It started off quite well - there are some really good ideas about helping women have a more positive self image. However it soon descended into the usual stereotyping about what is "right" about "beauty".
The presenter did a voice over whilst the woman featured had an almost full body wax and he said "you have to do this if you are going to look good naked".
She went for an underwear fitting and the woman who measured her up said she "had to have a good bra". She was also given figure-shaping support tights/ pants to give her "the waist she had not got".
The other big problem I had with the show is that whilst the presenter was talking about the sort of clothes she should be wearing to "give her a waist" the screen showed images of hyper-skinny models on a catwalk with totally unrealistic body shapes.
Then the photo shoot at the end featured the woman in extremely high heels.
I watched it again to see if that was an abberation but it wasn't. It's the standard for the series.
What a disappointment.
I don't deny it's a significant improvement on the usual plastic surgery filled "look good" shows, but there's still a way to go before bodies like mine are reflected on TV. I have difficulty seeing myself as beautiful and I know it's partly because there are no role models for me in the mainstream media.
There's an interesting discussion about the series here.
2 comments:
There are lots of different types of beauty. The media in the western world has taken a highly sexualised view of women and portrays that as the norm.
The media does not generally portray women positively it is all about telling us that we should look a particular way or dress a particular way.
The media does not represent real women it respresents a male view of an an idealised woman which the media has been striving (and succeeding) to normalise.
Thanks anon - your comment means a lot to me. Of course your point about the media not portaying women positively in general is a good one.
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