Comments on: The MAC Strength Ad

By: jennincat

jennincat — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:21:11 +0000

What a great perspective!!! I do really like the direction of “strong is the new skinny”. It may be an ideal but at least it is one that is built on strength (literally) which usually crosses over mentally (figuratively).

By: jennincat

jennincat — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:19:55 +0000

It’s a good question…where do we draw the line between ideals and goals? Or as you said is there any difference? I don’t think our culture will ever stop idealizing different body types. As you mention all we have to do is look at art and see we as a people have always done that. Hmmmm…. Love your thoughtful input as usual!

By: jennincat

jennincat — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:17:16 +0000

“You could not pay me enough to be young again! Women are bombarded on how they should look, act, feel and be. I think as you get older (hopefully) you see the agenda behind the media.” AMEN!!!

By: jennincat

jennincat — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:16:47 +0000

You totally make sense and make a good point as well that it’s “easier” to get skinny than to get “chiseled and fit”. In her case I’m sure it took years to build that muscle. It’s tricky balance of cycles to build muscle and stay lean. One she clearly has mastered well.

By: jennincat

jennincat — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:13:00 +0000

You make a really good point (one that I should have addressed) about dehydration and body manipulation. You are so right there is a lot more than just exercise and diet that goes into having a body like that! Thank you for bringing that up!!!!

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:07:23 +0000

Well, I always prefer to see a strong, muscular woman especially somewhere more mainstream than the fitness areas where you usually see them. Quite a few years ago I was a regular on a women’s fitness forum where Jelena also posted regularly and I have always liked her in the fitness world. She looks more like a bodybuilder than a fitness model in the ad.

I still like the ad’s statement, but when talking about it representing another body ideal, I am always concerned about women realizing that models or bodybuilders also severely dehydrate to get that ripped of a look and there is a lot of maneuvering done to get to look that way and, to a degree, it is temporary. At the very least, this ad fuels a good conversation!

By: Jess

Jess — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:28:21 +0000

Love it!

By: Missy

Missy — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:45:36 +0000

I love her! I remember her back when she was the “Fahrenheit” girl years ago – FAhrenheit is a fat burner whose ad she was in. That’s actually how I knew who she was. I researched who the model was because she had my dream body. But after reading the discipline and strictness it took to look like that, I just said forget it! (Plus, as you said, genetics is large part and I probably wouldn’t look like that even if I did her exact routine!)
But I agree with you in that its nice to see muscles in the spotlight, yet it’s a hard goal to meet (by my reasoning anyway since its hard work). Sadly it’s actually easier (NOT better) for the girls to quit eating and get skinny than it is to look chiseled and fit. It definitely takes time to get that look and some may feel like a failure if they can’t get there in a month.
But overall, I’m glad they want healthier looks, I just wish they’d use less “ideal/perfect”people and use regular fit women with easier achievable results. I hope this made sense!

By: Madijo

Madijo — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:37:27 +0000

I like this picture also, but again it is another ‘standard’, that is not really attainable for many women. At the same time, I think this picture is more positive than a picture of a thin model with heroin chic eyes.

You could not pay me enough to be young again! Women are bombarded on how they should look, act, feel and be. I think as you get older (hopefully) you see the agenda behind the media.

I watched a documentary about models, airbrushing, lighting, clothes adjustments, and Photoshop. It was an eye opener. Women are starving to death trying to be what they see. Lets not forget the depression, or hopelessness that comes from never meeting today’s ‘standards’.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:48:18 +0000

I think it’s both, like you said. But any advertisment with a photo of a woman is just some kind of an ideal, isn’t is? Even if we are talking about the Victorian voluptuous woman, that’s an ideal (and an unachieveable one for many of us, ahem, less-endowed ladies). The stick skinny is an ideal. The huge muscles are an ideal. They are all something to “strive for”, aka an ideal. Pick the one you think is healthy (for you, your body, and your mental health) and it isn’t so much an ideal anymore as a goal. Really, though, what is the different btween those two?