Is this Protein World ad body shaming?
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The only problem I have with this ad is that it is targeted only at women and that it has nothing to do with health or fitness, only having a certain look. I don't see it as body shaming, but I do think it's sad that women are told constantly that if they don't look a certain way then they are of little to no value or aren't good enough somehow. The CEO of the company made it much worse than it needed to be though. I think if he'd made a measured reasonable response it would have calmed down by now. Instead he told a load of feminists that they were crazy and hysterical. Not very aware of his own market.0
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^ he said the majority of his market was female.
Plus the female body is appealing to both females and males in an "I want that...." way
His market isn't crazy hysterical feminists, so I doubt he cares. I dunno, I'm tempted to buy something from him just for slapping people, even though I wouldn't use it
In other news yesterday - a 60 stone woman was removed from her house in Wales via crane in an operation that took 7 hours, blocked off roads and cost and estimated 100k GBP; and a woman gets her knickers in a twist because someone wolf-whistled at her. The Daily Mail is a pillar of moral goodness. (Their Nepal coverage is now relinquished to the very bottom of the page)
Ignore it all, move on. None of it matters.0 -
Actually, the woman that went to the police for being "wolf-whistled" at had to deal with a month of sustained harassment and was physically intimidated as well. The media have just chosen to portray her as another time wasting hysterical woman.0
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MonsoonStorm wrote: »I personally find it offensive that only blondes are considered beach worthy. I should not have to dye my hair just to adhere to some kind of societal pressure.
:bigsmile:
best comment I've seen on this non-news story yet0 -
If I drove past this on a billboard, it would not have even registered in my brain. I doubt I would have even noticed it, much less been offended by it.0
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terricherry2 wrote: »Actually, the woman that went to the police for being "wolf-whistled" at had to deal with a month of sustained harassment and was physically intimidated as well. The media have just chosen to portray her as another time wasting hysterical woman.
She took her story to the Daily Mail - I think that qualifies her as a time-wasting hysterical woman.
wait, strike that... time-wasting hysterical *person*. I wouldn't want people to jump on me because I am accusing a woman of being stereotypically hysterical... wait I am a woman... I'm confused... how does this outrage stuff work again?
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MonsoonStorm wrote: »I personally find it offensive that only blondes are considered beach worthy. I should not have to dye my hair just to adhere to some kind of societal pressure.
:bigsmile:
best comment I've seen on this non-news story yet
Maybe I should take this to the Daily Mail complete with a photo of me holding a bottle of L'Oreal bottle blonde and a superdrug receipt, looking all sad and forlorn, standing behind the railings of a Dorset beach.
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MonsoonStorm wrote: »terricherry2 wrote: »Actually, the woman that went to the police for being "wolf-whistled" at had to deal with a month of sustained harassment and was physically intimidated as well. The media have just chosen to portray her as another time wasting hysterical woman.
She took her story to the Daily Mail - I think that qualifies her as a time-wasting hysterical woman.
wait, strike that... time-wasting hysterical *person*. I wouldn't want people to jump on me because I am accusing a woman of being stereotypically hysterical... wait I am a woman... I'm confused... how does this outrage stuff work again?
I don't know....
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I get what they're saying, but I don't find this particular ad that offensive. It's just par for the course, I guess? Because of the way it's lit and colored, I feel that the emphasis is less on how thin she is, and more about how tough she is. I actually think it would be more shaming if it was a man - like a man couldn't go to a beach unless he was rippling muscle.0
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kmsoucy457 wrote: »Generally no. Except that this already beautiful woman has been photoshopped to high heaven! So it's body shaming in the respect that they are selling the unattainable. That is my only issue.
Yep!
How to be beach body ready? Take your body to the beach.
^^ this : )
How to get a bikini body? Put your body in a bikini.0 -
Actually, they do have an equivalent ad for men. I don't see any men complaining about body shaming in response.terricherry2 wrote: »The only problem I have with this ad is that it is targeted only at women and that it has nothing to do with health or fitness, only having a certain look.
http://a.disquscdn.com/get?url=https://rationalmale.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/protein_world_3.jpg&key=j_oAT1D5DhWO-YPJWzoeuQ&w=800&h=429
As for health and fitness, the models in question certainly do look healthy. Renee, the woman in the controversial ad, certainly doesn't look waif-like to me. She's skinny, but not unhealthily so.0 -
Have you seen the beer advert that has gone up in response to this? I saw it in London yeaterday, made me chuckle.0
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To fall into the narrow space where my body is considered visually acceptable. I hate and resent that fitness and food aren't solely about health and what your body can do, but also about attractiveness.
That's not the fault of the industry - it's evolution that built us that way.
