If you haven’t heard of Jameela Jamil, you probably haven’t been kicking around the body positive community too much ( wtf why aren’t you??) OR you haven’t been watching The Good Place on Netflix. Regardless, if you don’t know Jameela, I’ll fill you in real quick and then give you all the body positivi- tea she’s been brewing lately.
Jameela Jamil is known for being incredibly vocal against “skinny teas” and “diet shakes” that many Instagram celebs promote, including Cardi B and the Kardashains, both of whom she’s called out.
Most recently, Jameela called out Khloe Kardasian for her “fitspo” Instagram story.
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Jameela also has an Instagram page solely dedicated to body positive posts submitted by herself and her followers.
Jameela’s outspokenness towards the body positive movement has been criticized by many body positive activists who claim Jameela is missing the mark when it comes to her anger towards body shaming.
So when Jameela announced she was working on a body positive and body inclusive campaign with Arie, fans were excited to see what was in the works!
There’s a lot of representation in the ad though, so let’s take a look.
The ad was released, and features plus sized model Iskra, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, Paralympic medalist Brenna Huckaby and actress and activist Samira Wiley.
“I’ve never seen a campaign like this before” Jameela wrote, “I’m proud to be in it.”
While there is no doubt this campaign is one of the most inclusive I’ve ever seen, people still found ways to bash it.
Although no one is saying the ad is perfect, it’s an incredibly big step, especially for a lingerie company. Remember Victoria’s Secret’s downfall?
People were also quick to point out that Arie only goes up to XXL, and with the average American woman being sized 16-18, Arie’s size range is far from inclusive.
Though Iskra is technically a “plus sized model” (and my ultimate girl crush) she is still technically under the national average.
However, Jameela made a point to empasize her responsibility to her super underrepresented south Asian background. That alone is a massive victory.
Unfortunately, nothing any brands can do will be able to please everyone.
Some people see the intent behind the advert was good, and while it isn’t perfect — it’s a massive step in the right direction.
Let’s hope more ad campaigns see the demand for more body size representation and continue the fight for diversity!
