too old to be in an anti-aging ad. never too old to reap some extra $.

So I was reading TIME magazine one day when I flipped to the back and saw one of the most disturbing strangely provocative advertisements I'd ever seen in my frail young life. It was basically a nude "matured" woman sitting in a very discreet way (so as to cover her goods, if you know what I mean) with a stoned triumphant smile across her face. Although the sharp cameras managed to capture every wrinkle, line, and spot on her "matured" body, there was something in this Dove ad that managed to disturb me more. And that, my friends, was the smell of sweet, corporate brainwashing.

OK, before you hammer me in defense of these commercials that celebrate "real" women, let me say this- the message Dove COULD have championed would have been honorable. But if you look at these ads closely, you will realize that Dove is a complete f*cking hypocrite. Take a look at Exhibit A, for example (Warning: This is NSFW if your employer considers post-menopausal women erotic). Well, let's look at the first, more obvious part of the ad first. It's a woman who is all smiles and "is proud of her body." Awwww. Isn't that nice.

Now look at the subliminal message given at the bottom of the ad. "But this isn't anti-age. this is pro age. the perfect time to trust your skin and hair to dove care." OK, first of all, what the heck does "pro-age" mean? Does it mean being proud of aging gracefully and loving yourself as you are? That being the case, isn't it odd that it's an advertisement for a set that includes ANTI-aging creams? But hell, no one cares. After all, it's the wonderful message that Dove is spreading to the aging masses isn't it? They long to hear someone tell them that they are young, vibrant and beautiful and feel all bubbly inside.



And you know what? You ARE vibrant and wonderful. But let a loved one be the one to tell you that- not a money-hungry, mind-controlling corporation.