comes a gem of a press release that begins like this:
Yikes! 1 of 3 Canadian Women Battling Body Image
TORONTO, ON --- January 27, 2009 --- The mirror doesn’t lie. From muffin tops to thunder thighs, from junk in the trunk to flabby arms, Canadian women say they don’t like what they see.
Um, do you think there could be a connection here?
I get a lot of press releases like this, most of them hawking diets. Some, like this piece of work, pretend to promote positive body image even while undermining it. Note to PR flacks: My readers and I are smarter than you are. We can see the strings moving your arms and legs. And we know who benefits from garbage like this, and it isn't us. I won't name the ridiculous "expert" this press release is flogging except to say that s/he is not supporting positive body image.
Have you come across other oxymoronic examples? Send them my way.
6 comments:
I'm not sure if it falls in the same department but I was emailed a press release the other day for a doctor wanting to interviewed about his book and his food. The intro went on about the obesity epidemic and I just rolled my eyes and deleted of course.
Are you sure it wasn't a good PR flack -- there are some -- and the headline actually said "Only 1 in 3 NOT battling"?
I should clarify that it just seems like the reverse would be the more likely statistic. Like in "Mean Girls" where 3 out of 4 girls turned on the one who couldn't think of something negative to say about her body.
On Slimfast's official site it says:
"[Slimfast] provides balanced nutrition, including essential vitamins and minerals"
I cannot believe that goo in a can is anywhere near balanced nutrition. In fact, I've been on slimfast and it caused malnutrition - thanks Slimfast.
Geez... I showed this to my little sister and she said "I know why. Because Canadian obesity stats are getting closer to those of the US." Makes me sad. She's a size 8 or 10, tall, curvy, and she applied for a scholarship to fat camp. I really don't think BMI and statistics are what matter here.
-Lindsay
Yeah, I'm actually surprised it's only 1 in three.
But honestly, that whole headline belongs in the "No s***, Sherlock" file:
"We're going to describe female bodies as gross and ugly, using terms that adolescents commonly use to insult heavier women. Then we will wonder at why Canadian women feel negatively about their bodies"
Seriously. That is just a giant headdesk right there.
I KNOW I feel far less happy about how I look when I hear terminology like that thrown about - or even when I hear all the "Obesity Epidemic! BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA" fake "medical" news stories thrown around. And I am a SMART woman and not easily led around by the nose.
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