REI and the body positivity movement

This year’s monthly newsletters have heavily featured people who are…well…heavily featured. I think it’s great to encourage people to get outside and live an active lifestyle. But it’s not effective advertising for me.

For me, body positivity does not mean telling people that are medically obese that they are fine the way they are. But sometimes, that’s the context in which I hear the phrase “body positivity”.

Now, I’m not equating what REI is doing with that. And maybe my perception is off. But I’d be curious to hear from people that currently or previously struggled with their weight. Do you find photos of larger folks on REI or wherever to be encouraging? Is it effective advertising for you?

I do not care what models look like I care about the products they sell

*runs to store for more butter and popcorn*

It’s nice to see others that look like you in whatever media that may be:)

REI ain't the problem (at least with this issue) they're just marketing to potential buyers. The society, on the other hand, encouraging wildly unhealthy life choices is going to come is a head. 

Imo representation in media is not the same as encouraging any particular choice. The world could do with less shame and isolation.

Yoda Jedi Knight wrote:

 I think it’s great to encourage people to get outside and live an active lifestyle. But it’s not effective advertising for me.

/end thread

Yoda Jedi Knight wrote:

This year’s monthly newsletters have heavily featured people who are…well…heavily featured. I think it’s great to encourage people to get outside and live an active lifestyle. But it’s not effective advertising for me.

For me, body positivity does not mean telling people that are medically obese that they are fine the way they are. But sometimes, that’s the context in which I hear the phrase “body positivity”.

Now, I’m not equating what REI is doing with that. And maybe my perception is off. But I’d be curious to hear from people that currently or previously struggled with their weight. Do you find photos of larger folks on REI or wherever to be encouraging? Is it effective advertising for you?

I have struggled with weight (and drinking) my entire life.

While I appreciate REI’s gesture, their heart is in the right place, the truth is it’s no different from the big fashion labels promoting waify supermodels and their unhealthy lifestyle.

SinRopa Dos wrote:

A few years ago a friend of mine who’d modeled for Prana sent me a link where aspiring models could upload pics for consideration for a REI catalogue.  REI later sent me a kindly worded rejection email, explaining that not many of their customers have bodybuilder-type physiques, and that they try to match their models’ build with that of the average person engaging in those activities.  Made sense to me.

Nice flex, bro. I totally agree. Like this onetime I went to the bank and they wouldn't let me open an account - they said I had too much money. 

Matt N wrote:

Nice flex, bro. I totally agree. Like this onetime I went to the bank and they wouldn't let me open an account - they said I had too much money. 

Sheesh, insecure much? Dude was telling a very relevant story to the thread...

I used to work at REI and there were people of all body types and sizes coming in and working there. If this doesn’t affect you why do you care? There are plenty of people in the outdoors community who those ads are for. They’re showing how clothes/gear will fit on certain body types, of course it’s useful.

I don’t care what the models look like. What bothers me is that the appearance of the models has crept into the sizing of their clothes.

Some of us aren’t big people.

As a skinny bitch, I’ve always struggled to find clothes that fit. REI, Sierra (before they were Kohl’s), and Backcountry were reliable places that I could find clothes that fit. The mall stores or the hunting/fishing type outdoor stores never had my size.

Now look at REI, nothing on the racks below a 32” waist. For the women (my wife), the major brands have changed their XS to a S or larger, vanity sizing and nothing fits anymore.

Humblebrag, my family ain’t fat.

Meanwhile I go to work and people younger than me are getting their feet cut off and stents in their arteries.

Body positive.

This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.

SinRopa Dos wrote:

Don’t hate Matt, us fit old guys gotta stick together!

It was too easy to pick off - flexed tongue firmly in cheek. 

Being happy with yourself is one thing. Promoting unhealthy lifestyle is another. (and I love sweets/fast food and IPAs - all in moderation)

This is going beyond a US only issue - as with all trendy things we export around the world. Bad diets and low exercise will not age well. Doctors/family/friends/media are afraid to confront the issue currently, though. Oh well. Social Security can't afford lots of healthy, old adults. Although Medicare can't afford the unhealthy ones, too. Darn. Sorry, got no solution tonight. 

i like the fact that some brands post pictures of clothes on models of different size, or post the model height/measurements and the size they are wearing in the photos, and I want to see more of this. It makes perfect sense. The same leggings would look very different on a 100lb woman, vs 150 or 200lb ones. Or on a 5ft tall guy vs 6 ft tall guy. On websites there would be pictures of the same leggings in every available color. There is no reason why they can’t have a picture of red leggings on model of one size, and the picture of blue ones on a model of different size. I also want to see a variety of ages, not just  20-somethings (and there’s definitely more of it now).

