A day or so ago, I was reading an article about some random bikini show for a random brand, and then all the complaints about a "lack of representation" of real women's body sizes on display. The argument was that the models didn't represent the average woman's body, with them being models and only one of them was "plus-size" - My question is,
Why should any brand represent average women?
Whilst this might be contentious, the thing is that these are companies with a product and that product doesn't have to appeal to everybody. The same show didn't have any octogenarians modelling either, yet they weren't complaining about it being agist.
Why is there an expectation that a bikini brand has to cater for all body shapes?
After all, it is up to the brand to decide what products they make and who they are targeting with their advertising. If they fail to sell their products, it isn't like all the people who didn't buy their products suddenly start buying them in a bid to keep them afloat. They have no skin in the game. And likely, the marketing people at these various bikini companies that use "non-normal women" (those that aren't overweight, as the norm is that most people in western countries are overweight) - know their audience, and know that despite the protests, the people who are complaining aren't likely to buy the products anyway.
It is just social media bitterness.
Like most of what is on social media these days. Complaints about things that people aren't really interested in, but need something to complain about.
I complain about the complaints.
People seem to think that they are entitled to having their feelings and opinions protected, no matter where they are, or what they do. They expect to scroll through random social media and not have their sense of self damaged in any way, feel no discomfort, or be exposed to anything that might make them feel bad about themselves.
These are supposedly adults.
I believe that children should be somewhat protected from a lot of the content that is available, where for example violence can be displayed away from their reach. But this is up to the parents to address, because with the proliferation of content on the internet and so many gateways, it is folly to believe that corporations, platforms and random strangers are going to behave in the way that a specific parent would want them to.
When are adults going to start acting like adults?
Representation isn't bad, but what it does is build identity around what might be relatively arbitrary or even harmful traits. We don't think about it this way most of the time, but not everything needs to be represented in every forum. For instance, do you want equal representation in your school district for pedophiles? Probably not. Yet, why is it that we expect to have equal representation around products that aren't actually designed to meet a broad market base?
Using bikinis as an example, pretty much anyone can wear any bikini, but depending on preference, no style is going to appeal to the entire bikini market to wear, because the market has such a variation in preferences - not just body types. For instance, my wife will not wear a thong bikini, even though she definitely could and I think would look good in one. There are some brands that only make thong bikinis - should she complain?
No!
Because those brands aren't making their product for her, they are making it for people who like or are willing to wear a thong bikini, or at least buy one in the hope that they would wear it. That is their brand design, that is their target and, that is who their marketing is designed to attract. And, attraction in marketing is rarely about reality, it is about making a potential buyer get the feeling that they will be better off for buying the product. Usually this comes in the form of selling a fantasy.
People buy fantasy, not reality.
Yet, when we get the reality home and realize that we aren't living the fantasy, we get buyer's remorse. However, if we saw footage of ourselves walking down the runway, most of us would likely never have bought the product at all, because ultimately for most of us, we wouldn't like what we would see.
And while people say "I am happy with my body the way it is", if that truly was the case, they wouldn't actually care about all the brands that don't cater for their body type and instead just buy from the brands that do, and there are plenty of them.
My wife can't buy clothes anywhere just about, because the vanity sizing keeps getting larger. The extra-smalls are too long for her height and swim on her as if she is wearing a potato sack. And the more "average" the store (made for the masses), the worse it gets. They are catering to the average in their sizing, discriminating against those that have maintained the same size over time, favoring those who have got larger.
Is my wife not a normal woman?
I don't want more representation, I want more discernment. People shouldn't be looking at every piece of content as if it is personally created for them and should meet all of their wants and desires. They should look at it through a lens of whether it is suitable or not for them and if it is, great, if not - move right along. Not every product has to represent you, or me, or the other 8 billion people on earth.
It is a brand's job to differentiate itself from other brands in some way in order to get market attention, and generally that is going to come through an innovative product, or innovative marketing channels. When it comes to something like bikinis, there isn't much innovation that can be had and there are plenty of brand alternatives, so they use marketing differentiation. Some will cater to a segment of the market that is motivated by images of slim people, some will go for more realistic alternatives, but at the end of the day, nothing stops a buyer making a purchase of either.
What is interesting to note, is that there are entire stores dedicated to larger or taller people, yet no one is seeing them as discriminatory of smaller or shorter people. It only seems to go one way, which makes me think that those who tend to call discrimination, are hypocritical and discriminatory themselves.
