At the risk of giving this undeserving, disrespectful brand any more unwarranted press: ah, Protein World. You’ve really gone and done it now, haven’t you?
As soon as I saw these ads, even before anyone started making noise on a large-scale, I was annoyed. I remember being sat on the tube, seeing the bright yellow background with a perfectly-proportioned bikini model emblazoned next to big, black letters: ‘ARE YOU BEACH BODY READY?’ Oh, Protein World, you just pressed my rage button.
Fast-forward to now. I’ve signed the petition to have these ads removed from their current London Underground positions, which thankfully has been successful (albeit due to their ‘contract ending’ rather than TFL bowing to overwhelming annoyance from the public). As of now, the latest I know is the Advertising Standards Agency will be investing the ads, to determine whether they are harmful, offensive, or socially irresponsible. Which, as anyone with half a brain and a moral compass can see, they are.
I’m not going to spend time focusing on why these adverts should not be allowed. Many people have already pointed out that, by asking everyone if they are ‘beach body ready’ and then presenting us with a size-6, perfectly toned, tanned blonde goddess, you’re going to provoke some backlash. In a society which, thank God, becomes more and more aware of the dangers of Photoshop, body-shaming, and broadcasting unhealthy and unrealistic body expectations, this advert was always going to be ill-advised.
What I do want to talk about, however, is Protein World’s reaction. Quite frankly, I’m appalled. The CEO of Protein World, Arjun Seth, and his cronies responded to the backlash in an utterly disrespectful and unprofessional way, re-tweeting things such as ‘If these vandals put half as much effort into leading healthier lives they wouldnt be complaining about your ad #HatersGonnaHate’. To some extent, I can understand their reaction. Although they clearly have no understanding of the moral implications of promoting one ideal of beauty, or their social responsibility as a global advertiser, at the end of the day they have a business to run. They were never going admit to any error.
What REALLY GETS UNDER MY SKIN, though, is the reaction of a percentage of the general population. From accusations that only ‘femi-nazis’ and ‘social justice warriors’ could possibly be offended, to suggestions that ‘people are only bothered about these ads because they are jealous/fat/overly-sensitive,’ the narrow-mindedness of some people shocked me. This is not a feminist/female issue. This is a HUMAN issue. Do these people not realise that NO-ONE HERE is suggesting the model featured in the advert does not look fantastic? Do they not understand that no-one is ‘fit-shaming,’ or suggesting that living a healthy, gym-focused lifestyle is anything but an individual choice? Do they not understand that the only reason people are angry is because this is yet another case of the media trying to dictate what kind of body is acceptable, and what is not?
Ultimately, that’s all I have to say. It’s easy to jump to conclusions, defending the hard work that a lot of these people undeniably put in at the gym. But my final point will be something I’m very passionate about: what these twitter-trolls fail to recognise is that some people naturally WILL NEVER LOOK LIKE THAT MODEL. I could eat celery for breakfast and a PROTEIN WORLD shake for lunch. I could run ten miles every day, and row ten miles every night. I am still NEVER going to look like that girl, because my body just isn’t made that way. Instead of being made to feel inadequate, and that my efforts to live a healthy lifestyle are not ‘enough’, shouldn't everyone’s attempts to live well be celebrated? Why are my choices not good enough, because I will never be ‘beach body ready’ in your eyes? Therefore, this is my issue. To have someone try to tell me that they only way to be ‘beach body ready’ is to look a way which is physically impossible for me, is obviously only ever going to be demeaning and depressing. That makes it ‘socially irresponsible,’ and that legally warrants the ad’s removal. Go back to your shakes.
