Boots body shaming advert?

[MouthFullofGum]

So two curvy girls take off their sarongs and feel confident walking into the sea - Great.

But why do they have to walk by obviously thinner women who are made to look judgmental and unconfident in themselves?

I thought body confidence was about saying all shapes and sizes should be embraced? Not uplifting one to shame the other.

Could you imagine an advert saying that fat men shouldn’t dare go to the beach unless they’d made themselves ”acceptable ” with a load of Boots beauty products?
No, me neither.
The ad is just yet more sexist shit. Because women don’t have enough of that crap to deal with, no?

Could you imagine an advert saying that fat men shouldn’t dare go to the beach unless they’d made themselves ”acceptable ”

men don't buy products the same way women do, so what. Does it mean there's not a "man standard" in publicity?

I worry about the effects of watching ads like this for young girls who suddenly see that even their arm hair is something to be embarrassed about. Unfortunately I think this has always been around. I'm 29 and remember boys in years 5 and 6 bullying girls for having hair on their arms.

As for the boots advert, I can't get worked up about doing nails and hair etc since that's what boots sell and therefore is the point of the advert.

I didn't actually think anything about the women's bodies, just that they looked like idiots with their weird hair swooshing etc!

I don't see why they are so acting as uncomfident they're both gorgeous, am I meant to think they're bigger or something?? Is it about mental health towards your body rather than celebrating all shapes and sizes? Do these women have body dismorphia? So confused!!

Thought women on sun lounger didnt look judgemental

It's actually the complete opposite.
There has been more than a few studies, where the women "ideal" was from a very slim body (think Kate Middleton) to borderline anorexic models whilst the men were attracted by the much more curvy figures.

Really, that's not my experience at all!

I worry about the effects of watching ads like this for young girls who suddenly see that even their arm hair is something to be embarrassed about.

Argh is this the ad where she shaves her arm hair?
Just another thing we're meant to be self conscious about so we buy their products. Not falling for it sorry.

She wasn't judgemental she was jealous of their confidence.
That's is the point of the ad and the backing track.

It's annoying on multiple levels.

Firstly, the nobody looks like that bit is ridiculous. Some people DO look slim and toned.

If we're going to claim it's not a dig at smaller sized women and it's all about air brushing and needing products to look good, that's bollocks considering the rest of the advert are two curvy ladies spending a fortune on products in order to feel beach ready.

It's clearly like the dove 'real women have curves' advert where to sell to one group of women, they put down others.

Secondly, what's feminist or empowering about showing a load of women who spend a fortune on beauty products in order to feel confident enough to go to the beach. Sorry, not empowering at all.

Really, that's not my experience at all!
might not be, but apparently the majority of men prefers curves.

And the general preferences vary from country to country, without even needing to go to completely different cultures.

Fortunes are spent to find the best shaped person to sell stuff, so there must be some truth in there!

that25cUKHeatwaveof2019, the point is that we now buy all of these products because of advertising telling us we need it.

I thought there was a lot of unnecessary stuff marketed in the 80's and i can remember the rise in general body shaming to sell products to Women.

I don't think the Women on the loungers look judgemental.

I agree that the Women in the add haven't got anything to worry about, figure wise.

As for all the "who does hair and makeup to go to the beach" posts. This is two Women flying to go on holiday. They could be single, or managed to ditch the kids and want to be able to do that.

I thought "the nobody looks like that" meant going to the beach. In terms of the jewellery, sculptured face and hair.

Not many Black Women's, or many Women's hair would hold those curls on a hot beach.

The black Woman touches her hair, as she looks at the picture. I have African friends who shave their head and resort to wigs.

The look Rihanna was showing was for a boat party or just hanging out, no swimming.

Which shows we all interpret things differently and there's no one answer.

It's patronising as hell, just like most of Boots' adverts.

If I looked like them I'd be stripping off asap to show off my beautiful figure and skin, not worrying that I don't look 'perfect'.

