Lane Bryant’s newest ad: #ThisBody
A few days ago, the plus sized retailer Lane Bryant released an absolutely gorgeous commercial that features both their lingerie and multiple beautiful plus sized models (including Sports Illustrated 2016 Swimsuit Edition Cover Model, Ashley Graham). The commercial is less focused on the company’s lingerie, and is more about their ad campaign called “#ThisBody” which is all about celebrating the bodies of plus sized women for all they can do and for how beautiful they are. This sounds great right? What could be better than a body-positive commercial featuring beautiful models? Well, according to ABC and NBC who decided not to air the commercial on their networks, it was just too “indecent” to be seen by the public.
Yeah Amy & Tina, we agree!
Yes, that’s right, the same networks that air Victoria’s Secret Commercials, and shows like The Bachelor where women often wear bikinis that are much skimpier than any of the lingerie in Lane Bryant’s commercial have decided that this ad featuring plus-sized women is simply too much.
Though the networks claim that they didn’t turn down the commercial due to the size of the women, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that this is, indeed, the main reason. Victoria’s Secret commercials, many of which are arguably more sexual in nature than this Lane Bryant add, are consistently shown on NBC and ABC. VS commercials and Lane Bryant commercials are very similar: both advertise lingerie, both show a lot of skin and both feature beautiful models, the only difference is that Lane Bryant’s models are plus sized.
Is this new Victoria’s Secret Commercial (filmed similarly in black and white) any less sexy than Lane Bryant’s newest ad?
NBC and ABC’s refusal to air this commercial on TV is unfair and unbelievably sizeist. The women in the #ThisBody commercial represent sizes that are the same as or similar to the average American woman (67% of US women range in size between a 14 and a 34) and even more importantly: these women are confident, happy and proud of the fact that they are plus sized, which is not a common phenomenon in the main stream media. Commercials like this are extremely important as they provide women and girls around the country (and the world) with representation in the mainstream media and simultaneously cement the idea that #PlusIsEqual, a hashtag that was created by yet another of Lane Bryant’s amazing ad campaigns.
All different types of bodies should be celebrated, including thin bodies, as the body positive revolution encompasses everyone: every size and every color. However, the mainstream media often chooses to celebrate and show only thin and usually light-skinned bodies. This is where the problem lies. Our social and technological worlds are so influenced by the media that a lack of representation for all different types of women often causes those who are not often represented to feel like they are somehow worth less.
Lane Bryant’s ad is beautiful: it is full of confident, happy, smart, sexy and absolutely kick-ass plus-sized women explaining all of the amazing things that their bodies can do: like working out, nurturing a baby and rocking a pair of jeans. NBC and ABC refusing to show this ad on television makes the statement that they will continue to celebrate only a particular type of female bodies, and that plus sized women should not be seen, should not be heard and definitely should not be naked.