If you're going to blame anybody, blame Mother Nature.
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nope, it's an ad. that's what they do.0
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Perhaps these critics think that we should boycott Disney as well.
"What a minute. I'm not as swift as a coursing river. I don't have the force of a great typhoon. I don't have the strength of a raging fire. Are you saying that I'm not really a man?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64
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@spartan_d My FAVORITE part of that movie is when they are rescuing the emperor and the song says 'Be a MAN!' and the men are all dressed up as women. Freaking Awesome.0
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I keep reading news stories about this and I just don't get how it's body shaming. I think the model looks great, and the brand is selling protein powder and supplements so I guess their advertising is aimed at those interested in fitness.
In other words, nope don't get it.0 -
A couple of observations.
As a bloke I wouldn't have given this advert a second glance. In fact had it not been for the (seemingly?) disproportionate outcry about the 'body shaming' I would never have heard of the company or the advert.
Also as a bloke I am constantly bombarded by images of perfect (and for me quite unobtainable) male bodies on the front of men's magazines such as Health and Fitness, Men's fitness et al.
Not once have I ever considered that to be 'body shaming' me. I look with occasional envy and as a motivational ideal for me but never disgust or anger.
I fully understand the bullying and nasty comments against overweight people (I have been on the receiving end on occasion) but this "trigger" BS is quite frankly beyond me?
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Is it body shaming? No
Is the ad intended to imply that there is a narrow definition of beach body? yes
Are the responses reasonable? Some are, some aren't
Has the company handled the coverage well? no
Is the ad intended to imply that the product is some kind of magic bullet? yes
Is it? No
Are there lots of judgemental to$$ers on both sides of the debate? yes
Should marketeers be third up against the wall come the glorious revolution? YES, YES thrice YES...0 -
Has the company handled this coverage well? I'd say yes and no.
NO because they used some needlessly harsh language in their responses. There was simply no reason to use the word "fatty," for example.
YES because, unlike most other companies, they didn't simply kowtow to the criticisms. Rather, they pointed out that the term "beach body" already has a well-established meaning. Even better, they were willing to call their critics out, asking them not to blame Protein World for their own insecurities. The public rightfully found this to be refreshing, as most company aren't willing to stand up to bullies this way.
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I keep reading news stories about this and I just don't get how it's body shaming. I think the model looks great, and the brand is selling protein powder and supplements so I guess their advertising is aimed at those interested in fitness.
In other words, nope don't get it.
Someone felt ashamed of the body they earned with their eating/life habits, because they saw someone that looks the way they want to look, and rather than use it as motivation, they use it as a source of anger and want to tear everyone else down to their level so they can flob through life not feeling "intimidated" or "offended" by anything.0 -
TheReloader wrote: »I keep reading news stories about this and I just don't get how it's body shaming. I think the model looks great, and the brand is selling protein powder and supplements so I guess their advertising is aimed at those interested in fitness.
In other words, nope don't get it.
Someone felt ashamed of the body they earned with their eating/life habits, because they saw someone that looks the way they want to look, and rather than use it as motivation, they use it as a source of anger and want to tear everyone else down to their level so they can flob through life not feeling "intimidated" or "offended" by anything.
Nail. On. Head.0 -
Over 900 million people are suffering in the world. The very least of our problems are people who have such a surplus of food that they become overweight and then feel unattractive.
Boo *kitten* hoo.0 -
Has the company handled this coverage well? I'd say yes and no.
NO because they used some needlessly harsh language in their responses. There was simply no reason to use the word "fatty," for example.
YES because, unlike most other companies, they didn't simply kowtow to the criticisms. Rather, they pointed out that the term "beach body" already has a well-established meaning. Even better, they were willing to call their critics out, asking them not to blame Protein World for their own insecurities. The public rightfully found this to be refreshing, as most company aren't willing to stand up to bullies this way.
Well they're claiming a significant increase in sales as a result, although I'm less than convinced that alienating the target market by the use of language would be all that helpful.
They position themselves firmly in the weight loss end of the market, with many of the products described using pesudo-scientific hokum.
Anyway, I guess there's no bad media profile.0 -
I tMeanderingMammal wrote: »Well they're claiming a significant increase in sales as a result, although I'm less than convinced that alienating the target market by the use of language would be all that helpful.
Their use of derogatory language was, as I said, unnecessary.
Calling their critics out, however, was probably helpful... even if this did alienate part of the public. Why did this work? Because their detractors were never part of their target market anyway. They were unlikely to ever become customers; after all, their products only appeal to people who are willing to work toward becoming lean and fit -- striving to climb a mountain, so to speak. Their critics were more interested in knocking that mountain down.0
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