How to make an inspiring video campaign? Long camera pans, some piano music, and people telling their sob stories without blinking for a more dramatic glossy eye-effect.
Seems these days everyone get’s oh so excited about the Dove campaign, and since the topic of beauty is close to my heart, I cannot not comment on it . In case you haven’t seen it, here it goes:
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Did that sob story bring a tear to your eye? Well, why don’t you detox with this lovely internet creation:
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Oh, aren’t those girls ridic? Claiming to be hot, when they are oh-so-not?
See, this is where I have an issue with the Dove campaign. Truth is, we hate people who think they are good looking, and we almost expect women to belittle themselves when it comes to looks. Ever heard the song that goes “you don’t know your beautiful and that makes you beautiful”? Pretty sure you did.
What really irked me is the dig that Dove takes at women in the final stages of their video, where the claim that women worry too much comes in. Nice stereotypical generalization, that serves no other purpose than to again showcase women as shaky, lacking confidence and neurotic. Great way to sum up a video that poses itself as promoting confidence.
My look on thing is like this – most of us don’t really think we are all that bad-looking, and would rate ourselves a 6 or 7 in the hotness scale. It’s just enough not to feel bad about ourselves, and not enough too be obnoxious. And all of us can think of things we would not mind improving about ourselves, like weight, better skin, and such and it keeps us active.
But it’s also socially expected from women to be very humble about their looks, to constantly say they look bad and to always point out things they don’t like about themselves, to be in return showered with words of encouragement. Dove has obviously chosen the few women, who took the social pressure a bit too seriously. What irks me is selling that image to the public as the general state of things, and portraying women as broken, yet salvageable by the influence of a brand.
I am not saying there are no people with body image issues. But shaming them for having body image issues is not the way to go, and that’s what Dove has been doing most of the time. Just wrapped in the typical kitschy of piano music and blurred camera shot, and the audience gobbles this up.
Maybe a commercial brand is simply not able to tackle the task of confronting the narrow definition of beauty promoted in the media. And in the end does more harm, than good.
As much as I always promise myself I will revive this blog, I can’t seem to do it right… But lately doing short clips showing Singapore though my eyes has been something I really enjoy, and I think it allows me to express my POV a bit better than clumsy words… So, if you enjoy videos, please give mine a chance
When I’m at a party where there is lots of people, truth be told, I become best friends with the family pet, and if there is lack of pets, a nice plant or even widow view is my next best choice. Why? Because I’m introvert, and talking to strangers turns me into a stuttering mess.
When I say this to my friends or colleagues, they all say it’s impossible! On a daily basis they see me as the loud and obnoxious ang moh, and additionally to that I regularly expose bits of my life on-line. Shouldn’t introverts be shy, antisocial and generally keep just to themselves? That’s a huge misconception – being introvert has nothing to do with ones personality. You can be the joke-cracking, fun-loving and energetic person, but still be introvert. Being introvert is all about how one deals with surroundings – extrovert people thrive on being flooded with external stimuli. When they are surrounded by new people, sounds, experiences, they feel energized and encouraged. But for an introvert, it’s just too much. Our brains cannot deal with the overload, so we shut down, or become extremely fatigued. But put an introvert in a calmer setting – a dinner with people they like and feel comfortable with, and they will suddenly become totally different.
The funny thing is, some popular beauty bloggers like Beautycrush and JLovesMac who are very bubbly and lively on camera, admitted to being shy and dealing with anxiety. And people were like “impossible, you are so talkative, friendly and happy!” as if being introvert was all about being antisocial and depressed.
For me the funny thing is, I love public speaking – put me in a room full of people to do a presentation, and I feel AWESOME. Why? Because I’m in control. I don’t have to listen to anyone and figure out what to reply and what their intentions are. I talk to people, but the rest of the setting is quiet and I control and limit the number of stimuli.
When it comes to being friends with someone, I take time to warm up to a person. I love chatting on-line, because it is a very comfortable setting for me.
I think it’s very hard to be an introvert really… Our culture seems to praise extroverts – you are cool if you go to parties and socialize like it’s the best stuff on the planet, in offices we sit in open-face settings and in meetings and are encouraged to constantly work together (same in schools), since we are always busy and detached most cannot afford time-wise to invest in getting to know an introvert. Eh bla bla bla..
