In the modern world in which we live, we are constantly bombarded with countless retouched and enhanced images of what others deem as the "ideal" person. Someone who is skinny, perfect face, perfect hair, perfect skin.
I have always been annoyed when people say "oh models aren't real women" oh, terribly sorry, I weren't aware you didn't regard models and human beings, silly me.
I have been told on countless occasions that I should not read the magazines that I do because it promotes things such as anorexia because apparently they believe that every model who has ever walked the earth has an eating disorder.
Yes, I have body image issues, my opinion of myself and what I see in the mirror has a habit of going from "Damn, you're looking fine today" to " Holy crap I can't believe people have to actually look at you, I hope no one goes blind today." However my negative feelings towards my appearance have never, EVER come from reading those magazine!
I can't stress this enough because those magazines aren't what has affected me. The reasons behind my issues are that I myself didn't feel like I was living up to my ... full beauty potential as a person if you will. I know the girls in the pictures of my magazines are photoshopped, I know that and so do a lot of other people.
Also for anyone who doubts me please note that British Vogue made an announcement in their June 2012 issue that they were to create a "Heath Initiative between all the Editor of Vogue around the globe.The aim of this pact is to help build on the work that the "Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative" (US) and the "British Fashion Council" (UK) have already begun in order to promote a "healthier approach to body image within the industry".
The magazine also made six points:
1. "We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models, who in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.
2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls, and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.
3. We will help to structure mentoring programmes where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the CFDA Health Initiative.
4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.
5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.
6. We will be vocal ambassadors for the message of healthy body image, both within the magazine and outside.
Also what happens to irritates be beyond all other things is how skinnier girls are made to feel guilty over the fact that they are skinner!
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| YES! |
NO woman or girl should be made to feel guilty over their image EVER! People should not have to feel guilty over the fact that maybe they are happy over the way they look, they should be able to look in the mirror and smile about who they are and what they look like without being labelled and "cocky" or "narcissistic" because it is most certainly not cocky or narcissistic of you to be comfortable in your own skin!
TO BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN DAMN SKIN IS THE WHOLE FRIGGING POINT!
I also believe that people should not be compared against one another, they should be respected and love for who they are and not because, oh I don't know, you think they're hotter than someone else.
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| NO. |
This is still shaming women for their bodies. If you prefer the below images than the above ones thats fine and vice verse but if you start to say things like "Oh she should gain a few pounds" IT IS JUST AS BAD AS IF YOU SAY "Wow she should lose a few pounds."
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| Are you intimidated by these women? Good. You should be. |
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| Still beautiful |
And just a friendly reminder that people in magazines don't even look like the people in magazines. There's this magical thing called photoshop.
A major UK department store announced on its Facebook Page that it was banning the photoshopping of models. It posted “before” and “after” photos it had used, and called on others to follow suit. According to the Daily Mail:
Debenhams vows not to retouch model shots: ’We have a moral obligation to ban the airbrush’… and calls on others to follow suit
- High-street giant slaps ban on Photoshopped lingerie model shots
- No more arm and leg thinning, teeth whitening or bust boosting
- Now only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair
- Retailer calls on rivals to follow suit and ‘encourage positive body image’
It still never ceases to amaze me just to what extent images can be changed in an attempt to achieve "Perfection".
I also would like to direct the readers attention to this is a short film called "Plastic" and I really encourage you to watch it as it shows how willing we are to change oursleves.
The full film can be found here!
So that is all I have to say on this matter for now how ever I have no doubts that I will be revisiting it and some point in the future but for now, goodbye.
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