Ladies, your thoughts. Ok, guys too.

1. Do you think these infomercials/commercials are intentionally trying to make you feel bad about your looks and bodies?

It's all about marketing. We need to be made to feel like we're not good enough so we will succomb to the pressure and NEED that product. Sadly it works or those infomercials won't be so prevalent.

2. When you see these commercial, do you laugh, shake your head, get mad, or are you just indifferent? Has there ever been a commercial that offended you in some way?

Sometimes I shake my head... Sometimes I shake my fist... most times I see my glaring imperfections and KNOW without a doubt that this is talking directly to me.


3. Do you feel like you are always judged on your looks?

I KNOW I am judged by how I look.

4. Why would anyone ever want to cover their cleavage? (Ok, that question was for me….lol) Don’t answer.

Just to tease and frustrate men.

1. no. ppl (espesh women) are insecure enough when it comes to their bodies and appearances that they don't need any help in that area. the only thing anyone needs to do is open with a sincere and non-judgmental "hey there, have you ever felt like this..." and ppl will line up to commisserate. i haven't seen every commercial, and i'm sure some are worse than others, but i think most of them try to play on existing insecurities in such a way that ppl will feel comfortable admitting to them.

2. i'm offended by humanity. it's not the product companys' fault that ppl are naturally insecure. i'm also offended by ppl trying to take advantage of others (e.g. preying on insecurity) but that boils down to human nature too. humans are gross.

3. yes. i was meditating on this very thought just the other day: whether i want to play the game or not, the game is played around me, and i WILL be judged by my looks, for good or for ill, rightly or wrongly, no matter what i do or say. i might as well accept it and use it to my advantage insofar as i may do so without compromising my values.

4. if you don't have cleavage you tend to keep that area covered up. that's the only way i can answer that...

Good questions from OP and brilliant answers above.Yes we are under constant pressure to look 'perfect', I know every one of the infomercials you refer to and I have never bought any of those products. I am too poor to buy expensive beauty products but a lot of women literally buy into the 'ideals' that are shoved down our throats day in and day out. Yes it makes me angry and it makes me sad for young women too.

1. Do you think these infomercials/commercials are intentionally trying to make you feel bad about your looks and bodies?

Yes, that's how they make their rmoney

2. When you see these commercial, do you laugh, shake your head, get mad, or are you just indifferent? Has there ever been a commercial that offended you in some way?

I laugh and SMH and sometimes get a little miffed when the before and after pictures are so obviously staged. Before: guy/girl is slouching, frowning, pale, no make-up. After: guy/girl is standing up straight, sucking their stomach in, smiling and tanned or made up! Any of us would look fabuous with some proper posture and fixing up! Oh and I really love it when it's obvious that the before pictures are either post pregnance or stretched. Yes, I know women need to lose weight after they have a baby but I think we can all agree that your before picture should not be you 8/9 months pregnant...

3. Do you feel like you are always judged on your looks?

I think anyone would be naive to think they're not judged by their looks in some way but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Trying to look like everyone else is just silly. You are you, just try to be the best you that you can be. LOL! Deep, I know.

4. Why would anyone ever want to cover their cleavage? (Ok, that question was for me….lol) Don’t answer.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents to this one. Most of the time, a little cleavage is fine (although I know certain old cronies that get their knickers in a twist about seeing even a half inch) but it's pretty unprofessional to have the girls hanging out.

Thoughtful questions.

1. Of course they are. And it's not just commercials. Open any woman's magazine. When they play on our insecurities, we buy their crap. And most of us never feel quite "good enough." Including Supermodels, by the way.

2. I ignore this crap. I do not watch much television.

3. Are you kidding? Of course, I feel constantly judged on my looks. When I was 20 lb heavier, I was invisible. Now, guys come out of the woodwork to ask me out. They do extra things for me. Losing weight has saved me a ton of money I never open my own door. And i'm in a state not known for good manners...

4. Like my Great-Grandmother said, no bosoms before 4 p.m. She also said no red shoes. I have red cowboy boots. You don't need to wear a turtleneck, a higher neckline suffices. lol

1. Do you think these infomercials/commercials are intentionally trying to make you feel bad about your looks and bodies? Yupp. In some instances I don't think women think they have a certain flaw until a commercial or whatever has a fix for it. Then it gets in their head.

2. When you see these commercial, do you laugh, shake your head, get mad, or are you just indifferent? Has there ever been a commercial that offended you in some way? I'm a very hard person to offend. I'm open and brutally honest at times. Most times I just turn the channel, other days I sit and watch. Typically, I'm criticizing what they just advertised. I know 9/10 products don't work.

3. Do you feel like you are always judged on your looks? Yes. I hate it. I know that it's not true. People have so many other things to do than to judge my looks. Even though I know it's not true, I still feel like it is.

4. Why would anyone ever want to cover their cleavage? (Ok, that question was for me….lol) Don’t answer. I'll answer anyway. I don't know! Why not? Unless you're in church or a nursery school (or any other similar place) I don't see a problem with showing some off.

As always I love to hear different ideas and opinions.