Every advertisement that has a market segmentation (all do) are going to be unrepresentative by design, because they aren't going to waste their marketing dollars in ways that they think aren't going to bring in income. There is no point in being representative for a company, unless it is going to either bring in income, or mitigate risks - and it is the latter that most are doing, out of fear of being called not representative.
I am discriminated against daily, because so much of what I want is outside of my price range. Ferrari and Rolex do not have representative products I can afford, neither do Armani suits, nor Gulfstream. It doesn't matter if they had someone who looks like me in their adverts, I am not going to buy from them regardless - no matter the fantasy they sell.
Do you think they should be representative?
Why should a bikini company, a car manufacturer or a tampon maker? Why is it wrong to market to the target audience, rather than to everyone who might chance upon the advert, even though the product isn't created with them in mind?
We are exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 adverts per day - how many are representative of every body type, skin type, IQ level, hair color, financial situation, education, height, weight, nose shape, hand size, gender....
Pay attention and then, start writing a letter to each one complaining to all those that don't represent everyone.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Is it just this political correctness getting all of us crazy. It one step too far, and it is here to stay, for what I see.
Yeah, it is here to stay for a while at least, but there is pushback in some areas now. Some people are starting to wake up to the reality of the woke and recognize that it is heading toward a more fractured, broken society, not bettering anything. It will take time for the masses to catch up though, as most a re still moving in that direction for a while to come. There are very few people in the middle these days.
This is the crux of the matter - what constitutes discrimination? We are not all the same in any way, so discrimination is a given, and not necessarily bad! Seems everyone wants a piece of the victimhood pie, and why wouldn't they, with all the legs up for this difference or that difference. We've been reduced to a world of ninnies who want something for nothing, and government protection from the tiniest offenses. Sissies I tell ya, sissies.
So, so sweet and tasty!
Whilst fighting for "freedom" :D
We are fools in sheep's clothing.
As soon as we look to any government for protection, we invite enslavement. It's all the rage these days. How is it that so many people cannot connect the dots between what is going on today and all the tyrannical governments going back to the beginning of recorded history?! Misplaced trust.
Inexperience. We have a all the information at our fingertips, but until we are suffering enough ourselves, we will do nothing for ourselves.
Are we not suffering now? We are told that a great many of us are suffering, but that it is our fault, because we humans are just greedy selfish beings if not downright murderous, and that none of this is the fault of governmental policies. Many of these policies, those that are most dear to the Democrats, cause dependency. I could not believe how many people in the US quit their jobs, leaving their bosses and co-workers in the lurch, just so they could collect whopping unemployment benefits! It was a free for all.
There is the "enough". We seem to adapt to our enslavement quickly, taking food stamps instead of working to support ourselves, thinking we are winning.
Most peoples decisions are driven by fear in this world.
Stepping out of line in this holding pen company will make you go hungry or homeless, or maybe get you put in a miniature holding pen (prison industrial complex).
"Better do what you're told or else. Better not break these rules called "laws" we've given you or else. We'll even give you a few laws that you can break with special things called "licenses", like driving a car... Better pay your taxes too." -Your government
It's hard not to question and look at the spiritual aspects of all of this, as well as what has been prophesized through religious texts.
If we see money as a debt slavery system, and look at government as the overseers of the slavery system, it's really depressing.
Stockholm syndrome thing happening.
The gov makes the easily corruptible humans think they're bad and it's all their fault for being the greedy deceptive fear laden little creatures that their government bred them to be.
What the Hell were we born into.
We have been conditioned to react this way, to fear ourselves and each other. The covid con was simply the most recent stunt that was pulled on us to condition us even further. The next time they tell us to stay home and stay away from others, we must throw big parties in the streets, the churches, the village halls.
Money is the shackles of a slavery system.
You've made me wonder about Universal Basic Income and how that fits into the equation.
As futuremind said above, money is a debt slavery system, and letting the government be in control of it, in any way, is putting shackles on ourselves. No money should go through the government, neither given nor taken via taxes. We've been so stupid. They (who?) eased this system onto us slowly, so slowly we didn't notice our increasing slavery. I do now. How many hours of my life do I have to spend proving who I am, and what I've done with my money? Many, many hours. The medical industry is the worst of this. Voting is nothing more than standing in line for an annual bone, the illusory bone of thinking we have some say in matters. The last election in the US has made it abundantly clear that we do not. Not that I support Trump either. He was the one who first pushed us down the covid con path.
People are sadly soft as that sack of potatoes. It’s quite ludicrous to think that a fashion company should disparage the beautiful models that are showcasing their product. It’s the generation of pussies to be honest, and sadly not the fun one between a woman’s legs.
