Just saw this Dove commercial about how low self esteem, which they call a "man made disability", affects a young woman named Katie. A woman in a wheelchair goes to pick up Katie, who has spent three hours getting ready. Katie decides not to go out, doesn't answer the door and then texts her wheelchair using friend that she's sorry she couldn't make it. The wheelchair user is shown as being active , out and about and less disabled. What's your reaction?
12 comments:
Umm. What did you think about this???
I'm more than slightly horrified and if I ever get out of this airport, I'd love to blog a rant....
still gasping..
WCD
WCD: nodding::
I'm in the same boat,workin' so can't say too much. Look forward to reading your post.
Am thinking, just got back. It may very well take many people in wheelchairs 3 hours to get dressed too, for different reasons. I have some help or my morning routine (sometimes a midday routine thanks to pain) would take hours.
Ooh, this is complicated and I'm not sure where to delve in. I wonder if they tried it on an audience of disabled people first. My guess is no.
I don't think it's good to start describing personal issues in terms of physical disability because disability should not be used as a slur (i.e., don't act disabled, you're disabling yourself).
Then what? People are supposed to buy an advertised cosmetic product (Dove) to cure their self esteem problem created by advertising? Isn't this circular reasoning?
And with the girls appearing near-perfect they're missing a big target audience anyway--those who perceive themselves or are physically imperfect. Who's more likely to have the self esteem problems, the girl in the wheelchair or a white AB girl in stylish clothes who is probably already among the popular set and fits in just fine? What if the other girl in the wheelchair were to have self esteem problems? Is Dove implying she's disabling herself? Or what if she can't get out because of her disability, lack of access to transportation, pain or illness, kids who won't invite her along?
And...we are not metaphors. :)
Frida- all good points. I'm thinking also what about people whose low self esteem is caused by mental health issues. How often we hear that people with depression, etc. need to just buck up and are "doing it to themselves?"
Using the word disability this way really opens, as you point out, a can of worms.
Right, agoraphobia came to mind--the young woman reminds me of someone who's agoraphobic or who has a disabling level of anxiety.
"More than slightly horrified" is a good descriptor.
I don't even know where to start...
What is this category "man made disability" supposed to mean? What are the contrasting categories ("God made" or "random chance made" disabilities)? Do the people making this ad think that we should say or do or be something different in relationship to a "man made disability" compared to others?
Second, I wonder about what process makes this disability, in their minds. Do we "do it to ourselves" - and how is that not a mental health problem? Do we do it to each other - and how is that not a matter of civility and care for the common good?
Wait, I'm confused! I thought the point was that the able-bodied girl (Katie) spent 3 hours getting ready (due to her insecurity), not the wheelchair-using friend.
No, Katja, it's not you--I just didn't write out what I meant fully. I recognized that it was Katie who takes longer, but when I first saw the words about Katie and then saw the woman in the wheelchair, I immediately thought it would be her who took 3 hours--and was commenting that's the more likely scenario.
[Smacks self on forehead]
Sorry, I probably just lost all my disability awareness credibility with that last comment.
So come over to my blog and help me with the exegesis of the agreement I just signed in order to compete in a 10K race: Am I the Pusher of the "Conveyance"?.
Katja -
::rolling over:::
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