By Elise Borja
Photo Credit: becomegorgeous.com

American Eagle’s brand Aerie has recently been scrutinized in the media due to its no-Photoshop ad campaign. With the slogan “Real You is Sexy,” this campaign was created to spread positive body image to all young women, and terminate the use of Photoshop on models.

Unfortunately, this advertisement campaign has brought upon a dispute in the media. Despite Aerie’s intent to spread confidence to its target market of young women, their efforts are being criticized. Whether or not the company’s intent is to help girls see themselves in a better light, many believe that Aerie’s attempt is like a slap in the face. Some argue that although they may be taking steps in the right direction, these steps are far too small to actually create an impact on the portrayal of women in media.

This battle is one that will be very hard to win. If they keep using size-0 models, they are abiding to the rules of society. If they use size-8 models, they are still not showing “real girls.” Some girls naturally fit into a size 0. That does not mean they should not be recognized in advertisements. Sadly, this seems to be the case for any size.

Whether the model on the front of these campaigns weighed 105 pounds or 160 pounds, there would be a few young women who felt offended and inferior. At the end of the day, we need to find a way to battle our inferiority complexes and realize that these are just advertisements and nothing more. They are created to make a profit.

If an advertisement about positive body image is making you feel bad about yourself, remember that you should never give a picture that kind of power over your self-esteem. The “real you” is much more important and infinitely stronger than the “Real You is Sexy” campaign.