This is the last post I'll do on this blog, because my completed product is due today. I hope for all the work I did that it helped someone or will one day help someone - I don't plan on taking this down, so it will probably be up forever.
I'm really happy with the way this turned out. I hope I helped someone! Maybe one day the issue of body image will be considered more important, and I can feel like I helped get information out there.
Thanks for reading! :)
22 April 2010
My Story
My story, my reason for creating this blog and choosing this for my senior project:
In the seventh and eighth grade, I was viewed as the smart kid of my class in middle school. I felt pressure from all angels to perform perfectly in all areas - school, art, music. And at this age, all girls start looking around and comparing themselves to those around and wondering where the differences were. I wanted to look like the skinny girls in my class, who hadn't develeoped as fast as I had. So at 5'2, I was about 130 pounds in the seventh grade, a little heavy for my small build. By March of eighth grade, I was barely a hundred pounds. The week of Westest standardized testing I was hospitalized for EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). I had lost enough weight to be considered a danger to myself, but hadn't yet went below the 15% under ideal body weight required for an anorexia diagnosis.
These two pictures are me somewhere around 95 or 100 pounds.
I don't remember much about how I got there, but I remember cutting out images from Seventeen, Cosmogirl, ElleGirl and Teen Vogue magazines and making a collage I called my Ana book after I found out about the pro-anorexia movement. I was never into pro-ana, because I was sort of proud of the disorder, and called it a disorder, and didn't appreciate it being called a "lifestyle" by dumb girls on the internet. I wrote down CW GW1 GW 2 UGW on everything: current weight, goal weights one and two, and ultimate goal weight: mine was 85 pounds, because Mary-Kate Olsen was that weight when she admitted to being an anorexic.
Anyway, the day I went into the hospital I was 96 pounds, pale white, and they didn't have scrubs to fit me. I stayed there for a week, forced to eat alone. I was the only one there for an eating disorder, the others were all there for drug addictions. I don't think the hospital helped me so much as the follow up psychologist sessions did. I went to therapy every two weeks until sophomore year of high school, when I exited at about 130 pounds again.
This is me right after I got out of the hopsital in March or April. Notice how pale. (I'm not putting my face on this.)
It's always hit me hard how the images in magazines triggered my own feelings so much. It's hard to see a picture and be instantly hit with feelings of not being at all good enough, feelings strong enough to put an otherwise healthy 13 year old girl into psychological treatment. I'm not saying that the media CAUSED my eating disorder, but it certainly plauged me the entire time, and still today I struggle with body image.
But, that's the reason I chose this topic: to help fight against something that hurt me personally, and hurts millions to this day.
In the seventh and eighth grade, I was viewed as the smart kid of my class in middle school. I felt pressure from all angels to perform perfectly in all areas - school, art, music. And at this age, all girls start looking around and comparing themselves to those around and wondering where the differences were. I wanted to look like the skinny girls in my class, who hadn't develeoped as fast as I had. So at 5'2, I was about 130 pounds in the seventh grade, a little heavy for my small build. By March of eighth grade, I was barely a hundred pounds. The week of Westest standardized testing I was hospitalized for EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). I had lost enough weight to be considered a danger to myself, but hadn't yet went below the 15% under ideal body weight required for an anorexia diagnosis.
These two pictures are me somewhere around 95 or 100 pounds.
I don't remember much about how I got there, but I remember cutting out images from Seventeen, Cosmogirl, ElleGirl and Teen Vogue magazines and making a collage I called my Ana book after I found out about the pro-anorexia movement. I was never into pro-ana, because I was sort of proud of the disorder, and called it a disorder, and didn't appreciate it being called a "lifestyle" by dumb girls on the internet. I wrote down CW GW1 GW 2 UGW on everything: current weight, goal weights one and two, and ultimate goal weight: mine was 85 pounds, because Mary-Kate Olsen was that weight when she admitted to being an anorexic.
Anyway, the day I went into the hospital I was 96 pounds, pale white, and they didn't have scrubs to fit me. I stayed there for a week, forced to eat alone. I was the only one there for an eating disorder, the others were all there for drug addictions. I don't think the hospital helped me so much as the follow up psychologist sessions did. I went to therapy every two weeks until sophomore year of high school, when I exited at about 130 pounds again.
This is me right after I got out of the hopsital in March or April. Notice how pale. (I'm not putting my face on this.)
