The gist of this HuffPost blog is about self-perception, and who decides such perception. One would assume the term “self” implies the inner being as the central giver of affirmation. But, in fact, no matter how much confidence or assurance a woman might possess, her perception comes from and is reinforced by peers, strangers, images in the media, etc. This particular blogger takes notice of a Dove commercial intending to promote authentic beauty. But, the commercial gets it wrong. It, instead, mistakingly glorifies peer perception when a woman is asked to describe herself to an artist for the purpose of sketching a portrait. After this, an onlooker describes this same woman to the artist. When the portraits are revealed, it turns out the onlooker’s perception is “more beautiful.” But, asserting a “more beautiful” portrait begs the question, what is more beautiful? In fact, how do we define attractiveness? Is it a smaller nose, is it perfectly proportioned eyes, and naturally rosy lips? When the Dove commercial asked for assistance from an onlooker, it open a spaced for judgement, and the opportunity to take another’s opinion into the account of self-perception. The blogger argues that women’s images will have made progression when they are able to look in the mirror and say “I look beautiful” just as easily as they say “I look like a slop.”
Here is a link to the video of the ad itself: http://youtu.be/kOjNcZvwjxI
-Marissa