And anyone who does their hair and make up before going to the beach is pretty stupid anyway in my book.

A size 16 is deeply unfashionable these days. Anyone who’s studied history of art will recognise that for centuries the unfashionable body of today was the aspiration, if not the norm.

The current trend for assuming that someone heavier than a pubescent girl, whatever their age, is healthier is ignoring the changes in the female body caused by childbirth and the menopause. Hormonal changes make bodies different and castigating women whose bodies have gone through thar change is the depressing thing.

Low fat diets are causing osteoporosis, surely that’s just as dangerous to health as obesity? The faux concerns about health are just a veil for the fat shaming insecure women do to make themselves feel better

the point is that we now buy all of these products because of advertising telling us we need it.

isn't that the whole point of advertising in the first place?

Anyone who’s studied history of art will recognise that for centuries the unfashionable body of today was the aspiration

not strictly true
when half the population is starving, not being underweight is a sign of wealth and aspirational, but it didn't mean being obese was the goal.
Same thing about pale skin/ tanned skin.

Low fat diets are causing osteoporosis, surely that’s just as dangerous to health as obesity?
but why insisting that "diets" are the normal? Many people are just in between, and don't focus on one diet or the other. We are big because we over eat, because we have unlimited access to junk food and we abuse it. It's not fat shaming to point out that being fat is not "natural", not a curse and not a goal. Stop focusing your life around food and you will be healthier, slimmer and definitively happier.

Low fat diets are causing osteoporosis, surely that’s just as dangerous to health as obesity? The faux concerns about health are just a veil for the fat shaming insecure women do to make themselves feel better

There’s nothing “faux” about health concerns relating to obesity, which are far more serious than osteoporosis.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/

Also, you don’t have to eat a low fat diet not to become obese.

might not be, but apparently the majority of men prefers curves

Define curves. Are we talking hour glass (as opposed to straight up and down, no discernible hip to waist ratio) or full on Michelin man?

I hate this advert. I don't think it's shaming as such but the dancing in the sea just annoys me - who does that?!

Low fat diets are causing osteoporosis, surely that’s just as dangerous to health as obesity? The faux concerns about health are just a veil for the fat shaming insecure women do to make themselves feel better

Being underweight has as many health concerns as obsesity. Not just osteorporosis but damage to the heart and lungs and other organs, infertility, etc. In fact menstruation can cease from as little as 4lb underweight, being 4lb overweight has no such issues.

Of course obesity comes with health risks, as does being clinically underweight. Many of the models and actresses we see on a daily basis are clinically underweight and yet there are not constant comments about their health unless they’re severely emaciated.

The health concerns are completely bogus.

Are we talking hour glass (as opposed to straight up and down, no discernible hip to waist ratio) or full on Michelin man?

curves. As in hour glass, the Michelin man is just fat.

Not saying some men are not attracted by obese women, some famously make a living out of it, but speaking in very general term.
Some women like muscles, some less.

There’s a lot faux about concerns about the health of anyone over a size 8 and finding the fact that the average size is a 16.

You might want to research osteoporosis before trivialising it.

Finding the fact that a size 16 is average depressing.

'Curves' are unattainable for most people despite weight, as it's a case of body type. You'd need to be an hour glass body type for the weight to distribute in such a way to create 'curves'. It's such an idealised body shape that people spend time in the gym trying to bulk up in the bum and define the waist to achieve it. It's not just a case of putting on weight.
If I put on 2 stone, I wouldn't be curvy, I'd be bulky looking and the weight would go to my face, front of stomach, boobs and upper back.

You might want to research osteoporosis before trivialising it.

so do you. Being overweight is not a preventive measure,
and no one needs to starve to be a healthy weight.

You might want to research osteoporosis before trivialising it.

I know all about osteoporosis, thank you.

You’re making a straw man. It isn’t obesity vs osteoporosis. It’s entirely possible to eat a sensible diet that stops you from being obese without causing osteoporosis.