It's always hit me hard how the images in magazines triggered my own feelings so much. It's hard to see a picture and be instantly hit with feelings of not being at all good enough, feelings strong enough to put an otherwise healthy 13 year old girl into psychological treatment. I'm not saying that the media CAUSED my eating disorder, but it certainly plauged me the entire time, and still today I struggle with body image.
But, that's the reason I chose this topic: to help fight against something that hurt me personally, and hurts millions to this day.
21 April 2010
Survey
I didn't get to do the survey, I was busy catching up in my classes where I've been working on this thing. But I did ask a few of my friends to fill it out and talk to me about it, and the results were just what I figured they'd be.
One of my friends told me that ahw never watched tv anymore because her mom kept the channel on E! which constantly harps on about celebrities, and it was harmful to see how "beautiful" they all looked. She said that it was mostly seeing their muscular arms in strapless dressses that made her feel bad, especially since hers looked "less than perfect" according to her, in her prom dress.
Another thing that was interesting was that most of the girls told me that seeing other girls at school hurt their self esteem more than seeing celebrities did.
One thing every single girl agreed on was that their bodies were NOT good enough. Noone has perfect self esteem.
It really is sad. I know these results aren't as specific or organized as they would be if I'd done the survey, but the outcome is the same. I gave them all the link to this blog so they could follow if they wanted to. :)
One of my friends told me that ahw never watched tv anymore because her mom kept the channel on E! which constantly harps on about celebrities, and it was harmful to see how "beautiful" they all looked. She said that it was mostly seeing their muscular arms in strapless dressses that made her feel bad, especially since hers looked "less than perfect" according to her, in her prom dress.
Another thing that was interesting was that most of the girls told me that seeing other girls at school hurt their self esteem more than seeing celebrities did.
One thing every single girl agreed on was that their bodies were NOT good enough. Noone has perfect self esteem.
It really is sad. I know these results aren't as specific or organized as they would be if I'd done the survey, but the outcome is the same. I gave them all the link to this blog so they could follow if they wanted to. :)
Shocking Quotes
These are a few quotes made by various fashion designers, modeling agents etc. that shock me. They exemplify the dangerous nature of the media as it concerns body image.
Karl Lagerfeld, fashion designer: "On the runways, yes, we have to see the clothing, so a girl no wider than a coat hanger is preferred..."
Kate Moss, model: "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."
Janice Dickinson, former model and current modeling agent: "As the saying goes, I want to be the best-looking corpse there is."
Adriana Lima, supermodel: "If one day I have a daughter and my daughter wants to be a model, I would never let her!" "When I get older, I don't think I'll like to have wrinkles, or a big jelly belly. I cannot have it."
Angelina Jolie, actress: "I don't see myself as beautiful, because I can see a lot of flaws. People have really odd opinions. They tell me I'm skinny, as if that's supposed to make me happy."
20 April 2010
Mr. Media
This is a poem I wrote in 2008. It was published with a picture I drew as well :) I'm kind of wary about posting my art on the internet, though. Sorry. But here is the poem.
My name is Mr. Media
Mr. Embrace Your Feminity (but cast off your curves)
Mr. Cute is What We Aim For, but now what you deserve.
Mr. "Love Your Body" if you're forty or above.
I've told the truth for ages,
About myself, about my mission
in small print on out of date cigar boxes.
My name is Mr. Media
But you can call me Mr. Moral Decline, Mr. Too Late This Time
I'm the fly on the wall,
while you do sit-ups on cold tile floors
And the laughing that you hear when you look at the before and afters
Mr. Guess Which You Are?
I'm the screams in the eyes of Bowflex bodies
And the creases in newly empty hospital beds
I'm the Munchausen mom of a thousand starving children
And the real girls in the magazines who aren't that real at all.
My name is Mr. Media
Mr. Pristine Beauty Queen, Nonexistent Self-Esteem!
Mr. Effortless Perfection Media.
I measure your self worth in calories and fat grams
Perched precariously on drugstore scales.
My name is Mr. Media
And I live inside your televisions and supermarket aisles.
My name is Mr. Media; My name is Mr Media
and I stole your self security.
My name is Mr. Media;
My name is Mr. Media.
My name is Mr. Media
Mr. Embrace Your Feminity (but cast off your curves)
Mr. Cute is What We Aim For, but now what you deserve.