The stores these days are getting so difficult to shop at! My wife had a similar taste to yours I think, modest but fashioned. She doesn’t fit into many of the clothes because they are all shit and not like the clothes she was buying 10 years ago. Although I’ve tried to buy her a thong bikini she sadly doesn’t wear it either, we can wish one day! Lol.
I’m hoping we can raise a generation of kids that aren’t so fucking soft and pathetic, or we are doomed. Imagine what these fucks are going to be like when it comes time to having to be taken care of. Just leave em in the hall is how I feel sometimes lol.
I wonder if most of the outrage against the company is just AI content made to push division and arguing though? That’s a real possibility these days!
Mashed potatoes.
I mean, who do they think they are dressing for!?! :D
I feel that we are creating another type of class system, where there will be increasing gaps between those who are able to control their emotions, and those who are totally unhinged. I am hoping to raise someone in control of themselves.
And yes, this is an interesting point to consider these days, since the lowest bar to content is even lower now, and cheaper.
Of course brand promotion matches well with tall and slim body.The company does not discriminate by doing all until attack ones by races, culture and religion .
before choosing bikini wearing , must be thought about whether it suits you well or not.
A bikini company doesn't have to make bikinis that pass sharia law -is it discrimination?
If it was my bikini brand I'd release a statement saying I hear and understand them, and thats why I've released the fatkini., with the word fat written in a repeating pattern all over it.
I'd also raise the minimum age of stuff (drinking, voting, driving) from 18 to 28 until the generation learns to grow up
50 and you'd be getting somewhere 😁
Wear your fatkini with pride!!
Some traditions say 42 is the time a person is mature - that would make for an interesting voting outcome and, Saturday night at the bar :)
It's a common misconception that social media represents a diverse cross section of the population. While this may be somewhat true over all platforms, individual platforms cater to specific demographics.
For example,
• Tik Tok is popular among younger audiences
• Facebook is mostly used by older people.
• Pinterest is predominantly used by women
• Twitter attracts those who are more vocal and opinionated
• and so on
However, even before considering these demographic differences, social media already discriminates against those who are economically disadvantaged and lack access to technology or the internet. Additionally, many people may have access to technology and the internet but have no interest in using social media. Furthermore, language and cultural barriers can also limit representation on social media.
In reality, the audience on social media is a very small subset of society, and it's important to recognize that it doesn't represent the entire population. It is therefore foolish for marketers to assume that complainers on social media are representative of their target market.
Right. And, it is also foolish to think that when the media cites social media sources as "proof", it isn't representative. Generally, it is the loudest voices of a minority opinion.
They need big and tall stores because most stores don't carry sizes that normal people fit in. It's totally discriminatory. 😃 I can probably count on one hand the number of stores I can go in and find pants in my waist size. They all stop short. I don't consider myself huge either. Overweight yes, but huge, no. Plus I exercise every day. So why can I still not find clothes that fit?
I struggle to find clothes to fit me as well, because I am short with wide shoulders. It is shameful that there are no stores which cater to me specifically!
That is shameful! I feel your pain! I actually don't shop at the big and tall places because the stuff is usually much too large there. I am practically swimming in it.
The T-shirts that come from the US are almost square. It is long they are made for giants, but giants that like to show their belly buttons ;)
Yeah, I get that. I have a couple this week that I haven't been able to raise my hands too high!
I wouldn't mind a car manufacturer that included somewhere to put your handbag. That's a fairly sizeable market niche 😁
I wonder if we will learn to manage social media more effectively. But I guess we are also primed for drama and being outraged is more fun (distracting?).
And a fairly sizeable "holder", if my wife's handbag is anything to go by. It would need to be the size of the engine compartment.
Perhaps this is what is actually driving electric car innovation, because moving the engine out leaves space for a handbag.
;D
I think it will condition most of us to ramp up the negative, and a few to become more controlled. Class system.
😂
I'm offended that you are offended by people being offended.😀
I take offence!
I think teens should also be protected from being a wannabe of what they see on social medias.
People shouldn't be able to use social media until they have lived a life, had and lost jobs, fallen in love and had their heart broken, been disappointed by their parents, feel the fear of being a parent.... :D
As we move deeper into the abyss of fantasticism, I find great despair in walking amongst children who are blinded by great magnitudes of egocentrism.
I would hate to disappoint any ladies who think attraction may be a bought and paid for kind of thing. A man who is attracted to her body type is certainly not thinking about the brand she is wearing, other than maybe whether or not she will be angry if he rips it to shreds taking it off. Jeez that sounds a little carnal.
