WAOD's African American Women: Where We REALLY Stand series has begun

The first post is an essay that I wrote called The Black Women I Know. Check it out and look for the rest of this series. You all know Gina's site is a must-read.

Consumer companies sell self esteem to women

I told you I was skeptical about big consumer corporations like Unilever and Proctor and Gamble promoting self esteem to women. Why? Check this out:



Corporations exist to make money, period. And smart advertisers know how to capitalize on zeitgeist. Today it is in vogue to talk about real beauty and women loving themselves. You know I am down with that. But I am wary of companies that want to "sell" my self esteem back to me, while inferring that my "real" beauty is dependent on a bar of soap, cellulite-smoothing lotion, make up, perm relaxer or shampoo.

Michelle Gillett said it best in a Boston Globe op-ed:

"Unilever is in the business of selling products, not values, and that
means we, the consumers, are being manipulated, no matter how socially
responsible an ad seems." SOURCE

UPDATE: Mes Deaux Cents alerted me that Unilever also sells skin-lightening creme to women in India and Africa. Check out this sickening ad below for Fair & Lovely. (Sorry that the blog has been so video heavy this week, but some stuff you just have to see to believe.)

UPDATE #2: File this under great minds think alike. Check out What Los Angelista had to say about this subject back in October:

http://www.losangelista.com/search?q=dove