Miss Indiana 2009 Joins Filmmaker Darryl Roberts and Supporters to Demonstrate at Ralph Lauren’s Chicago Store on December 15th

ROBERTS TO VIDEOSTREAM THE BOYCOTT LIVE AT WWW.AMERICATHEBEAUTIFULDOC.COM USING AN IPHONE 3GS

PR Newswire — December 14, 2009

CHICAGO, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts (America the Beautiful) has spearheaded a major boycott against Ralph Lauren Polo. On Tuesday, Dec. 15, Roberts, along with Miss Indiana 2009, Nicole Pollard, and 100 supporters seeking to improve media and advertising images sent to young women and girls, will boycott Lauren’s Chicago store (750 N. Michigan Avenue) at 4pm Central Time.

The boycott will broadcast live via Ustream, which enables iPhone 3GS users to send live video to websites, something that Roberts says will allow “the many thousands of supporters around the world that wanted to join us, but couldn’t, to visit www.americathebeautifuldoc.com and watch our peaceful demonstration as it happens.”

The boycott arrives in the aftermath of the Filippa Hamilton uproar in October, when a made-to-look-thin–photoshopped–ad of Hamilton was discovered. Lauren apologized publicly for what it called, “the poor retouching of the images.” But in the following weeks, Roberts was sent two additional ads that ran this year, both featuring extremely thin looking, seemingly photoshopped women.

“If Lauren was truly sorry, why doesn’t he remove every ad that promotes an unhealthy body ideal?” notes Roberts. “It seems his company has an apologize-as-we-get-caught philosophy. We’re boycotting because we want him to commit to never running another ad that promotes an unhealthy body ideal for women. This unhealthy standard is being defined in other countries as a BMI under 18.”

Boycott supporters include The Women’s Therapy Center Institute, IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals), The Canadian Obesity Network, ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders) and more than 6,500 supporters of the Boycott Ralph Lauren Facebook page (www.facebook.com/boycottralph).

“I want to use my voice to let everyone know that the images being advertised to all women need to reflect more diversity,” says Nicole Pollard, Miss Indiana 2009. “I support Mr. Roberts in fighting to protect the healthy self-esteem of all women.” Nicole will run for Miss America in January of 2010.

Women resonating with this cause are welcome to join the Dec. 15 boycott.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
CONTACT: ATB Action Network
Tel: (310) 492-5175
Email: actionnetwork@americathebeautifuldoc.com
Web: www.americathebeautifuldoc.com