Why All These Girl Power Ads Aren’t Helping

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GirlPowerSmart. Sweet. Pretty. Funny.

We are quick to label and define. We have resumes. We have dating websites. We have TV commercials. And for some reason, we always seem to define ourselves using adjectives. Enough already.

Just as a brief refresher, let’s look at how women are described in well-known publications:

Take a look at what Men’s Health had to say in 2012: Men’s Health’s Perfect Gal

P.S., as a prior blonde turned brunette, I am so glad that men prefer brown hair and that “the days of the dumb blonde are over.” Dripping sarcasm.

Obviously, Men’s Health is not the sole authority on women. But we all know there are a plethora of magazines, TV shows, movies, commercials, songs, etc. that relay this same image. As for Cosmopolitan, which has a mostly female audience, in April of last year, they published this gem: Cosmo’s Perfect Gal

Unfortunately I could pull up hundreds of examples along these lines. Not exactly shocking, although still very much  cringe-worthy.

Perfect. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Hot. Sexy. All adjectives.

Even if you shy away from this type of material, you can’t help but be bombarded with advertisements that perpetuate this concept.

A brief look at slogans of products that cater mostly to a female audience:

Covergirl: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Covergirl

Lancome: “Believe in Beauty”

Bobbi Brown: “Give us 5 minutes. We’ll make you Pretty Powerful.”

Sephora: “The Beauty Authority”

WET n WILD: “Glamorous Everyday. Fabulous Everyway”

Enter Dove, trying to turn the tables on what “beautiful” means since 2004. When you log onto their website, it says, “See how women all over the world are choosing beautiful.” You have probably seen their videos and ads which have gone viral, the most recent one involving two doors. One door says Beautiful. The other door says Average. Which door would you walk through? Yes, Dove, I know you are trying to help. But, why do we still have to use the term “Beautiful”?

Dove Video: Dove Ad

Read about Dove’s mission:  Dove’s Mission

Then there’s an Italian commercial where boys were asked to slap a girl. A girl is introduced to them and the narrator asks the boys, “What do you like about her?” They respond with “her eyes”, “her shoes, her hands”, “her eyes, her hair”, “Just her hair, I swear!”, and “Everything.” They go on to tell her she is very pretty and that they would like to be her boyfriend. The narrator then tells the boys to caress her, and they all give her gentle pats. Later, he asks them to slap the girl. They all say no. Then he asks, “Why not?” Responses: ” ’cause she’s a girl.” “I don’t want to hurt her.” “Jesus doesn’t want us to hurt others”, “…she’s pretty and because she’s a girl”, “Because I’m against violence”. “Because it’s bad” and “Why? Because I’m a man.”

Out of all of these responses, I would argue that three of them are based on the idea that hitting anyone or anything is wrong. Which should be the message, really. I understand that this commercial is supposed to demonstrate that violence towards women is wrong. I get it. But, for me, it misses the mark.

See it here:  Italian Video

Always, the feminine hygiene product, got a little closer with their “Like A Girl” campaign that really took hold when it aired during the Superbowl–but still felt short because yet again, we have to qualify it. Run… like a girl. Fight… like a girl. Plus, by leaving boys out, we are again just reiterating the idea of difference. To say, “Throw like a girl” with a positive spin insinuates that it once had a negative spin. As in, playground banter between young boys snarling, “You throw like a girl!” in order to insult someone. But why should a boy feel that he has to “Throw like a boy”? Adding “like a girl” hurts someone, no matter how you spin it. Just as “like a boy” can hurt both sides. Though, there is “girly” but there is no “boyly.” Not sure what that says.

Read more here: Always: Like A Girl

Always’ NFL Ad

Point is, this isn’t just about little girls and building confidence. This is about little boys, too. This is about women and men. This is about people.

Think about it. Think about all of the adjectives we hear. This goes beyond “Beautiful.” We are described as Black. White. Hispanic. Latino. Ghetto. Yuppie. Preppie. Poor. Rich. Ignorant. Smart. Nerdy. Cool.

If we absolutely must define ourselves, enough with the adjectives. Let’s try verbs.

Glow.

verbSmile.

Help.

Run.

Swim.

Dance.

Write.

Feel me? Let’s stop describing and start acting. In my opinion, the Dove commercial would be more poignant just by showing smiling faces. The Italian video is more powerful just by the boys saying, “No.” The Always ad is awesome simply by showing different types of actions. No caveats. No descriptions.

I was taught that actions speak louder than words anyway. It’s what I do that matters, not how you see me. I don’t care if you think I’m beautiful or ugly. Smart or stupid. Tall or short. Pink, Black, Yellow, Purple, White, Green. American, Asian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, African.  Mormon, Muslim, Hindu, Christian. Masculine, Feminine.

I care what difference I make in this world, and I can only make a difference through my actions.

So enough with the adjectives. #WhatsYourVerb

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Jamie Stinson
One minute my husband and I are strolling down the boardwalk near our home in New Jersey with our daughter and dog, and the next we're on a plane bound for Cincinnati! As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than an adventure. Plus, it seems as though all of the things I love: running, snowboarding, traveling, food, and sports are all right here for us to enjoy. I'm looking forward to discovering this city with my family, trying new things, and sharing my experience with you!

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