Issues with body image have taken long strides of success over the years. 

Society hailing Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign is a major step in the right direction towards an overhaul of approval from the general public towards celebrities who bash the media’s perception of beauty. 

But is all this really a step in the right direction? Or is it more of a step back?

Dove has launched the “Real Beauty” campaign featuring “average” women in advertisements using their products. 

One of their commercials is titled “Real Beauty Sketches”. 

The ad has an FBI sketch artist draw out the woman in their own descriptions, and then again with the help of a stranger’s description.

The ad is intended to be moving and give the impression that women are more beautiful than they think they are. 

However, it fails to address the real problem, which is: “Why does physical beauty matter at all?”

The ad also suggests that woman blame themselves for their own perception, rather than putting the blame on society, which is actually responsible.

Overall, Dove fails to recognize the real problem and paints women as victims.

Yet, this is not the only thing in our media that’s taking a step backwards.

 It is perhaps an even bigger problem with well-known celebrities that parade themselves as the solution to the media’s perception of society.

For instance, take Jennifer Lawrence and Beyoncé Knowles, two well-established celebrities that make constant reference to their body image.

Lawrence is viewed as a body image icon. She is famous for speaking candidly on never dieting for a role and calling herself “obese,” among  other things.

Beyoncé has also been viewed as a trendsetter for embracing her body.

Off her latest album is a song called “Pretty Hurts,” in which she condemns diet obsessions and society’s ideas of beauty.

However, the problem with both female celebrities is that they are the very thing a harmful body image society produces.

Let’s be honest, Lawrence is a size two and works out tirelessly for her roles. 

She may never admit to dieting, but devoting your day to working out is, nevertheless, the same thing.

And Beyoncé has acknowledged working hard to get her post-baby body back, dropping 65 pounds after her pregnancy.

So both women give the illusion to everyone that they are “normal” women of the media. They instead instill the question in average women — “Why don’t I look like them?”— the very women that claim to be “average”.

So why would a beautiful actress and a queen, in her own way, preach body acceptance and fail to do it themselves?

The same reason Dove advertises their love for “real” women.

For profit. All these companies care about is money.

They know body issues are something the public acknowledges as a problem and pray on it for their own personal gain.

“Perfection is a disease of a nation,” Beyoncé sang.

Do not fall ill to such disease, and instead ignore the world that tells you you’re sick.