What does it mean to be perfect? Unfortunately, this word gets tossed around quite a bit in today’s society. The perfect outfit, the perfect body, the perfect job—a perfect life. It’s everywhere.
Not to sound cynical here, but the fact of the matter is that perfection doesn’t exist. Ultimately, it’s unachievable.
Well, apparently not, according to Victoria’s Secret.
Two weeks ago, the company decided to unveil a new ad campaign for its new line of lingerie. The advertisement featured a series of models clad in the skimpy VS lingerie, as per usual.
But what really got consumers fired up was the tagline plastered across the sea of long legs and torsos: “The Perfect Body.”
The images immediately received backlash—and rightfully so! Angry customers immediately started tweeting and blogging about the issue.
According to E! Online, one of the most popular acts of retaliation was the use of the #IamPerfect campaign on Twitter. Women bravely uploaded pictures to the social media website of themselves posing with the ads, all the while holding a sign that said, “I am Perfect.”
Even after 22-year-old student Frances Black gained over 27,000 signatures for a petition asking Victoria’s Secret to apologize, change the wording of the ad, and refrain from using body-shaming language in the future, the company still declined to comment about the issue. It did, however, change the ad’s title to “A Body for Every Body.”
Though the ad’s wording is far less debasing than it was before, the unrealistic images of women still remain the same. All of the women featured in the advertisement are what this society deems as “beautiful.” Naturally, most of these women have the same body shape: tall and thin. They all have thigh gaps with nary a fat roll to be found.
Is this really how a woman should look? And if she doesn’t, should she be ashamed of her body because of it?
The truth is that Victoria’s Secret has been raising questions based on their portrayals of women for years. All of their models look the same, and if they don’t, their flaws are photoshopped out of advertisements and photos. True, it may just be a marketing strategy, maybe something along the lines of: If you wear our products, you’ll be beautiful just like our models. However, this “marketing strategy” portrays images that are both unrealistic and harmful to its consumers’ self-images.
These images are why eating disorders and body-image issues run rampant in today’s society. Companies like Victoria’s Secret hold young men and women to an impossible standard, and that is a standard of perfection.
It is important to realize that this standard is not attainable, and it is not up to any business, corporation, or person to set that standard. It is up to you. To truly have style is to realize that perfection doesn’t exist, and learning to embrace your imperfections, your flaws, your quirks—and realizing that these are the things that make you a beautiful, intelligent, and empowered woman. Most importantly, having style is learning to love yourself, no matter what others say.
Set your own terms.
Sound off about this issue on Twitter and tell us what you think of Victoria Secret’s newest campaign!