Appreciating our bodies, rejecting unrealistic “ideals”
Makeup Moxie recently interviewed me on body esteem and the negative media-images and fashion influences that contribute to it. I’ve included my quotes below, and a link to the full post is here!
I love that Dove uses real women in their ads, runs the Campaign For Real Beauty, and promotes the message that what you see in most ads isn’t real—it’s all airbrushed and art directed—and that we should celebrate and appreciate our bodies.
Modern standards of beauty are a complex thing, and it’s easy to point a finger at the media and say, “You! It’s all you!” Of course, there are many factors. Parents play a part, peers play a part, boyfriends play a part.
But it’s irresponsible to downplay the media and fashion industry’s role in actively distributing and promoting these images. The old line that clothing simply looks better on skinny women is insulting and tired; if designers are making clothing that is most flattering to 1% of the population, they’re not doing their jobs correctly.
There’s absolutely no reason to continue photographing unhealthily skinny women and portraying it as “normal” and “ideal.” Yes, some women are naturally thin. But the fact that, “Hey, you’ve lost weight!” is perceived as a compliment is simply messed up. Our bodies are beautiful, strong, wonderful machines that should be celebrated; what they aren’t are accessories to be molded and prodded to fit trends—and to fit clothes.
