What does Winnie the Pooh have in common with Lorelai and Rory Gilmore? They all love food. In fact, they don’t just love food—food is their ticket to winning the hearts of their audiences. From Popeye, to Garfield, to Kevin Malone from The Office, food is a means for fictional characters to express themselves and… Continue Reading →
Tabloids tell the truth in new media campaign
“What if we cared about those living in poverty as much as we care about celebrities?” This is a simple question asked by WoodGreen Community Services to raise awareness about the daily struggles of single mothers living in poverty. WoodGreen, a large social service agency in Toronto, works to help people find job training, affordable… Continue Reading →
Stereotypes in three dimensions
You may have already read about my outrage at “the pink aisle” – otherwise known as the preponderance of stereotype-based toys for girls – and I was recently disappointed to learn that LEGO has sunk to new lows in the ranks of the pink. In 2012, LEGO met with SPARK, an organization that works with girls and women… Continue Reading →
Mature models show the beauty of aging
Word of the day: “Gerascophobia.” It is commonly defined as the abnormal and persistent fear of growing old or aging. Also known as modern American culture. It’s no secret that the media idolizes youth. As women age, Botox, plastic surgery, and a generous dose of Photoshop are purported as the recipe for immortality. If you’re… Continue Reading →
Beauty doesn’t need to be bliss
Let’s stop redefining beauty and start redefining what matters. Celebrating “real beauty” once or twice a year with a size 10 cover model or a star without makeup in order to sell more magazines or make noise around an ad campaign has been a growing trend. Dove kicked it into overdrive with their Real Beauty… Continue Reading →
Powerful Pantene commercial sheds light on sexist labels
“Don’t let labels hold you back.” This is the slogan of a new Pantene campaign that encourages women to disregard negative sexist stereotypes and live their lives with confidence — and, if you’d prefer, awesome hair. However, “Be Strong and Shine” is no longer just an ode to Pantene hair products. The message is powerfully… Continue Reading →
Did the Media Fail Women in 2013? Ask The Representation Project
The newest viral video making its way around my Facebook feed is, “How the Media Failed Women in 2013,” a sobering three-and-a-half-minute compilation of media moments that drive one point home: the representation of women in the media isn’t changing fast enough. [media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc”] “How the Media Failed Women in 2013” recaps the highlights and… Continue Reading →
Special K misses the mark… again
Recently Special K launched a new marketing campaign to “Shhhhut Down Fat Talk” that’s a “barrier to managing (women’s) weight”. While creating a discussion around stopping fat talk and using their access to a great number of people is a great idea, they totally missed the mark in the follow through. Their goal is still to sell us… Continue Reading →
Down with the Victoria’s Secret “Fashion Show”
At About-Face, we are boycotting the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which airs tonight on CBS. We’re joining in with the awesome women at Beauty Redefined, who are starting the boycott. Here’s something I still find kind of embarrassing: Victoria’s Secret was a key ingredient in the damaging of my body image as a teenager. I… Continue Reading →