DOVE+EVOLUTION

Bridget Wang 8-2 May 2010 **__ Dove Evolution __**

The video, “Dove Evolution,” helps me free myself from beauty stereotype that I see through media everyday. I, and most people, have always thought that the people we see on television actually look like that, but through this commercial; I can see how much work is put into making them look like that. Through the commercial, you can see her changing from a natural, beautiful person, into someone that media is trying to portray as attractive. They are setting an ideal body image for girls everywhere; however, what they are portraying is all fake. It is impossible to look like that, and that’s what Dove was trying to show us. The definition of beauty has become very limited, and unattainable-thing, young, etc.

Media follows us everywhere and is constantly telling us what to look like. Naturally, when we compare our own natural bodies to the advertisement, we are dissatisfied, and go through great measure to change and chase an “ideal body image.” There is this saying, “Beauty on the young are accidents of nature, but beauty on the old are works of art.” Beauty should not be recognized as an appearance, but your qualities inside. Another saying is, “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” This advertisement will make people think, and even feel better that nobody looks like the people on the magazines naturally.

This short video is good for teenagers to watch because they/we are at an age where we are very critical of our looks, body, image, social group etc. There is an ongoing need to fit in, and we believe fitting in is looking like such girls in advertisements. Also, teenagers become anorexic and bulimic most often. Hopefully, this video shows that what you see is unreal, and trying to attain is unacceptable. We are growing, and if we eat healthy and exercise, we will be beautiful. We may not all look like clones in magazines, but the stereotypical views of beautiful will be widened. The end line, “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted,” explains it all. What we see isn’t real. What we want is impossible. This tells us that we are perfect just the way we are, and it is most important to stay healthy.