Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hearing Stacy Nadeau speak on the University of Maryland campus, courtesy of the Panhellenic Association. I am going to assume that, unless you went to this speaker, you have no idea who Stacy Nadeau is, but don't worry, I'm about to tell you.

Dove Real Beauty Campaign 

Stacy is the woman on the far right of this image. She was/is a model for the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. This campaign was launched in the United States in 2004, not knowing what type of reaction to expect from the American public. This campaign came in to existence after a study published that globally only 2% of women would describe themselves as beautiful. That's a statistic that I still have a really hard time swallowing - only 2 of every 100 women thinks she is beautiful. In college I was in a sorority with about 100 women at any given time, it pains me to believe that only 2 of them thought of themselves as beautiful women.

The media has conditioned individuals in society to have an idealistic vision for beauty. Whether you are asking men or women, most people think beauty is limited to blonde, skinny, tan, white, and tall women. Even models are not beautiful enough to be models. Watch this video:

I have seen that video countless times, and I still cannot believe that was real. I don't know that I would recognize her on the street if I saw her. Previous to seeing this video, I would have simply assumed that it was just the amount of makeup she was wearing, not that her actual appearance was being altered with the use of a computer program. The scariest thing of all is that if the photoshopped version of this woman were real, her head would fall off because her neck wouldn't be strong enough to support it. The media is literally setting impossible standards for women.

Stacy Nadeau preached to us that we should strive to be our very own best healthy selves, which is different for us than it will be for anyone else. She says that "your own best, healthy self is where your mental health and physical health meet in the middle." I think that is something that a lot of us forget about, that we need balance to survive.

There are many women who I consider to be role models in the media, but one of my favorites is the one and only Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly Clarkson when she was on American Idol

Stacy spoke about how Kelly Clarkson came out about her struggles with her weight, and was an inspiration to her. Stacy told us that Kelly Clarkson came out to the world stating that due to pressure after American Idol, she went to unhealthy measures to maintain her weight. I can't find anything online that says this, but I did find a variety of things that make me love her even more as a role model for women in America. 

On September 25, 2011, Kelly wrote "While two stories have come to my mind that make me stronger, one comes to me in particular. One of the stories that has come to my mind happened over a decade ago, yet still lingers today. To make a long story short, in 2000, I had an eating disorder that was brought on by anxiety. I did not know it at the time, but what I was doing, was not eating because of anxiety. I would "pass out" , force myself to throw up in the toilet, had a lump in my throat that caused me not to eat, and had "rushes" in the morning when standing in front of the mirror. I was not myself in anyway shape or form. I would take a bar to school and it would take me forever to get it down complaining there was a lump in my throat. At dinner, I would just sit there and not eat my favorite food-pasta. I would try but couldn't. I dwindled down to 86 pounds. I was put in the hospital and had IVs in me thinking something was physically wrong. I went to see many psychologists who ruled out "anxiety". I was in a hole and couldn't get out. I wanted to commit suicide cause I was so unhappy. But through prayer and medicine, I got the help I needed. This still lingers with me today as I am at my heaviest I have ever been and yes, while I need to lose weight, a part of me is scared to go off the medicine and maybe lose weight thinking I'm "gonna go back to where I was over a decade ago". I know that it is highly unlikely for I know what to do now, however the thought is still there. I am stronger now because of this and I hope that I can help others who have overcome "anxiety/eating disorders" too." on her website. 

I don't know very many people who would be confident talking about such serious struggles on their public website. One thing that Stacy said was that "we have the power to change the world. We have the power to change the conversation," and Kelly Clarkson is leading by example by challenging societal norms. The most important thing Stacy said was to "make sure your values line up with those you surround yourself with." 

I am so happy that I got to hear Stacy speak and learn about the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. As a young woman in America, I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn't struggle with body image throughout my life. Stacy has helped me look at beauty in a new way, and I am very grateful for that.