Dubai: Writing about media for some time, you soon realise that things are almost always the same — the struggles within and outside the industry, the sharing of readers/viewers by multiple platforms and devices, and big media companies snapping up the money. Definitely, none of this is remotely exciting to the casual reader.
If you were free to write whatever you wanted, what should be the topic? I guess it is something that will make an impact on readers in a positive way.
Thinking about it, I was reminded of a recent article in the US magazine ‘Women’s Running’. In the August issue, it featured on the cover a plus-size model.
The most interesting thing is that the readers loved it. Comments on the Magazine’s Twitter handle says, “Thank you, I almost cried when I opened my mailbox and seen a thick girl like me ON THE COVER,” wrote a female reader.
The standard of beauty imposed by the media have over decades created a sort of slavish following of the beauty industry. Women and men live in pursuit of the perfect body. They live a regulated life with a controlled diet and considerable time in the gym.
More often than not, they forget to spend quality time with family and friends. Love yourself the way you are. Accept yourself. It seems easy, but what happens when everywhere you see successful people as slim as models.
At the same time, another news came within the bounds of the same topic. The Advertising Standards Authority, the association that regulates advertising in the UK, has banned a print advertisement of Yves Saint Laurent published in ‘Elle’ magazine.
The reason? The model was excessively thin. In short, the association considers the model as underweight and not reflective of a healthy nation. It concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was banned.
At least all is not lost. If the Advertising Standards Authority can take some action, it is a positive step. But it will be applied only in extreme cases. The revenues of the US beauty industry is projected at $62.46 billion in 2016. Which advertising industry body will dare implement self-acceptance against such huge estimates?
The change thus needs to start from you — the consumer. But are you ready for change?
