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Just recently, MissRepresentation.org, whose mission is to help change the way women are represented in the media hosted a contest to search for the next social change campaign they would put into motion. The idea to introduce “Fresh Face Fridays” (a day without makeup) suggested by Shea B. was chosen and I love it! This is the campaign I was rooting for and I am so psyched to see girls and women everywhere participate in it. I will be doing my part and making a video along with going fresh-faced THIS Friday (September 21st). Below is the email I received about the campaign through Missrepresentation’s newsletter. I hope that you will join and commit to not wearing any makeup this Friday and challenging the media’s idea of beauty. What does true beauty mean to you? Let me and everyone know that you are an example of it!

Dear Karyn,

Over the past few days we’ve spotlighted via our #NotBuyingIt campaign a sexist GQ magazine cover, a very demeaning “Bic for Her” commercial and a solar company’s objectifying ads. Each time we were sparked by active supporters of MissRepresentation.org on Facebook, where everyday inspired individuals are holding the media accountable for their limiting portrayals of women and girls.

This month we’ve decided to take on one of our supporter’s ideas and turn it into a national effort to fight media misrepresentations. We whittled it down to three potential campaigns, and last week we asked you to vote on which one you liked best.

It was a tight race, but in the end teenager Shea B.’s idea for “Fresh Face Fridays” – a national day of conversation around women and girls’ relationship with makeup – was chosen. Now we’re hard at work designing a month long campaign around inner beauty and encouraging our media to let kids be kids – but we need your help!

Next Friday, September 21st, we want volunteers to pledge to wear no makeup and instead lead a conversation with friends, family and/or classmates around what really makes us beautiful. Make your pledge public on Twitter using hashtag #FreshFace!

This isn’t a battle against makeup, but against the media climate which teaches our girls that makeup is essential to being beautiful. On TV today the girls are wearing more and more lipstick and eyeliner and longer and longer eyelashes at younger and younger ages. And it’s not just Toddlers & Tiaras who are to blame – the problem is widespread.

So please have this conversation about real beauty with your loved ones and report back to us! We’ll use your comments, observations and opinions to frame our month long campaign to challenge the way the media represents beauty to our girls and boys.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Warmly,

Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The MissRepresentation.org Team