A kour(i)os view

[anonymous-user]

grumbledoak said:

wsurfa said:

OK

...

Good example, but you are just going to be told that it doesn't happen as much, it isn't the same, and anyway it doesn't matter. To her.

OK-I'll say it-The adverts are totally different.

For starters in the one you've quoted everyone (guys and girls) are looking at the guy-and he's in a different situation. It's something that nearly would never happen in real life. It's posed in a situational way with more than one person in it, although the naked man is the focus. He's looking in a confident way, and people are reacting how they probably would to any naked person on the tube.

The controversial one has the woman in the add standing prominently looking down in what's an imposing stance. It's deliberately designed to be a confrontational advert rather than merely attention grabbing. In fact it uses the curve of the tube to be even more focussed. If it was the same woman smiling on a beach with friends it wouldn't be so controversial, or even a naked woman stepping off the tube! Then there's the probable airbrushing (compare the rhs arm to the lhs-they're completely different sizes!) and the fact that if you compared the guy and girl to professional sportspeople the guy would look a lot more like a professional sportsman.

There's maybe an issue around objectifying men and women in both ads, but only one deliberately sets out to make people feel bad about themselves to promote a product.

Mr GrimNasty said:

Here's something that may surprise you, the vast majority of men (including on PH) respect women,

Apparently not including you!!

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th April 22:24

[Oakey]

How is referring to the girl in the ad as a 'splinter' any more acceptable than referring to an overweight person as a 'whale'.