Okay my lovelies, I want an opinion. We live in a world concerned with body image, health gurus, and bizarre exercise equipment. The question is what do you think is the true body image of our times? The Twenties had the slender and straight flapper, the Forties gave us the padded shoulders and narrow waist of the working woman, the Fifties Marylyn Monroe, the Sixties 5’9” – 89 pound Twiggy. The Eighties yielded in between beauties like Madonna who has now morphed into a lean and buffed out woman, totally contrary to the – though some would say improved upon – softer beauty of her youth.
Today we have both the slender and the curvaceous – from Keira Knightley to Kim Kardashian. Country to RAP music and everything in between sing the value of a rounded backside, yet we wait on the edges of our couches to see if women like Heidi Klum will drop her baby weight or become as soft as the rest of us. Celebrities such as Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt say they embrace the soft curves of a woman but when it comes down to it, they quickly jump on the band wagon to super slender.
Airlines kick off or double charge overweight people. Commercials scream about the latest pill, electrified belt, spinning-jumping-running-amazingly perfect piece of equipment to change your body. Health officials tout the benefits of a good diet but disagree what that is – high fat, low fat, high carb, low carb, vegetarian, vegan, or meat lovers supreme. Everywhere everything seems to be about body image even if it’s disguised as all about good health.
Men too suffer more today with body image than ever before. Once the paunch was a sign of wealth and prosperity. Now it’s as taboo as it is for women. Everywhere we look gorgeous men like David Beckham abound. Six to eight packs are a must and don’t forget to shave! On the other hand, super skinny Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar) and his slightly chubby friend Dale Kettlewell (Clark Duke) have a certain undeniable appeal to young girls so someone must be looking beyond the hard body to the mind inside.
So which is it? What is the perfect body in our world? You tell me. Maybe there isn’t one. Maybe it is for each of us what we see or need. Darcy needs Marc’s super buff body to make her curves seem perfect. I’d like to think the later, that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. If not, I am seriously screwed.
It looks like the next prejudice is against people who don’t follow closely to physical fitness guidelines. As a whole we’re getting better at teaching our kids not to put down people of different ethnicity, to be open and willing and tolerant of other cultures. But if there’s a chubby kid in class, they are still fair game. If there’s a chubby person in the cubical beside you, it’s fair game to call them on it these days. I don’t like that, personally. I’d like to think we can all find harmony in our bodies with the choices we make, but fitness and health is the next big corporation, so peace with our size probably won’t happen anytime soon. Great blog Becca!
ReplyDeleteI think privately we are more accepting of different body sizes and shapes. We teach our children about good self-esteem and not immitate what they see in the media, but the message is so powerful. I doubt we'd ever convince media to put well-rounded men and women on screen or in print as the norm. Every now and then you'll run across a Fruit of the Loom commercial using women who are likely more of the standard - size 16. I always grin. These are real women but those of us (myself included) who aren't willowy, probably don't want to be reminded of that on TV. Move over, Becca. I'm screwed right along with you. LOL
ReplyDeleteI hope curvier and womanly is more in vogue now because that's where I fall. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post Becca.
ReplyDeleteI hope we embrace all body types, I love that Dove Campaign for self esteem and beauty, and "How to look Good Naked" show.
I think there is beauty all over the weight scales, from Keira Knightly to Queen Latifah.
I also think that while there is more pressure, more of us are rebelling against it, and I hope that continues!
Whether plus size like me, or slender as a reed, all women and men rock!
I agree with Steph, the corporations can make a lot out of our trying to meet the magazine cover standards. I saw a Jenny Craig commercial with Sara Rue. I wanted to scream, she's gorgeous and for once a girl who isn't skinny looked great on tv, now she's sacrificed herself on the altar of plastic packaged meals and counselors with corporate sales training. I hate it!
ReplyDeleteI've always had a self-image problem since I hit puberty. It really hit home when my best friend's dad told her I was 'voluptuous'...I was 13. Ewww! I didn't look like the cheerleaders!