Anyways, if you are an introvert like me… just want to say, there is nothing wrong with it. If you are not an introvert, I just hope that you won’t think introverts are rude and antisocial – try to get to know them in more calm settings.
So late! But as a blogger braggart here is a run down of glitzy stuff I got in October.
I guess lately I have not been into shopping that much… But still managed to score:
Jeffrey Campbell shoes.. But honestly speaking I had no idea they were branded shoes… I got them from NastyGal.com and thought they are the usual overpriced stuff that that NastGal carries, and I only realized its an actual branded item when the box reached my house xD
The shoes are not easy to walk in and give me an extra 17cm in height xD It’s awesome to be tall!
The other thing I got was a gift actually:
Insolence by Guerlain is a perfume that most people hate, but I love it! It has a strong scent of Iris and something that makes me thing of soda bicarbonate xD I don’t know why I like it, I just do. Guess that’s how it works with scents.
And no, I don’t mean a diet where you eat nail polish lol. Polish as in that originated from Poland. When you live in Poland, one of the most known extreme diets is a version of something the world knows as “Danish Diet”, but for some reason, the version circulating around Poland is a more clean and simplified version of that diet. It’s a plan for 13 days, and it makes you lose weight very fast.
I’ll admit… I used to do it as a young woman. I even did it few years back when I needed to quickly loose weight (I gained it back, because I hated my skinny flat arse and ribs poking out lol).
I am no nutritionist, but I would still say this diet is somewhat safe for you – you do it for 2 weeks, loose anything between 5 to 15 kg, but it gives you plenty of crucial nutrients: lots of protein, lots of iron and vitamin C, good does of fiber. It is just low on carbs.
So what is it exactly? Take a read below. The plan is simple.
Every morning you start with a cup of coffee – if you like, you can add a spoon of sugar to it. All greens in the diet you can substitute with another green veggie – so if the plan says lettuce, you can either have the lettuce (my favorite here is butterhead lettuce), or broccoli or spinach. You can use a bit of olive oil for dressing, or vinegar , or lemon juice. You can indulge in the greens as much as you like, since they are virtually calorie free.
If it says beef steak – you should have the beef steak tho… Lean chicken breast is not as rich in protein and key nutrients, but if you cannot do beef, then chicken is your next best option.
Day 1 and 8
Breakfast: one mug of coffee, 1 spoon of sugar
Lunch: 2 hard-boiled eggs, serving of cooked spinach , 1 tomato
Dinner: beef steak, lettuce with bit of olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
Day 2 and 9
Breakfast: one mug of coffee, 1 spoon of sugar
Lunch: beef steak, lettuce with bit of olive oil and lemon juice dressing
Dinner: 4 slim pieces of lean ham (or 1 thicker piece), a tall glass or two of natural unsweetened yogurt (Greek yogurt works great here)
Day 3 and 10
Breakfast: one mug of coffee, 1 spoon of sugar, 1 piece of wholegrain toast
Lunch: a serving of cooked spinach, 1 fresh fruit (recommended: a big apple), 1 tomato
Dinner: 4 slim pieces of lean ham (or 1 thicker piece), 2 hardboiled eggs, lettuce with bit of olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
Day 4 and 11
Breakfast: one mug of coffee, 1 spoon of sugar
Lunch: grated carrot (approx 150 grams), 1 hardboiled egg, 100 grams of low fat cottage cheese
Dinner: fruit mix (chop in an apple, small banana, orange or other fruit of your choice) – a small bowl, a tall glass or two of natural unsweetened yogurt (Greek yogurt works great here)
Day 5 and 12
Breakfast: big grated carrot with a dash of lemon juice
Lunch: big piece of lean fish (steamed or grilled)
Dinner: beef stake, a hearty serving of broccoli and lettuce
Day 6 i 13
Breakfast: one mug of coffee, 1 spoon of sugar
Lunch: lean chicken breast, lettuce with bit of olive oil and lemon juice dressing
Dinner: 2 hardboiled eggs, big carrot
Day 7
Breakfast: 1 big mug of tea
Lunch: piece of lean grilled meat of your choice
Dinner: nothing
During the 13 days for drinks opt for water with lemon juice – it will provide you vitamin C, and also the acidity of lemon will help suppress hunger.
