Objectification at whatever size

As for disclosing digital enhancement, the message still sent is that women are not good enough on their own - they all need “work” done, they all need to be altered in some way.

Even where models haven’t been photoshopped, there is still hours of makeup, lighting, special lenses and creative camera angles to present the “best” image. Remember the Jen Hawkins “warts and all” non airbrush photo shoots for Marie Claire? (On Line Opinion “Shock horror: nude supermodel has dimple on her thigh”). There were no warts and all, just a dimple and some “uneven skin tone” on the former Miss Universe title holder. She still conforms to conventionally attractive notions of beauty.

In a blog post titled “No more frock watch Mia, please”, Natalie makes a great point:

Body image isn’t just about not retouching photographs of models who already enjoy the beauty privilege that most of us beat ourselves up about.

It doesn’t help much when the Advisory Group Chair has a section on her website encouraging body surveillance and judgment (is she beautiful or not? Does she look hot in that dress or doesn’t she?) as pointed out in Natalie’s piece above. It doesn’t help much that our Minister for Youth who announced the new code (and who I’m sure has good intentions) does a sexy photo shoot for Grazia under the guise of helping women and girls feel good about their bodies then avoids answering questions about whether the shoot was photoshopped. Would Grazia receive the government’s body image tick of approval?

Another member of the Advisory Group, Sarah Murdoch, is host and executive producer of Australia’s Next Top Model, which turns judging other women into an art form, using terms like “wild pig”, “Frankenstein” and “Yeti” to describe them. The show’s new promo shows women being released from racing stalls, running maniacally towards the “bait” - a modeling contract - in what could be read as a reference to female dogs competing for the prize, whatever it takes.

A May 16 Daily Telegraph story pretty much summed it up:

The claws have been sharpened and more back stabbing is ahead, with the search for the next modelling superstar well underway.

Should Sarah’s own show get a tick?

While in so many ways the code doesn’t go far enough, in one way it demonstrates remarkable naivety in regard to the beauty industry and the way it advertises itself. A section of the code has criteria for compliance with the “realistic and natural images of people”. As if the beauty industry is going to do that? It doesn’t want to use real and natural women who might have moles, freckles, blotchy skin and pimples. (And no one is fooled by Dove anymore, given airbrushing in the Real Beauty campaign, its skin whitening products for dark-skinned women and the company’s latest casting calls for women with “beautiful hair and skin”, “nice bodies” and who are not too curvy”. While Dove has put out a statement saying the casting call wasn’t correctly worded, it doesn’t say it didn’t ask the company to put out the call. Perhaps the casting company understood too well what was being requested?)

The code also “encourages organisations to ensure the messages in advertising do not contradict the positive body image messages that may be presented in editorial content”. You have got to be joking. The whole aim of beauty advertising is to make women feel bad about themselves, inadequate and in need of improvement. Making women feel good will defeat the whole purpose of what they do. Don’t expect any upbeat messages about how you are fine the way you are anytime soon.

Dr Samantha Thomas, a public health academic specialising in weight and body image writes:

Positive Body Image is not about creating an acceptable body “norm” or about trying to make yourself look thinner, more beautiful, younger, or whatever. It’s not about trying to “hide” or “make the best of” who you are. That is called “Marketing”.

Because where bodies are concerned, there is no norm. Because we ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Which is what makes us REAL. And celebrating that difference is what positive Body Image is about.

The government needs to stop advertisers objectifying women as well as narrowly defining ideas of female “beauty”. The equality of women - and their freedom from harm - depends on it.