modern makeover

Today on my Yahoo homepage I read an interesting article about the Sunmaid raisin girl. She has received a make-over (and what appears to be some cosmetic surgery). Here's a look at the original girl:

image via Yahoo

Here's her new look:

image via Yahoo

I admit that she looks pretty here, in a computerized kind of way. But in real life, this is very unrealistic. Considering that the original girl was inspired by a real life person, I wonder why they chose to present yet another unrealistic image for young girls to be pressured by.

But isn't this typical? We are quite used to it by now...all the images thrown in our faces. Making us feel guilty for those few extra holiday pounds, the cellulite that often appears on most women (don't deny it), and even the stretch marks that appear after pregnancy (which is definitely not fair considering all that women go through to carry and birth a child). Isn't it funny how male images seem to stand the test of time? There aren't even that many products with male figures on them but here are a couple to consider:

The Quaker Oats guy...he was inspired by the Quakers. But in today's society, Friends (aka: Quakers) don't dress like this. So should he get a modern make-over?

image via quakerinfo.com

Mr. Clean...this guy has always had a strong and sexy appeal, but since Sunmaid girl gets to have surgery of all kinds, maybe Mr. Clean should be able to look into hair transplants. And why does he get to show his age with his white eyebrows? Have you seen a product with a white haired woman on it? God forbid (please sense the sarcasm).

image via Wikipedia

I'm not saying anything against the Quaker guy or Mr. Clean. In fact, I like that they've stood the test of time. I've always thought that Mr. Clean was a cool figure. That's awesome that he's older and still very strong (and wears an earring). But, my point is the double standard that exists between men and women.

I'm also not saying that I'm opposed to change. By all means, be modern. But do we have to always make female images so unrealistic in their changes? Why does "modern" mean showing more skin and less to the imagination? Why does it seem that girls are more of something to look at than someone to really know, love, and appreciate? And yet girls keep falling for it. We all have.

I'm so glad that sometime before turning 30 I realized that I am beautiful, inside and out. And I don't need to show all my "goods" to prove it. In fact, I'm more beautiful for not putting everything out there. I hope that despite all the pressure we face as girls/women, that we can all come to realize how beautiful we all truly are. You are not an object....you are a beautiful human being with thoughts, hopes, dreams, and talents. Remember that! ;-)