Boots, the beach, and "nice" weather

[matgb]

I am, naturally, disgusted at this Boots advert. Not, as it happens, because it sends the message that women need to look good to get a man. Nor because it perpetuates the conformity agenda, and also not because it says women are the problem. It does of course send all of these messages, but that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem?

It portrays beach culture as healthy

And that's a really bad thing. It's getting to that time of year when thousands, nay, millions of idiots will flcok tot he beach in an attempt to 'get a tan' and 'look healthy'. Bullshit.

Those of you that have met me will know that I don't look my age. I look, in fact, about 8 years younger than I actually am (whenever someone asks my age I ask them to guess it first, I've had as young as 21 within the last 6 months). Any guesses as to why? It's because I'm in a huge skin cancer risk group. I've known this since I was 12, a long time before my mother had to have many operations to remove non-malignant melanomas. Skin cancer is a growing threat, especially with the ozone depletion, but it's always been a problem. But even if you don't get a cancer, by tanning constantly you dry and prematurely age your skin, you look much older much faster. So I look younger than others my age, becaue I've not really tanned my skin since I was a young teen.

Yes, I'd rather like it if people in senior positions didn't treat me like a kid on a regular basis, but y'know what? There's a little bit of me that likes being underestimated because of my "youthful" appearance. Because the reality is my appearance is fairly natural; it's the sun-seekers who've aged too quickly, not me. Up until her mid-thirties, my mother was very attractive (seriously). After that, she started aging very quickly. Why? Perpetually brown skin, much sun tanning. Prematurely aged, and eventually gave her skin cancer. Having a deathly white palour is bad for you, this I know. But more than a little exposure is such a really bad idea. Do yourself a favour, don't buy the boots products to "look gorgeous for the beach". There are many ways to enjoy yourself near the coast; I grew up in a coastal resort. Sunning yourself isn't a good one.

A sun tan'll kill you

And on that happy note, I'll turn in for the night, great first day at work today, here's hoping it continues.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

actually, a problem that they're discovering now is that kids aren't getting enough sunshine, leading to various illnesses not least vitamin D deprication.
Man is made to live in the sunshine. we evolved this very skin to do this very job, and as it's no more sunny than it was 1000 years ago, or 3000 years ago, we must be perfectly suited to the enviroment of our surroundings. Sure, there are exceptions. But a) there's no reason for everyone to follow the exceptions- that's like saying everyone should avoid eating nuts 'cos some people are allergic to them. And b)this time last year you were allergic to sunlight, then you started spending time in the sun and discovered it was just hayfever and a tendancy to burn. Lots of people think they have problems with the sun- very few people do. Very few. Most people are fine unless they're stupid.
I think the whole 'sunlight will kill you all' is another ridiculous symptom of this 'we're all so fragile/how come people are still dying' thing. The human body is not fragile. It is more perfectly suited to its natural enviroment than science can yet account for.
Maybe your mother overdid the tanning thing. More likely- if she was in her mid 30s and had had 2 kids, of course she suddenly started to age. That's what happens when people get older. Yo9u can stay out of the sun, but it ain't gonna stop you aging or dying, it'll just make you that little bit more sickly when you do so. Better idea- Spend as much time in the sun as your body seems to allow. If you start to burn after 15 minutes, stay outside for 15 minutes at a time. Use common sense.
Mmother is redhead, very pale, and has always burnt very easily. As in, she's never tanned in her life. She always loved sunbathing, still does, and would rather be outside working in the garden on a sunny day then sit inside. She rarely gets burnt, but if she does, she does, and she has the face of a 54-year old. Which is fine, as she's 54.
Everything is dangerous in excess, and everything must be tailored to the person. But if in doubt, I think you should err on the side of evolution knowing more about itself then scientists do. I could be wrong, but so far most things have supported my theory.

[stillcarl.livejournal.com]

we evolved this very skin to do this very job, and as it's no more sunny than it was 1000 years ago, or 3000 years ago, we must be perfectly suited to the enviroment of our surroundings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_hole

[matgb]

Danke; no idea who our Anon is, pretty sure it's not someone on my friends list from the lack of linebreaks, let alone the appeal to "common sense", but it could be someone forgot to sign in. If so, I'm a little disappointed, as the ozone whole and similar issues aren't exactly unknown or unmentioned above...

Part of me wants to disable anons, not to stop them, but to stop friends forgetting to log in. Ah well.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I don't see anywhere in that post where Mat said "OMG stay indoors out of the sun all the time!"; he said beach culture is unhealthy. It is. Lying on a beach all day and frying till you look like a lobster is unhealthy.

[matgb]

 

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

[matgb]

she has the face of a 54-year old. Which is fine, as she's 54.

I think you'll find she has the face of what society thinks a 54 year old looks like, there'll be a lot of us 2 ears down the line who look a lot 'younger' than that, and we'll be better off because of it.

Apart from the other comments in reply, it might have been good if you'd actually read what I wrote, rather than tilting at a straw man; at no point did I say "do not go into the sun", yes, vitamin D problems are an issue, but moderation is not avoidance; frying yourself on a beach isn't healthy, end of.