This is probably not bad publicity in a corporate perspective.
If a companies product has so much control over people (their perception) that they blame their shortcomings in life on the companies product, it starts to feel like some kind of weird Orwellian nightmare.
Wake up people!
Great article @tarazkp 👍
"looks" are important to everyone, even the blind. But, for each person, what they might find attractive or off-putting, can differ - but rarely by that much.
And, is this an issue? Should be bred out of society? We are animals. All of us.
Nope and if anything, it is good publicity. Make a dress that 1% of the population can look good in, and 99% of the population complain about - the 1% will pay the price to have what the 99% can't. And some percentage more will try their luck and buy in hope.
For sure, it's predominantly the first thing a male notices, and is certainly important. "It's on the inside what counts" is true but just completely disregards laws of attraction and probably is more often said by less attractive people. Which is why it's good that perception of what is attractive greatly varies and everyone has a chance in this world lol.
Masculinity bred out of society?
Nope, we see it exactly the same way.
Our carnal primal instincts are not a bad thing in my opinion :D
Suppression of those instincts is likely part of the game plan.
A morally grounded masculine man is not attractive in the new model of society, but the morally grounded masculine man will never be bred out of society, for it is against his very nature, if he's aware of who and what he is.
100%
Looks (nearly) always come first, male or female. It is one of those things and when our eyes are open, it fills 90% of our data. It is natural to use all that information to make judgements.
I think morally grounded men are attractive - in secret. It is like people try to deny they exist by only cherry picking, broadcasting and depicting the worst examples. This ultimately just makes the problem worse of course.
Did you watch "What is a woman yet?" It covers off some of the above. I was surprised how much things have taken a turn in American regarding the whole advertising space for women. It's madness. I hope your wife finds the right bikini size. 😀
Do you have a link to watch it? I can't find anything.
~~~ embed:1666430282738589696?t=xjzuIi2qJePCyCRMOtoJyw&s=19 twitter metadata:R2lkaV9UcmFmZmljfHxodHRwczovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tL0dpZGlfVHJhZmZpYy9zdGF0dXMvMTY2NjQzMDI4MjczODU4OTY5Nnw= ~~~
90 million views after Elon shared it .
That is the complaint of all consumers who feel cheated after buying because they are unable to avoid the influence of advertisements, especially from online purchases, and are devoured by online advertising attacks that come in a barrage.
The ad is really just selling fantasy, as you have said, Sir.
More and more people are complaining about the items they receive, which do not match what they have received from online advertisements.
I always influence my wife to always shop directly at a store, not to complain in the end. For example, my wife has to go into the fitting room to try on a dress she is going to buy. But she really never tried on the bikinis she bought.
And in the end, I have to be the victim because I have to take my wife to a shop, accompany her there, and end up at a place to eat or drink coffee. It's okay as long as it's not too often, and the important thing is that she's happy even though sometimes she doesn't buy something because she doesn't think some are actually worth buying.
I'm glad that she doesn't become a victim of advertising or a brand because she only buys something that really makes her comfortable when wearing it.
I don't like spending the money, but I like shopping for women's clothes - it is so much more fun than shopping for myself. Men's clothes are boring!
Just think about all the transport, packaging and energy wastage there is for online shopping, just from people getting stuff that they don't like.
Women have their style in dressing, even in night-suites that are often quite sexy.
Bikini is another form for them to express with the color, the shape, the type and so on (I am dramatically not expert on bikini types :D )
As women are (in tantric perspective) energy manifestation, they choose the most representing way to make their body shine
Too often in Finland, they think dressing like a Finnish man (who has very little fashion sense) is good ;D
Ahahahahh.
I love the sensuality south American women have as they also spread it onto their dressing
I understand the desire for inclusivity, but I also find it strange that people expect companies to listen to whatever the crowd is saying. At the end of the day, if they are driven by the capitalistic desire for profit, they will go with what sells by the numbers. Conversely, if there is something you want a company to sell and they aren't carrying it, maybe that's an itch you can scratch yourself and turn into a successful business? Just saying!
Had a good chat about this one at home too. I'm around the same mind.
Her & me both, only few and far between men's shops carry 28"x28" pants for me, but I can still pull off a generic small top. But it could be a bit better. What I really enjoy is getting the discount on kids clothes and slipping into a nice XL.
Since USA is so fckn great at it, I rather like thinking about the target audiences for these commercials, especially considering the programming that it has been bought in. I rather like watching these athletic competitions knowing I'm the target... BING!
Slick segway from the prev article teaching ur peeps to target their posts. 🔥🔥