We live in a world that loves to point out people's imperfections. This is why so many of us have body image complexes, especially if we're single and terrified someone new won't like the look of us. Well, Match.com just hit that insecurity on the head with their new, absurd ads that specifically point fingers at some of these supposed flaws. And that's not even the worst part: The "flaws" to which they call attention aren't flaws at all, just distinguishing features.
More: How I stopped seeing my body as a size large catastrophe
Freckles
That's right, ladies. You can forget all about those pesky underarm wobbles because, apparently, freckles are the new cellulite. And if you have freckles and you're a redhead, you might as well go hide under a rock for the rest of your life because no one is going to date you. As someone who drops serious cash every six weeks to achieve natural-looking red hair, this ad made me do a spit take. Granted, it appeared in the United Kingdom, where redheads are considered evil (seriously), and I live in America, where redheads are more highly regarded. But nevertheless, unbelievable.
I'm not a real redhead, but I fake it. I don't have any of my own freckles, but I used to draw them on with a brow pencil when I was younger. Now they even sell freckle tattoos. So to suggest that either of these things is less than beautiful when people are actually paying to fake these exact traits is off-key.
More: Women also fuel unrealistic body image standards, not just sexist men
Another minority targeted by Match.com's campaign is people who have two different eye colors. Frankly, I always thought those lucky people had superpowers, but I guess Match had a different take.
Locals who saw the offensive ads wasted no time in taking to various online platforms to complain to Match.com. Many even put notes over the ads to right the wrong.
Ad post it
Since then, a spokesperson from Match has responded to the ad's backlash in a pretty dismissive way: “Our adverts reveal common perceived imperfections and quirks of Brits — these include freckles, which some people who have them may see as an imperfection. We think freckles are beautiful, and our posters are designed to encourage everyone who has them to be proud."
In the words of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers, "Riiiiiiiiiiiight." Most people saw through this explanation and continued to bash the site until Match finally came to the conclusion that the ads needed to come down.
It's pretty inspiring to know what power we have to make such changes as a collective force. Now let's see what we can do about this global warming issue...