And as far as not advertising to you, well… you are now seeing just a tiny bit of what other people have been experiencing their entire lives. You will be fine. I’ve managed to shop for pants, even though the picture on the website is of a 5’8” woman wearing size “regular”, and the picture of petite model is not shown, or the pants aren’t even offered in petite. I’ve managed to buy dress shirts, and dresses, even though the model had a sizable bust in the picture, and I am not similarly endowed. 

Ultimately, is there a single piece of gear/clothing that you needed, that you had NOT bought, because there was a picture of a plus-sized woman wearing REI-brand fleece while walking on a wooded path with pretty fall color leaves in the background in an REI newsletter? No? Then there is no problem.

This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.

Now, I’m not equating what REI is doing with that. And maybe my perception is off. But I’d be curious to hear from people that currently or previously struggled with their weight. Do you find photos of larger folks on REI or wherever to be encouraging? Is it effective advertising for you?

These are reasonable questions. It's a shame that the thread has drifted so far askew. Not surprising, I guess.

Personally, for me, I notice that aspirational advertising works better than realistic advertising. I am more likely to feel positively about a coat featured on a rugged Serious Mountaineer on the summit of a Real Mountain than a coat on a guy with a bit of a beer belly top roping 30 ft of gross frozen water. And, well, let's just say I don't end up on beautiful summits very often. Advertising that is "realistic" doesn't work well on me at all. Advertising that is "aspirational" does. This goes for everything -- body type, objectives, etc. I think I'm a fairly traditional mark in this respect -- sell the dream, not the reality.

I sense that this is becoming less true for younger generations, but perhaps with some nuance?

(Anyways, it's always important to remain maximally cynical. The only non-BS goal of advertising is to get people to buy stuff, and REI almost certainly retains firms with armies of psych and stats and neuro phds to design studies that answer questions like the ones above.)

Advertising that is "realistic" doesn't work well on me at all. Advertising that is "aspirational" does. This goes for everything -- body type, objectives, etc. I think I'm a fairly traditional mark in this respect -- sell the dream, not the reality.

I sense that this is becoming less true for younger generations, but perhaps with some nuance?

Yes, aspirational advertising is what works best. And I see younger generations as absolutely no different in this respect, Their dreams and aspirations don't match yours or mine, to be valid. Some dream of a perfect fair world where everyone gets the same shake and treatment. Those aspirations will want more body types to stoke their urge to spend. But it's still aspirational advertisement. Sustainability is another fashion currently in vogue, even when the actual sustainability of what ever item might be advertised is likely so minuscule as to be laughable. It's super easy to trigger those aspirations just by saying the word "sustainable." Cha ching, another transaction goes down.

The REI brand does not sell clothes in my size anymore. I don’t even look at the size of models for products either it’s all about that size chart. 

SinRopa Dos wrote:

A few years ago a friend of mine who’d modeled for Prana sent me a link where aspiring models could upload pics for consideration for a REI catalogue.  REI later sent me a kindly worded rejection email, explaining that not many of their customers have bodybuilder-type physiques, and that they try to match their models’ build with that of the average person engaging in those activities.  Made sense to me.

Seeing their newsletters lately makes me wonder if there’s been a big uptick in the morbidly obese taking up climbing, kayaking, etc.

Where have you been? Quite a while since you have posted. 

Don’t see them problem here. If you think obese people aren’t “perfectly fine the way they are” then why wouldn’t you want to encourage them to get outside and actively recreate more?

The body positivity movement boils down to “How about we don’t shame people into eating disorders, depression and self lotheing just based on how they look”. Boggles my fucking mind how opposed people are to this, especially with all this supposed “concern” about the obese peoples health. I guess mental health just doesn’t count?