Anyone else finding the BearFaced campaign deeply depressing?

[tweetytwitcher]

Specifically the way that it treats the concept of an un-made-up woman as so unusual, almost like a freak-show. Something outrageous that you do to raise money, while at the same time the women involved blather on about empowerment.

Don't Boots and other places that sell make up donate and raise pots more that a few die hard slap wearers leaving the trowel at home for the day?

Ooh, good point, we should blame Boots. And make them stump up money.

That's made me think the other reason I dislike this so much - makeup is shedloads more expensive than shaving kit, isn't it (which is the blokey equivalent).

I hadn't heard of this campaign before. Agree that it is offensive and stupid. And those gallery pictures have so many beauty-enhancing techniques (as well as choosing mostly young and very beautiful women) that they are calculated to twist the body-hate knife into ordinary women just a little bit deeper.

On the upside, I'm not running a marathon. In fact, like Eddie Izzard's daily marathons for charity a while back, I am not running a marathon every day between now and Children in Need Day. You can sponsor my not doing anything at justbollocks.com.

This just proves how far we have to go...

I often find myself arguing with eejits people on here who think that women have it exactly the same as men, and that there are no expectations on women that there aren't on men. Basically, that we should stop complaining and be happy with the status quo.

I honestly do believe that it takes someone making a proper stand to totally eschew all the beauty and grooming standards that most women accept as part and parcel of life. So not just make-up-free, but no hair removal, no dying hair, etc, etc. I certainly don't have the guts to do that, and take my hat off to women who do.

This just proves it. I mean, for heaven's sake... Here is a group of absolutely beautiful women, and they're still not fit for public consumption, unless they're touched up and enhanced, smoothed out, tweaked and photo-shopped.

I mean, God forbid that we should be exposed to an actual woman's bare face. Come on chaps, that really is taking things just that little bit too far.

Yep, it really is time to down tools. Feminism has achieved all its aims. We're all equal now...

OatyBeatie
...it is offensive and stupid. And those gallery pictures have so many beauty-enhancing techniques (as well as choosing mostly young and very beautiful women) that they are calculated to twist the body-hate knife into ordinary women just a little bit deeper.

This.

GRrrrrr - [Cross bear face]

For those of us with teenage daughters who get teased, because they refuse to break the school rules and wear make up, this is just wrong.

It doesn't make you less grown up and less of a woman to not want to paint yourself every morning.

I like getting dressed up and putting on make up, when the occasion warrants it. Just I'd expect DH to look presentable and wear shoes!

Not sure about cost LRD, DH spends bucketloads on whizzy superpowered quadrillion bladed razors. But given all my makeup goes off before I fin ish it (special occasions only), I might not be the best judge.

I have never liked wearing make-up and, as I've got older it just seems to look worse and worse on me, is that something to do with my skin ageing or the fact that I am prepared to waste less and less time slapping it all on so I probably rush it and it looks worse? (Actually, I have a similar attitude to shopping as I get older - that was all rather a lot of fun when I was young and had a "perfect figure" and lots of money to spend on myself but it seems to have become rather less appealing these days!) However, I always wear make-up for work. I work in an environment where some women choose to dress relatively smartly and some dress relatively casually (although nearly all men dress smartly). I choose to dress relatively smartly for various reasons. Many of the women who dress causally don't wear make-up but all of the women who dress smartly wear it. I think that suggests that "serious" women wo are dressing smartly (ie women on a par with men) can only achieve that category if they are wearing make-up. This is a really depressing notion and one which I wish I had the courage to stand up against - but I don't.

Incidentally, what about hair? Do you remember 'Working Girl,' the 80s film about women being taken seriously as business women rather than secerataries? The best friend tells the ambitious seceratary, "you have to have serious hair" so she gets her frizzy 80 locks coiffed and bobbed. Would that still be relevant today? Sadly, my hair has never been serious..............

No flaming here. I don't wear makeup every day but I do wear it sometimes, and so what?

I agree with you, the issue IMO is that it shouldn't be a sponsorship issue.

doctrine - oh, but I bet those particular women are usually kitted out in the really pricey stuff, no?

I am a rubbish judge too, as DH has a full beard.

Yeah, true (though I bet they get it all as freebies!)

Just in the Post Office now and seen a poster up. Urgh. And yes, the woman is clearly wearing makeup. How very offensive that not wearing makeup is so weird it's worthy of sponsorship.

I have just mined this thread for my latest blog post, hope no-one minds. (it's here if anyone's interested)

Love your last line, trisha

"I just wish they'd thought it through, then thought of something better."

I'd have been quite happy to buy and wear the bear transfer, a subtler way of acknowledging CIN than the bear ears headband and also unisex.

thanks doctrine, agree the transfers were cute