Comments on: “Low Self Esteem: A Man Made Disability”

By: Being Amber Rhea » Blog Archive » links for 2009-05-03

Being Amber Rhea » Blog Archive » links for 2009-05-03 — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:32:05 +0000

[...] three rivers fog » “Low Self Esteem: A Man Made Disability” "The subcontext here is incredible. Jess uses a wheelchair. She’s happy and perky and having fun. Katie is visibly healthy. She has low self-esteem and her self-hatred keeps her from even being able to greet Jess when she comes to the door. Instead, she slouches to the ground in despair. [...]

By: Madeline

Madeline — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:48:02 +0000

With a few tweaks, this COULD have been made into a message about how psychological disability can be just as disabling as physical disability. The makers of the ad would have to acknowledge that Katie in fact suffers from body dysmorphic disorder or social anxiety disorder, instead of this “man-made disability” thing I don’t really understand.

By: amandaw

amandaw — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:50:56 +0000

I wondered, with the typeface and such — should have noted it in the post. But the critique stands, whoever is making the video: I tried not to base my criticism in what Dove is as a company for that reason.

I’ll log in and add a note in a little bit. Thanks for the info. Definitely curious to hear more from you about that communication, Anna.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:47:17 +0000

I just got contacted by the ad creator and it’s not a Dove ad, it’s a school project to show “disability in a positive light in advertising”.
*sigh*

By: Baby Sinead

Baby Sinead — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:18:25 +0000

Is that a real Dove ad? I don’t think it is.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:55:21 +0000

Good post, Amandaw. I can't even articulate how much rage I am feeling at this ad. Annas last blog post..Why do people with disabilities exist? To be very special lessons for the able-bodied, of course!

By: lauredhel

lauredhel — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:24:11 +0000

Dove chocolate is Mars Incorporated. If you're asking about their ethics, though, I don't think they've moved to being fully free of using child slave labour yet. lauredhels last blog post..Cos chicks shouldn’t dig SF! Especially hot ones!

By: Angiportus

Angiportus — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:29:42 +0000

Those aren’t the same people that make Dove chocolate, are they? I sure hope not…
Riiiiiiiight about appropriation, etc.
I like how your italicization and asteriskulating of the 1st person pronoun looks so much like a face with exploding eyes….

By: Nia

Nia — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:53:51 +0000

Good post. I can’t believe they made such a tasteless ad.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:50:35 +0000

I stopped buying Dove products when I realized that Dove was owned by the same group that owns Axe. This is the first time I’ve been offended by one of their ads, though…