Mr. "Love Your Body" if you're forty or above.
I've told the truth for ages,
About myself, about my mission
in small print on out of date cigar boxes.
My name is Mr. Media
But you can call me Mr. Moral Decline, Mr. Too Late This Time
I'm the fly on the wall,
while you do sit-ups on cold tile floors
And the laughing that you hear when you look at the before and afters
Mr. Guess Which You Are?
I'm the screams in the eyes of Bowflex bodies
And the creases in newly empty hospital beds
I'm the Munchausen mom of a thousand starving children
And the real girls in the magazines who aren't that real at all.
My name is Mr. Media
Mr. Pristine Beauty Queen, Nonexistent Self-Esteem!
Mr. Effortless Perfection Media.
I measure your self worth in calories and fat grams
Perched precariously on drugstore scales.
My name is Mr. Media
And I live inside your televisions and supermarket aisles.
My name is Mr. Media; My name is Mr Media
and I stole your self security.
My name is Mr. Media;
My name is Mr. Media.
19 April 2010
Other Pressures
My project sort of focused on how the media affects women's image of their body size and shape, but that doesn't even begin to cover all the other pressures it puts on us. This post will cover a few of the biggest, explain how they are forced on us by the media, and what the reality is.
The first one I'll talk about is tanning. Now that it's prom season, everyone is obsessed with going to the tanning bed. We all consider pale people to look sickly, and that tanned skin looks healthier. Think about how many pale celebrities on the cover of magazines there are; none. It's weird when you think that back in the Renaissance days, royal women did everything possible to keep their skin milky white. Being tan was a sign of lowliness and poverty.
In the modern age, we know for a fact that tanning causes cancer. My own father has had 3 cancerous tumors caused by melanoma removed, because he works outside for a living. Tanning beds come with warning labels. We KNOW it's unhealthy and makes us age faster and die faster. Yet, the power of the media somehow keeps us going back.
Plastic Surgery - Do I even have to explain this one? Elective cosmetic surgery gets more popular every year, as people vie for the perfect look instead of accepting what has been given to them naturally. The field of plastic surgery developed to help those who became disfigured in accidents, etc. - not to cater to the perpetually unsatisfied. Not only is it physically unsafe - as the results are never guaranteed - but plastic surgery is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You will one day learn to love your whole body, but you can't undo the surgery or get your thousands of dollars back.
Besides these two, think about all the other ways the media actually hurts us - high heels leading to foot and calf problems, hair straighteners, excessive dyeing and curling irons killing our hair, etc. It goes on and on. Is it really worth it, letting someone else tell us how to be beautiful when we already are?
The first one I'll talk about is tanning. Now that it's prom season, everyone is obsessed with going to the tanning bed. We all consider pale people to look sickly, and that tanned skin looks healthier. Think about how many pale celebrities on the cover of magazines there are; none. It's weird when you think that back in the Renaissance days, royal women did everything possible to keep their skin milky white. Being tan was a sign of lowliness and poverty.
In the modern age, we know for a fact that tanning causes cancer. My own father has had 3 cancerous tumors caused by melanoma removed, because he works outside for a living. Tanning beds come with warning labels. We KNOW it's unhealthy and makes us age faster and die faster. Yet, the power of the media somehow keeps us going back.
Plastic Surgery - Do I even have to explain this one? Elective cosmetic surgery gets more popular every year, as people vie for the perfect look instead of accepting what has been given to them naturally. The field of plastic surgery developed to help those who became disfigured in accidents, etc. - not to cater to the perpetually unsatisfied. Not only is it physically unsafe - as the results are never guaranteed - but plastic surgery is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. You will one day learn to love your whole body, but you can't undo the surgery or get your thousands of dollars back.
Besides, it's always painfully obvious when people get plastic surgery.
Besides these two, think about all the other ways the media actually hurts us - high heels leading to foot and calf problems, hair straighteners, excessive dyeing and curling irons killing our hair, etc. It goes on and on. Is it really worth it, letting someone else tell us how to be beautiful when we already are?
Ten Traits of Truly Beautiful Women
This is a list I made, and reflects my opinions only. These are ten traits that I consider beautiful.
Ten Traits of a Truly Beautiful Woman
10. Not Jealous
A beautiful woman realizes how beautiful she is in and of herself, NOT compared to other women. She sees beauty as inherent and not universal and sees that all women are different and gorgeous in their own ways.
