When they tried to get this to air on TV, the networks refused. ABC and NBC banned the commercial from the airwaves. After you watch it, I think you'll be wondering what everyone else is: "Why?" What kind of message are they trying to send by banning this particular imagery? The ad comes from Lane Bryant, a plus-size clothing store, and features plus-size supermodels Ashley Graham, Precious Lee, Tara Lynn, Denise Bidot, and Georgia Pratt. The tagline is simple, "This Body," but in so many ways it's revolutionary. For too long women of a certain size have been disregarded, bullied, and made to feel less than beautiful, and this commercial turns that stereotype on its head. It shows women who are proud of their bodies, who think their bodies are beautiful, but not only that. The ad highlights that women's bodies don't exist to be rated on some beauty scale. Women's bodies are made for breastfeeding, moving, and our own personal nourishment — not to fit someone else's standard.
After the networks saw it, Lane Bryant claims they refused to air it because it showed too much skin. There is a lot of skin, but consider this: is there any more skin in this commercial than any of the Victoria's Secret ads you've seen? Are they more provocative than the "7 Sexiest Commercials" to air during this year's Super Bowl? Or do the networks have an issue with these particular kinds of bodies being recognized as beautiful?
Please SHARE this powerful ad to show your friends and family what the networks didn't want them to see: beauty!
