Angelina Jolie is not this thin or anorexic. The recent furor over the too skinny and unhealthy look of models which (covered in a post last month) might have been behind the inspiration behind the Worth 1000 contest, Fasting Time 2. Photoplay has saturated our lives beyond commercials and brand development that one needs to question everything one sees. Truth and lies, fun and play. Healthy images for girls is a big issue and isn't a joke. Who wins for being thin? Fashions are sold and ideal images are created that are far, far from the average American.
The commercialization of causes was the subject of another MotherPie post this week, spurred by the pinkness of everything and selling to the emotions of women during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It isn't just corporations capitalizing on the trend to be associated with causes.
Celebrities are selling themselves and their images by associating with causes, too. Brangelina, the do-gooder duo, made a $100,000 donation to the Daniel Pearl Foundation this week on Pearl's date of birth. Angelina and Brad Pitt are currently working on a feature film, A Mighty Heart, about Pearl based on his widow's memoir.
The selling of stuff is both unreal and hyperreal.
Photo by nilo111147 for Worth 1000.
I thought that when I went into Bed Bath and Beyond and saw Kitchenaid blenders in Breast Cancer Awareness colors. For some reason, it struck me as awfully tacky, no matter how noble the underlying cause.
Posted by: The Zero Boss | October 12, 2006 at 05:06 PM
Did you read about Bono and Bobby Shriver's (http://www.joinred.com/) RED campaign?
They call it "punk capitalism". And it might be tacky, but if it increases awareness, and more importantly much needed fundage, is it really so bad? If good results, big good, I'm not so sure I care about the original motive.
Posted by: Jennifer | October 12, 2006 at 06:08 PM
Eww! That faux picture of Angelina is spooky!!
As for the donation, even if giving is done for publicity (and it may not be), at least it helps a good cause and may inspire others to do so too.
Posted by: Kathy | October 13, 2006 at 09:16 AM