This is What a Real Woman Looks Like

Today we're inundated with images of a false reality that concentrate on one ideal form of beauty. Altering images via Photoshop, ultimately exposes us to millions of images are not "real." Our project takes a look at the dangers of the media, from Photoshopping to white-washing to an emphasis on an unattainable perfection. Collectively, the images in the media do not represent the diversity found in the larger population; not all women are tall, thin, white, heterosexual or young. And in real life, nobody is Photoshopped. Where are representations of "real" women?

The advertising industry sells us images directly aimed women's mounting insecurities. The for-profit consumer culture exploits these insecurities and rakes in billions of dollars each year. Ultimately, these images dehumanize, hypersexualize and disempower women.

Having struggled with our own body image issues and eating disorders, we know first hand the amount of pressure the media can exert on women and the psychological and physical costs. We wanted to address the serious nature of these issues and focus on the importance of a healthy body image.

Part of our video was inspired by our in-class project, the body collage that covered two walls from floor to ceiling with images of women in the print media. We were shocked to see the onslaught of these homogeneous all at once. This experience inspired our project as well as the Feminist Majority Foundation campaign, "This is what a feminist looks like." Ultimately, our statement "this is what a real woman looks like" is a reaction to the exclusion of women in the mass media and the erasing of age, race and authenticity as a result of the standard industry practice of altering women that already reflect an incredibly small percentage of the population.

The video is a mosaic of our own stories; our struggles with our own body image, our relationship with our bodies and our message of self-love ad acceptance.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Women
• Body Image
• Feminism
• Media
• Pop Culture
• advertising
• beauty myth
• body collage
• cultivation
• illusion
• media literacy
• onslaught
• plastic surgery
• beauty norm
• colorism
• eating disorders
• disordered eating
• feminist criticicms

[hollyboo21]

The Tom Ford Ads make me so sad and disgusted- I really want men to say that they're shit and reduce women to near nothing, and reject the products that they push, but I think a lot of men would be delighted with them and think they're amusing, which breaks my heart. The women interviewed said they worried about the fact that the women were white and thin?! Thats the least worrying thing- it's the fact that they are absolute sex objects that worries me.

[Mashaka15]

I love how all the women here are no whatthe women in the media look like... are they saying that real women dont look beautiful? The women that are in the media are there for a reason.... Lets not say they arent real. Lets say they arent average, and tday average is way haevier than it should be, but hey, i just wrote a great essay about how media beauty i ideal, this video had some great supports for it! Thank you!

[jowants2cvids]

Something i'm unclear about the with bob styled black haired woman in the short sleeved, multi coloured dress.

She appears to be wearing a wedding ring?, look closely at her left hand when it's visable!

[deathdollmania]

@johnman1911 Why don't you just make one instead of complaining about this one?

[k0k04ever]

If someone is slim and fit through a healthy lifestyle I believe she's a real women. Being real isn't defined on your size. Its defined on how close you are to you natural weight. Yes, there should different sizes in the magazines. But women in North America have never been larger then they are now.

[mariyuso]

@johnman1911 I completely agree with you!

[vevevevevevevevev]

Great video. :)

[johnman1911]

How come in the popular media a real man is everything a woman wants in a man and women complain that real men do not exist. But in the popular media a real woman is a woman is a woman who is what she is. Why don't we have a this is a real man campaign where we show all types of guys. Guys who are fat and out of shape and unemployed. We can show guys whose girlfriends are buying them dinner and taking care of them financially, you know let's make it equal.

[Meresortsitar]

1:41 Goosh they look terrible! Like prisoners of a concentration camp covered with heavy make-up. Anyone considering them beautiful is mad or seriously brainwashed.

[000rockergirl]

this is really good, keep fighting back