"Real Beauty" Wins Film Festival

This past year, Dove launched an advertising campaign entitled the "Campaign for Real Beauty," in which it produced commercials that highlighted the need for self-esteem. One commercial in particular drew attention as it revealed the special effects and airbrushing that contribute to a single advertisement. (See film above, or by clicking here.)

Again making headlines, recently this short film won the Film Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Awards. Alison Leung, a representative of Dove, stated, "We are thrilled that Evolution has been recognized as it will hopefully encourage even more people, especially young girls and women, to watch the film and get involved with our various resources that promote positive self-esteem."

As exciting as it is to see the popular standard of "beauty" challenged and the insecurities girls face finally brought to the limelight, Dove's short answer of promoting "self-esteem" sounds hollow and even trite. Can self-esteem truly provide a solution to the problem of beauty?

A teen girl may tell herself she's beautiful, but in the face of an onslaught of media, her declaration is like treating cancer with Tylenol. Not only is it the wrong medicine, but the results of self-esteem pep talks can be dangerous. Paul Greenberg commented in a recent column: "Have you taken a good look lately at American politics, academia, fashion, journalism and public life in general? It over-runneth with the kind of self-esteem that cometh before a fall. There is such a thing as unearned grace - don't I know it! - but self-esteem is unearned folly. Its fruit is pride, not humility."

To me, the fact that women of all ages are disturbed by what Hollywood considers physically attractive is evidence that the culture doesn't have the answers. Mantras of psychologists, no more than the opinions of marketing advisers or make up artists, can replace the fulfillment bestowed by the Creator of beauty.