9. Resilient
She is able to bounce back from bad days, and doesn't let the ignorance of others bring her down. She is comfortable with herself and able to see that while she may be hurt, that she needs time to recover and deserves to get better.
8. Creative
In my opinion, a beautiful woman doesn't do things just because others are doing them, too. She doesn't dress or think differently for the sake of doing so, for the street cred, but because she is expressing what she honestly wants to.
7. Independent
She doesn't need a man (or anyone else) to justify her. She is ok by herself, a complete and whole person.
6. Sexy, not Slutty
Sexy in itself is confidence. It has nothing to do with appearance. A beautiful woman doesn't show off her body in negative ways just to get attention.
5. Smart
A beautiful woman does NOT dumb herself down to look more attractive.
4. Healthy
She doesn't resort to unnatural practices to get the body or image she wants, and doesn't put herself in danger in the name of beauty.
3. In Control of Herself
She doesn't let anyone tell her what's wrong with here or with the way she looks; she is confident without basing her confidence on someone else's approval.
2. Unique
Everyone has unique qualities; a beautiful woman is one who doesn't try to hide hers, whatever it may be: crooked nose, loud laugh, maybe a butt chin. Beauty is acceptance.
1. Loves Herself
A beautiful woman has confidence, is happy with herself wherever she is, and projects positive energy towards other people. She may not be happy every second of every day, but she respects herself enough to HELP herself, and not let things bring her down.
Ten Traits of a Truly Beautiful Woman
10. Not Jealous
A beautiful woman realizes how beautiful she is in and of herself, NOT compared to other women. She sees beauty as inherent and not universal and sees that all women are different and gorgeous in their own ways.
9. Resilient
She is able to bounce back from bad days, and doesn't let the ignorance of others bring her down. She is comfortable with herself and able to see that while she may be hurt, that she needs time to recover and deserves to get better.
8. Creative
In my opinion, a beautiful woman doesn't do things just because others are doing them, too. She doesn't dress or think differently for the sake of doing so, for the street cred, but because she is expressing what she honestly wants to.
7. Independent
She doesn't need a man (or anyone else) to justify her. She is ok by herself, a complete and whole person.
6. Sexy, not Slutty
Sexy in itself is confidence. It has nothing to do with appearance. A beautiful woman doesn't show off her body in negative ways just to get attention.
5. Smart
A beautiful woman does NOT dumb herself down to look more attractive.
4. Healthy
She doesn't resort to unnatural practices to get the body or image she wants, and doesn't put herself in danger in the name of beauty.
3. In Control of Herself
She doesn't let anyone tell her what's wrong with here or with the way she looks; she is confident without basing her confidence on someone else's approval.
2. Unique
Everyone has unique qualities; a beautiful woman is one who doesn't try to hide hers, whatever it may be: crooked nose, loud laugh, maybe a butt chin. Beauty is acceptance.
1. Loves Herself
A beautiful woman has confidence, is happy with herself wherever she is, and projects positive energy towards other people. She may not be happy every second of every day, but she respects herself enough to HELP herself, and not let things bring her down.
16 April 2010
ED Songs
Here is a list of songs about anorexia, body image etc that I have on my iPod. I'm sure there are more extensive lists elsewhere on the internet, but these are all the ones I know.