Potential risks: you might end up feeling occasionally faint, experience headaches and migraines, and increased hair lose. The biggest problem on this diet is that you lose weight so fast, your skin might look saggy . This is why i don’t use this diet – it makes your ass get super skinny super fast, and it just doesn’t look right. If you are a girl, pile on loads of skin-firming lotions. I guess it’s not much concern for guys who use this diet, since guys tend to have thicker skin, that resist sagging more.
Exercise: only stretching and very low-impact exercise is an option. If you over-exert yourself it will be almost impossible to stick to the meal plan.
Restrictions: no alcohol, no smoking. And never, ever snack! This diet puts your body into burning mode – one snack will throw everything off, and you will become hungry. Really, really hungry. If you feel like you are starving, eat your dinner or lunch earlier. Drink watter with lemon juice.
Eating out? If you cannot prepare the food and take it with you, just buy a salad with a piece of meat (chicken breast, tuna) with no dressing if you are eating out.
So what do you think? Would you give this one a try?
Is it too late for September indulgence post? I constantly write posts for this blog in my head, but never really sit down to type them up…
Last month I was actually supposed to not buy anything fancy, but I ended up getting stuff anyways….
My first purchase – Gucci glasses. I wanted a pair of nice shades for a while, so when I found some credits on my Reebonz account, I succumbed to temptation and bought those:
But very disappointed…. The guarantee card they came with not stamped . As Reebonz ex-employee (haha I will tell you bout my new job soon, ok?) I know that should anything happens to the glasses, they will help me carry out the guarantee. But kinda deflated feeling… like they are almost the real deal, but you only get 90% of the experience.
Disgruntled… for my second purchase I actually decided to go to the real boutique. Because I wanted to get my first pair of Louboutins!
So proud I got them! I’ve been craving for them for a while, and consider them to be a reward for my hard work. Originally I planned to get those pointy-toes stilettos, but damn! they are cut so low, they exposed almost all my toes! SO opted for a more classic version.
Still gotta get them to a cobbler to put some rubber protection on the heels, as they are totally smooth O.o Don’t wanna die because I trip in my sky-high heels!
This is what they sell to you (found on Pinterest Fitness section):
This, in fact, is a lie. This is the body you get, if you eat a very low calloric diet, and do some yoga/Pilates, maybe 2 a week or less.
But this is what you get from gym – HUGE BUTT AND THIGHS! Check out personal trainers at the gym – most of them look like pudgy-balls (ekhem ekhem well at least at the gym I go to ).
Photo found online..
I just can’t get over it really… I’ve always been active and doing sports, and the less I exercise, the more I like how my body looks, but the more I dislike how it feels.
Le sigh.. 4 weeks ago I actually injured my foot pretty badly while doing yoga and body combat. I hurt it so bad, I had to hobble for 2 weeks, and even now I don’t feel fully confident to go back to exercises. I gained some weight, and feel sluggish and of bad posture, but I appreciate the loss of muscle on my calves and thighs…. I don’t like how being fit makes me look masculine
If there is a woman I idolize it’s definitely Coco Chanel. She lifted herself from poverty, she grew her own business, she followed her own path though life. If you omit the fact she died as a grumpy, bitter loner than I guess she is a worthy idol.
That’s why for years I wanted to buy myself something Chanel. But not the nonsensical Karl Lagerfeld’ised pseudo-Chanel, but something really classic. So I chose a wallet:
. In case you haven’t seen it, here it goes:
. This is why i don’t use this diet – it makes your ass get super skinny super fast, and it just doesn’t look right. If you are a girl, pile on loads of skin-firming lotions. I guess it’s not much concern for guys who use this diet, since guys tend to have thicker skin, that resist sagging more.
I’ve been craving for them for a while, and consider them to be a reward for my hard work. Originally I planned to get those pointy-toes stilettos, but damn! they are cut so low, they exposed almost all my toes! SO opted for a more classic version.
