The Body Flop?
Which one of the following is worst/better/lesser of two evils: Straight-forward bloodsucking corporations or bloodsucking corporate disguised as humanitarian activist?
I don't dare to accuse that The Body Shop's owner Anita Roddick falls into the second category. But came across her in a press conference recently, I had an impression that she's full of bollocks. Maybe I'm too skeptical (speaking of skeptical, everytime he writes recommendation letter for me, the chief editor always inserts a line -- among compliments a recommendation letter should have -- saying "Hera is very skeptical almost to the point of being cynical". Hmm.. maybe that's the reason I didn't get the fellowships :P). But hey, it wasn't just me saying that. Several other reporters felt that too.
I always have problem with self promotional people (paging Roy Suryo!!), let alone business people who brag a lot about their CSR activities. Like Sampoerna giving out scholarships, for instance. Oh pulleeze. Stuffing tobacco to young people and then wanting to come clean by paying their tuition? The amount of money they give out is even nothing compare to their profit. There must be some business interest behind it, which is OK, but just don't act holier-than-thou for god's sake.
Back to Roddick, she was furious when I asked her about the business motive behind CSR activities, saying "You journalists have always been cynical, as if it shows hint of knowledge when it's not always the case!".
Another strange thing was the fact that she just sold the business to cosmetic giant L'Oreal, the very company she's been blasting as "bloodsucking dinosaur" or "monster", on which Roddick only said, "Relaaaax.. enemies can be supporter."
Moreover, after years of campaign for girls' self esteem, against violence against women and so on, TBS has surrendered to the stereotype and sell whitening cream because "that's what consumers want. If you don't like it, buy other products."
A colleague, who was going to do profile on Roddick, forwarded me an e-mail he exchanged with American columnist Jon Entine , who's done investigative reporting on TBS and Roddick and wrote to my friend: "Show your colleague the 'social audit' on Roddick. When she realizes the poor quality of Roddick's products and how anti-feminist Roddick is in practice (as opposed to her self-promotions), it might open her eyes. And Body Shop has hurt so many innocent, "feminist" franchisees who have put their family's life savings into a store believing the company was "good" and "fair" only to find out Roddick's Body Shop was as ruthless a business as they come."
This is not a black campaign against TBS, whose products always got me allergic by the way (my lips once were swollen after wearing its lipstick). It's just that, once again -- if the reports were accurate and I have the feeling they are -- we have fallen into the trap of another self promotional, so-called iconic figure, whose brilliant pr-ing and campaign have been sucked by gullible media.