"Feed Me" -Juliana Hatfield
"Starving for Attention" -Geri Karlstrom
"Beauty from Pain" -Courage
"Supermodel" -Jill Sobule
"Lucy at the Gym" -Jill Sobule
"Binge and Purge" - Luna chicks
"Curse of curves" - Cute is what we aim for
"Jennifer's Body" - Hole
"Buried Myself Alive" - the Used
"Bulimic" - the Used
"Anorexic Beauty" - Pulp
"Tunic (Song for Karen)" - Sonic Youth
No Doubt - "Beauty Contest"
No Doubt - "Magic's In The Make-Up"
Pompeii - "Numbers"
Radiohead - "Creep"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Ugly"
"Hollywoodemia" - Lovehatehero
Hipbones and Microphones" cute is what we aim for
"The Adventure" Angels and Airwaves:
"Little Victoria" Matt Nathanson
"Straight Lines" Silverchiar
"World War Me" -From First to Last
"Feed Me" -Juliana Hatfield
"Starving for Attention" -Geri Karlstrom
"Beauty from Pain" -Courage
"Supermodel" -Jill Sobule
"Lucy at the Gym" -Jill Sobule
"Binge and Purge" - Luna chicks
"Curse of curves" - Cute is what we aim for
"Jennifer's Body" - Hole
"Buried Myself Alive" - the Used
"Bulimic" - the Used
"Anorexic Beauty" - Pulp
"Tunic (Song for Karen)" - Sonic Youth
No Doubt - "Beauty Contest"
No Doubt - "Magic's In The Make-Up"
Pompeii - "Numbers"
Radiohead - "Creep"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Ugly"
"Hollywoodemia" - Lovehatehero
Hipbones and Microphones" cute is what we aim for
"The Adventure" Angels and Airwaves:
"Little Victoria" Matt Nathanson
"Straight Lines" Silverchiar
"World War Me" -From First to Last
15 April 2010
Resources
I figured that if a person is reading my blog, they must be suffering from some sort of body image issues. For that reason I've decided to post some links to organizations that might be helpful.
Something Fishy
This site provides general information on eating disorders as well as information on what to do if you suspect your friend or family member suffers from one.
National Eating Disorders Association
This site is dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders. They sponsor an annual walk to benefit those stricken by eating disorders.
National Intstitute of Mental Health
This is their page, with in depth information about the cause and psychological trauma involved.
Something Fishy
This site provides general information on eating disorders as well as information on what to do if you suspect your friend or family member suffers from one.
National Eating Disorders Association
This site is dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders. They sponsor an annual walk to benefit those stricken by eating disorders.
National Intstitute of Mental Health
This is their page, with in depth information about the cause and psychological trauma involved.
Those are the four best websites out there, but if you need immediate help, here are some hotlines:
Eating Disorder HotlinesEating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP)
Eating Disorder HotlinesEating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP)
1-800-931-2237
National Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
858-481-1515
http://www.edreferral.com/
American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, Inc. (AABA)
Referrals to treatment and Information
Referrals to treatment and Information
212-575-6200
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Referrals to treatment and Information
847-831-3438
The Renfrew Center
Referrals to Eating Disorder specialists
1-800-RENFREW (1-800-736-3739) (Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, Eastern time)
Rader Programs
Referrals to Eating Disorder specialists
1-800-841-1515
Overeater's Anonymous
Referrals to local chapters and information
505-891-2664
Bulimia and Self-Help Hotline
24 hours crisis line
314-588-1683
The best way to help anyone with an eating disorder is to NOT wait until it gets serious.
Retouched Ads
What many people don't know about the women featured in advertisements and commercials is the extent to which they are retouched. Everyone has imperfections, but advertisers feel that showing them would hurt their business. So they pay computer artists to retouch pictures of the people they use in their ads. Sometimes the differences is striking. Since-cancelled CosmoGirl magazine showed its readers how it uses retouching by retouching a reader submitted photo:
At least they were public about it. But what's wrong with the first picture? CosmoGirl was not a glamour maazine; it published articles on "real-life teenage issues," on loving yourself for who you are, on healthy eating and lifestyle practices. So why would they need to make a normal girl - the likes of which comprised their entire audience - into a glamourized version of herself? It undermines every single one of their "positive" articles.
Here are a few more more examples of excessive retouching.
One has to wonder where artistic right becomes altering the face of reality. We have to consider just how much these seemingly insignificant things affect our girls and women.
14 April 2010
Books
Well, I didn't go to school so I couldn't do the survey. But here's a list of books that I've read and enjoyed relating to body image, eating disorders, etc.
This is Steven Levenkron's novel The Best Little Girl in the World. It's about a girl named Katie Roskova, a teenage girl training to be an ice skater, and her struggle with anorexia. At one point she weighs less than 80 pounds and her mother doesn't even take note. I read it over and over. It has a message about how certain hobbies (or jobs, or dreams, or families, or mindsets) can set girls up for body image issues. She has to maintain her weight to continue skating, and the pressure eventually mounts to too much for her. Levenkron is a psychologist himself, and said he based Katie on all the anorexics he had treated. He has another book called The Luckiest Girl in the World, which is centered around depression and cutting.
