Behind The ScenesIn Hollywood (NAPSA)—It is time to give girls a reality check about what really goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood. The onslaught of messages and images they constantly receive sets an unrealistic standard of beauty. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is teaming up with the entertainment industry to educate girls about what images are real versus Hollywood magic. This is especially relevant as girls today are measuring themselves against impossible beauty ideals. LowSelf-Esteem Linked To “Perfect” Ideals According to a recent survey conducted by the Dove SelfEsteem Fund and Seventeen, more than four in 10 girls and young women only see their flaws when they look in the mirror. This is not surprising, considering more than half of girls and young women say they get ideas for the way they want their bodies to look from celebrities and media, and 56 percent of girls and young women believe celebrities tend to have perfect bodies. “Girls are increasingly looking to celebrities as their role models because they are widely celebrated in media and society,” commented Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and distinguished scholar for the Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia University. “Girls take away the message that these images represent a societal norm, and as a result punish themselves for not living up to impossible beauty ideals. The cycle continues to intensify as these perceived flawless images Quick Tips For Self-Esteem: By Jessica Weiner 1. Watch Your Language: Negative self-talk can be contagious 2. Walk Your Talk: Make sure youractions match youradvice 3. Mind Your Media: Help yourchild decode media messages 4, Speak Your Mind: Share your thoughts and feelingsdaily 5, Embrace Your Beauty: Celebrate what makes you unique @ further inundate the media.” Dove released a new viral film, “Onslaught,” to visually dramatize this issue and provoke call-toaction among mentors and role models. The goal is to help girls appreciate their own unique beauty in the context of what they are seeing. Reality Takes Center Stage It is important for girls to realize that what they see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of beauty, not an everyday achievable look. As part of its global commitment to build self-esteem in girls, the Dove SelfEsteem Fund is sponsoring selfesteem building workshops with Step Up Women’s Network, a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for womenandgirls. Together, they are giving girls a reality check about how the seemingly “perfect” Hollywood look is created and hopefully inspiring girls to think about their beauty role models in a new way. During these workshops, cele- brities and self-esteem experts reveal secrets about how the big screen and cover shots are produced, including details about the armies of stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and staging and computer technicians who work behind the scenes. Jessica Weiner, self-esteem expert and best-selling author, will lead each session and offer advice about interpreting the multitude of messages. Notable female celebrities are volunteering their time to speak with girls and share their personal perspectives. A New Generation Of Fans “Girls today are exposed to more images from Hollywood and media than past generations,” said Weiner, self-esteem expert and global ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. “These images that convey messages about beauty can impact self-esteem. Mothers, mentors and friends can help changegirls’ perceptions with positive, self-esteem building discussions andactivities.” The Dove Self-Esteem Fund set a new goal to reach 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem building programming. Moms, mentors and girls can find valuable self-esteem building tools, behind-the-scenes footage from the celebrity workshops and the viral film, “Onslaught” at cam paignforrealbeauty.com. Also online, real girls reveal personal stories about how they navigate real self-esteem issues in their daily lives. All girls can participate by sharing their own experiences, asking questions and hearing from experts.
