Dove’s #StopTheBeautyTest Is What Every Woman Needs
Halt! Hey Desi Girl, before you jump on the rishta (proposal) seeking bandwagon, you better watch Dove’s latest #StopTheBeautyTest commercial. This campaign has a message for every South Asian girl out there! Not only that, it also reveals the ugly reality of the South Asian mindset and how women themselves try to let down other women based on looks (let alone men).
The commercial highlights the proposal-seeking process, where women are judged based on their looks. Be it overweight, short height, dark complexion, or having a unique scar on the face, South Asian women who fail to abide by the beauty standards are outwardly rejected for marriage. And the comments made by other women add to the trauma.
Nonetheless, the real question is – who sets these beauty standards? The answer lies in how kids in our community are brought up! Starting from grade 1, little girls fantasize about fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty & the Beast. All white, slim, flawless characters are highlighted and children start perceiving those characteristics as a standard of beauty. How can we forget the top-notch edited photos and videos of trending actresses, on top of all that plastic and tons of makeup?
As they grow, girls become more conscious about their looks and dangerously struggle to seek the “so-called perfection.” Whitening creams and fitness brands make the most of this opportunity and constantly remind them about how they need to fit into beauty standards. As a result, the use of cancer-causing mercury creams, whitening injections, slimming pills, or fancy killer diets rule their minds and slowly poison their bodies!
The irony is – while all beauty brands promote such damaging beauty trends, Dove India took a stand for such women. *applauds*
The campaign commercial ends on a thoughtful note. It emphasizes on the need to end dangerous customary beauty standards and asks to stop the beauty test. A test of women’s patience, self-respect, natural beauty, and confidence! Dove takes a stance on focusing on the good instead.
Many men did argue about why Dove portrayed only one side of the story? They shared how they too felt pressurized over the damaging trends of a 6 figure salary, big house, tall height, luscious hair, and what not! What about hair transplant surgeries that bald men struggle with, just to make her say ‘Yes’. Many men are also rejected due to their short height or dark complexion. No points are given for extra melanin (a jaw-dropping moment for all white people)!
Beauty marketers suspect that Dove made this commercial just to please their major target market that is women. Whatever the case, we must #StopTheBeautyTest for all genders out there.
How many ruined lives and shattered self respects will it take for us to realize that this beauty test must end? In addition, both men and women must speak up in face of such humiliation or this destructive trend will pass on from generation to generation. In order to lead a peaceful life, one must make peace with their true self for no one is perfect. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. There is no single definition of beauty and all that glitters is not gold! Beauty fades and the heart remains so choose wisely *thumbs up*
#StopTheBeautyTest