1. Do you think these infomercials/commercials are intentionally trying to make you feel bad about your looks and bodies?
I think we are the targeted consumer & it feeds into the media's depiction of the perfect woman. I don't feel bad but we are bombarded by billboards (I live in NYC) that show these sickly looking woman happy as ever in their fashionable outfits --- where is my chica with curves?!

2. When you see these commercial, do you laugh, shake your head, get mad, or are you just indifferent? Has there ever been a commercial that offended you in some way?
I think at this point it's whatever... I just move on. There will always be a trend and as long as there is an audience there will be many more.

3. Do you feel like you are always judged on your looks?
Heck yeah!! I am judged no matter what I wear just by the way I talk. I have an accent so I am instantly pigeon holed. On weekends I prefer jeans and a fitted hat since I wear more corporate gear during the week. Sometimes you do get a lil WTF because you are judge by the appearance.
Ex:: My parents were renewing their vows & we were scouting locations. There was a place that we made an appointment to see -- my parents had a nice budget for the affair. We met with the manager and immediately he offered us the smaller room and tried to make it more economical by offering us a weekday wedding. My mother shook her head and walked out. Judge because we were in jeans & had accents...

4. Why would anyone ever want to cover their cleavage? (Ok, that question was for me….lol) Don’t answer.
I actually received this as a gift -- it didn't work!!!!!!!!!! lol

1. Yes, it's all about the almight dolla

2. Indifferent, as a woman I'm used to constantly being under a microscope anyway. They can bite me. And by "they" I mean anybody who doesn't like me the way I am.

3. Absolutely 100%

4. I can't figure out how to cover mine up, but sometimes you want to cover it up to be taken a little bit more serious otherwise guys in the office are constantly staring at your boobs

Totally off topic but I've always wanted to be a infomercial dramatization actress. I want to fumble around like an idiot trying to deal with saran-wrap then look at the camera with a "why isn't there an easier way?" face. Maybe I could be in the cleavage napkin commercial...."Are your boobs always falling out? Introducing the cleavage companion!!" Just an idea.

That being said, I obviously laugh at most commercials.

1. Yes, it's all about the almight dolla

2. Indifferent, as a woman I'm used to constantly being under a microscope anyway. They can bite me. And by "they" I mean anybody who doesn't like me the way I am.

3. Absolutely 100%

4. I can't figure out how to cover mine up, but sometimes you want to cover it up to be taken a little bit more serious otherwise guys in the office are constantly staring at your boobs

Wow, constantly?

Ummm, yes, if they like girls then constantly. They like to wink, too, not all of them but some of them. Frustrating. This is why I'm a pitbull at work, you have to to be able to get the job done.

I for one hate the culture of making woman feel bad about their bodies because when women feel sexy and beautiful, they flaunt what they've got, they are in better moods, they want to have sex and be naked more... it would just be a better world if we had a broader standard of beauty in our culture. I mean, those Dove soap ladies are hot hot hot.

1. Do you think these infomercials/commercials are intentionally trying to make you feel bad about your looks and bodies?

Unfortunately, yes. Even those women who have an ideal or healthy body are tricked by these commercials to believe that they are not perfect, even though most of us would die to be that healthy.

2. When you see these commercial, do you laugh, shake your head, get mad, or are you just indifferent? Has there ever been a commercial that offended you in some way?

I think all of these commercials are offensive. My husband loves me the way I am, even though I weigh more than he does. He's one of the few people in my life that think I look okay at this weight. All my life, I've been told by commercials and people around me that I was too big.

3. Do you feel like you are always judged on your looks?

Always. When I wear makeup, I feel good about myself and people compliment me, but when I don't wear makeup I see a difference in how people treat me. Or look at me.

4. Why would anyone ever want to cover their cleavage?

Some women like to cover themselves, to annoy the other sex.

I like you post! What a smart person you can look at an ad and see beyond the sh_t they are trying to sell and see the message

1. Infomercials arent doing it on intention. They are just tapping into the base fear of modern society women looking fat and ugly and selling a product. It works successfully and they make money. I can't fault them if I had a product that made me millions of dollars you better believe I'd be telling women how fat and hideous they are without my product.

2. Shake my head, but not at the company, but at the people who buy into the message without listening.

3. Humans are shallow creatures we judge everyone based on looks. It's why humans suck. Beauty and youth in whatever the cultural context will always reign supreme.

4. You have to cover your cleavage because on top of being judge for looks and how pretty you are you are also judge according to double standards and a woman exposing more cleavage is considered a *kitten*. Also sometimes women actually want to be taken serious like at the work place and our breasts alone make us appear stupid and if you add cleavage to it then you can expect that your perceived IQ will be knocked another 10 points.

It's very intentional. The media, and the diet industry especially, profit off people feeling bad about themselves. And usually this type of advertisement is targeted at women. Men tend to be advertised to as being "manly" and thus deserving of some cool product.

Usually I don't get offended when I see these type of things though. I should probably be outraged, but I'm pretty indifferent when it comes to actually watching those commercials. It doesn't really register at the time. I actually don't feel like I'm judged on my looks though. I don't think people notice my appearance too often, but I've probably just been really lucky in that regard.