ReplyDeleteI work with hundreds of people every month in my job, invading their personal space (I'm a dental hygienist) and I realized something only very recently - there are very few 'attractive' people by society's definition! Most of us are plain, normal, overweight or weigh a realistic weight. Most of us have some gray hair, may be going bald. Yet the one thing most of us have in common that celebrities and models don't? We have NORMAL jobs, families, lifestyles. This was such an epiphany for me! I guess what I'm saying is...we need to be comfortable and realistic about what 'normal' is and quit letting the media tell us what we should be!
I think a healthy body is the ideal body, whether you're naturally slender (like my b/f/f who is 5'9 and a size 4 and that girl eats!) or a soft and yielding body type like me who can run five miles. If you're a healthy size 0 or size 14 it shouldn't matter and long as you're at peace w/the person you see in the mirror.
ReplyDeleteI can't condone people who abuse their bodies with food until they are diabetic w/a multitude of illness from obesity (it's no different than suffering diseases by abusing alcohol or drugs)they are dealing with issues in an unhealthy way. I also can't condone abusing your body by starving yourself into some commercial ideal (as someone who personally spent years dealing with bulimia.)
In the end everyone should treat their bodies with respect, they are the only ones we are given. If kids see the respect and love we have for ourselves they are more likely to mimic us and be accepting of themselves and others :)
And as for the commercial ideal? Everyone has a different opinion who has a hot body, both men and women. I believe it's whoever we decide to compare ourselves to :)
Sorry guys this is something I'm really passionate about because of my past body image issues and struggles.
Awesome feedback ladies. Thank you very much. Kate, I so agree about Sara Rue. I think she is lovely as she is. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI so hate that Sara Rue thinks she needs to change. Onto the conveyer belt Sara, time to climb into the mold if you want a career in entertainment...ugh!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Olivia and others that the goal should be health rather than fitting a mold. As one on the chubby side who takes weight-adding medications, I realize I'll never again be thin. I hate to think people will judge me because I'm over the "thin as a reed" scale, but I know they do. You've probably heard that in general people deduct an IQ point for every pound you're overweight. I'm of above average intelligence, but I've had businessmen with whom I've served on committees treat me as if I were dumb as dirt because I'm overweight--especially when I was "just a housewife" and didn't work outside the home. Their surprised reaction when I make comments is at the same time funny and insulting. Great blog Becca and great comments from readers.
ReplyDeleteI think body image is truely in the eye of the beholder. Some, that I am told have the "perfect body" don't really appeal to me at all.
ReplyDeleteHealthy, healthy, healthy... With that in mind, skinny is never out of style, but twiggy is!
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog, Becca.
This is really an important issue for us, isn't it? We want the reader to like the heroine, and think she's cute and I can be/am too. But we want the guy to be droolworthy...in our individual estimation. I've noticed most of us are married/paired off. And we all think they're awesome, but they are sure a different bunch, tall, short, thin, not thin.... Mine came home the other day upset because he heard on the radio that women hate bald men. Jeez!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Caroline - I just became dumb as a post. ;-D
ReplyDeleteI think that is true though. People have much lower expectations of me now that I'm heavy than they ever did when I was just a curvy size six. My sister uses her weight as a shield to hide behind so she doesn't have to deal with men hitting on her, but at work her boss treats her as if she has half a brain. When she's skinny, her breasts stay at about a D+. At a size four she was actually top heavy and would stumble if she leaned forward too fast. Bowling was a hoot for us - not so much for her. How sad that her self image has always been based on how guy react to her chest.
If you are over weight people stare and act like you have something they can catch. The clothes that are made now days have different sizes that are not the same. Like if you pick up an size 16 at Walmart and one at Target they aren't the same.Also with all the crimes right now you don't feel safe waliking
ReplyDeleteBecca, please give me your e-mail addy as I've been trying to reach you. Or mine is yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net
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