REVOLUTION OF REAL WOMEN.com™ / Discuss

RevolutionOfRealWomen.com says:

One of the many reasons that we are left to feel like our bodies are infinitely less than adequate is because ADversaries™ never seem to run out of things to criticize - Large waists, wide hips, big thighs, small breasts, wrinkles, pimples, cellulite, limp hair, frizzy hair, short eyelashes, thin lips, and.the.list.goes.on.and.on.forever.........

We felt the need to bring your attention to one of the more offensive ad campaigns we've discovered in a long time - Gold's Gym has dubbed July as "Cankle Awareness Month". So, you're probably wondering, "what's a cankle?" The cankle is a new, ever-so-creative term (please note our sarcasm here) Gold's describes as "a word that comes from the combination of 'calf' and 'ankle'. It occurs when the calf merges with an obese or swollen ankle, so that there is no clear demarcation between the two."

Great. Now we've got yet another reason to worry that we're just not good enough. Right? Wrong! Genetics, bone structure and health ailments could have everything to do with what our ankles look like. Most importantly, if our ankles are swelling, it could be a sign of some fairly serious health issues that should take you to your doctor, NOT the gym. Ankles come in ALL shapes and sizes, and we should love them regardless.

Think about this! There's actually been an underlying discrimination against women's ankle size for YEARS. Sure, you've got the skinny jeans trend, but this time, we're actually referring to jewelry. You know those cute, dangly anklets? Ever notice they typically only come in 'one-size-fits-all'?

It seems that it's not enough to tell us that our waists aren't thin enough or that our saddlebags are unsightly. Gold's even states: “Cankles are the fastest growing ‘aesthetic affliction’ in the United States… even ahead of other bathing suit killers like Muffin Tops, Saddle Bags and Moobs.”

As an MSNBC article points out, there are no legitimate statistics that exist to back this offensive claim. It is merely a marketing ploy. Somewhere, some cold-blooded jerk must be patting themselves on the back for successfully uncovering a new insecurity to exploit. Shame on them and shame on Gold's Gym. While they could have taken the high road and emphasized that health and wellness should be our main goal, they instead chose the low road.

Congratulations, Gold's! You've managed to rank near the top of REVOLUTION OF REAL WOMEN™'s ADversary™ list!

If you would like to express your concerns over this campaign, you may do so by writing directly to Gold's Gym's Director of Communications, Dave Reiseman at: dreiseman@goldsgym.com. Just be sure to send us a copy, too at info@RevolutionOfRealWomen.com


Gold's Gym 'Say No To Cankles' website:
www.saynotocankles.com/

MSNBC article discussing Gold's latest marketing ploy:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31664672/ns/health-fitness/ns/health...
Posted at 12:15PM, 1 July 2009 PDT (permalink)