For as long as I can remember I have been concerned about women and our sense of self-love and compassion. We are amazingly tough on ourselves, sometimes to the point of self-destruction. I have observed this phenomenon my entire life.
That is why I am pleased to direct your attention to an amazing survey Dove has produced as a part of their “Campaign for Real Beauty.”
In 2005 Dove commissioned a comprehensive 10-country research project where they surveyed 3,300 girls and women between the ages of 15 and 64 in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States to better understand their attitudes about themselves and their concept of beauty.
The findings are voluminous and available as a PDF at their website above. The part I would like to draw your attention to are the findings on women over 50.
Dove commissioned another study in 2006 in 9 countries, including Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, France, the United Kingdom and the United States surveying a total of 1,450 women age 50-64. The purpose of this study was to expose existing stereotypes around beauty and aging, as well as to provide compelling arguments for changing our perspective for future generations of women.
Here are a few of their findings:
- 91% felt the media and advertising need to improve their representation of realistic images of women over 50
- 97% believe society is less accepting of the appearance of women over 50 compared to their younger counterparts, especially when focused on their bodies
- Nearly 60% of women felt that if magazines were a realistic reflection of their population, most would believe women over 50 did not exist
- 87% of women believed they are too young to be considered old
- 86% of women surveyed take great pride in their age
I especially enjoyed the observation that women in midlife are so underrepresented in our media, that an outsider might mistakenly surmise that we did not exist! This has been my experience with trying to sell the mainstream media stories about older Americans.
So this Thanksgiving let’s give thanks that this situation may be changing with increased attention and studies like those done by Dove!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Dove has been a forerunner of realistic advertising…I hope more companies follow their lead. It’s also great news to hear that they’ve been successful as a result so other companies might start advertising the same way.
Ned James
Hi Laura Lee,
I think us ‘oldies’ are standing up and refusing to be put into the “old “catagory. I don’t think our mothers or previous generations of women did. We are much more ‘present’ in exposure to how the world turns, than we have ever been. We are claiming acknowledgement, and at least in Australia we are begining to get it.
I don’t think I know a woman my age, not working. We have to and we want to. We are contributing income earners to our families. We have our own money to spend, and we have become educated enough to take care of our mnds and bodies more than previous generations. We are more than garden and crochet savvy. We are internet savvy, giving us the availabilty to connect, learn, have a say and have an impact.
With all this comes media exposure. Advertising in particular is there to sell product. By representing middle aged women, in ads. as sexy gorgeous things, they are doing exactly what they are doing and have done to teenages and young women with their use of stunning very, very thin models. Advertising does the same thing with car advertising and men. The man is a hunk, the car is sexy and attracts women or big and powerful.
Whoops, this post is beginning to develop a life of its own. I really only wanted to say that with the knowledge, and changes our generation of women are living through, we are seeing ourselves more realistically, so more positively than we have done before. Got to be good, I think.
Brigit:
Thanks for weighing in on the women and beauty issue…so glad to hear from our friends in Australia!
Laura Lee aka The Queen