China and Ugly Betty and Models and Beauty- WSJ

Imagine girls in America not caring about the models in ads, not being jealous, not thinking oh they are too skinny or pretty, but actually feeling like they could reach that beauty and aim too? " Sound nuts?"

Backwards?

Well, that is the Chinese woman's mindset.

I recently read in the Wall Street Journal an article by Geoffrey A Fowler called
"Unilever launched 'Ugly Wudi' as a vehicle to pitch Dove products in China"

Where I read an interesting headway "HONG KONG -- Unilever PLC is turning to a remake of the TV show "Ugly Betty" to help solve its Chinese beauty problem.

Its Campaign for Real Beauty, which markets Dove-brand soap by attacking unattainable images of female beauty in ads, has built buzz for Unilever and won kudos from feminist and advertising groups in the U.S. and Europe since it launched in 2004. But in China, "real beauty" was a flop. Here, women aren't so bothered by the stunning models used in most beauty ads and aren't driven to buy products promoted with so-called real faces."


It is interesting that it is a flop. And that in China women aim to be as beautiful as the girls in the ads and are not offended by it. And they want to see beauty, not a girl that is "plain," or "boring" looking. Could women in the US ever see models this way? Or could more brands do advertising this way? Mmm... I am not against it, but I think not.

We are a country that wants to be soothed by the comfort of reality tv, and watching a girl slam her handbag to the ground or slam a girl in the face with it. We want something to make us feel better about ourselves.

Well I don't. But a lot of girls do. I think women should find the value in themselves beyond their material items, mascara, handbags, hair dye, and shoes.