This novel, Perfect by Natasha Friend, is a somewhat better book than the above because it's written by a real author rather than a psychologist. The girl in it suffers from bulimia, and is ushered to a support group by her mother only to discover that the most popular girl in her school also suffers from an eating disorder. It explores not only the eating disorder itself, but the way it affects her family, friends, lifestyle, and life as a whole.
This book, Skinny by Ibi Kasik, explores body image a different perspective. The narrator's sister, away at college, returns home twenty pounds lighter and her appearance turns into a family crisis. The novel explores how one family member's issues can tear the whole family apart.
Carmen, 14, is distressed when her mother, Maria, insists that she join her on endless diets and incessant exercise--until Carmen succumbs. Bell does a good job of describing what anorexia looks like from the outside: irrational, bewildering, compulsive. She lures readers into thinking that the illness will be observed from a distance, until Carmen almost mindlessly becomes bulimic. Some adult characters try to help--mostly ineffectually--but at book's conclusion, nothing is really solved.
Here are some more books that I haven't read personally, but might relate to the ones above:
Life Without Ed by Jenni Schaefer, Thom Rutledge
Hunger Point: A Novel by Jillian Medoff
Second Star to the Right by Deborah Hautzig
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.) by Marya Hornbacher
Unwell: a novel by Leslie Lipton
This novel, Perfect by Natasha Friend, is a somewhat better book than the above because it's written by a real author rather than a psychologist. The girl in it suffers from bulimia, and is ushered to a support group by her mother only to discover that the most popular girl in her school also suffers from an eating disorder. It explores not only the eating disorder itself, but the way it affects her family, friends, lifestyle, and life as a whole.
This book, Skinny by Ibi Kasik, explores body image a different perspective. The narrator's sister, away at college, returns home twenty pounds lighter and her appearance turns into a family crisis. The novel explores how one family member's issues can tear the whole family apart.
Here are some more books that I haven't read personally, but might relate to the ones above:
Life Without Ed by Jenni Schaefer, Thom Rutledge
Hunger Point: A Novel by Jillian Medoff
Second Star to the Right by Deborah Hautzig
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.) by Marya Hornbacher
Unwell: a novel by Leslie Lipton
13 April 2010
Survey
I plan on doing a survey in a few of my classes tomorrow. I want to find out if my conceptions of body inage are true or if I'm exaggerating. These are the questions I'm going to use:
- Circle one: Do you feel: underweight / normal / overweight as compared to other people.
- Describe how you feel about your body compared to those of the girls around you
- Do magazines, tv shows, and movies lower your self-esteem or make you feel like you're not as good as other people?
- Do you think your life would drastically change if you could change something about your body or how you look?
- Why?
- Describe what you see as a perfect body for a woman.
Queen Latifah for Covergirl
Actually, I think the fact that they use her with no regard to her size is better than using her JUST BECAUSE she's bigger. I think she's a naturally beautiful girl and it's great that Covergirl made the decision to use her. I read on the article where I got that picture that while her real name is Dana Owens, she chose the moniker Queen Latifah because it means sensitive or delicate in Arabic.
Just me being, you know my size and being on TV or being in a movie and succeeding is like, hey, if she can do it, I can do it. I can feel good about myself, because she feels good about herself. Sometimes you need that. I needed it growing up. I didn’t get it too often, because there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me, but luckily my mom and other friends, people along the way gave me that encouragement."
She's a wonderful role model!
12 April 2010
Beauty Through the Ages
This post will detail how our perception of beauty has changed throughout the years.
The Renaissance
Painters like da Vinci immortalized the beauty of natural looking women. These paintings are famous today, and still viewed as beautiful, yet women who resemble those in the paintings - walking pieces of art - are NOT. There needs to be a change.
Now for a more modern approach, I'll start with the 1950s.
Marilyn Monroe was considered the world's first true modern sex symbol, and she exists on posters still today. She was a size 14. She was a truly beautiful woman. What happened to bodies like this on calendars?
In the 60s, however, things changed with the introduction of fashion models into the mainstream culture. Artists like Andy Warhol used pencil-thin women in his movies and artwork (although he actually did a few pieces of Marilyn herself, he was using her to demonstrate pop culture, not feminine beauty). And the most famous model of that decade was Twiggy - whose kohl-rimmed eyes and stick straight hair started a revolution among girls of the decade.
The eighties and nineties brought with them a "health craze" that went a little too far. The kind of perfect, muscular toned bodies shown on the cover of health and fitness magazines were too unreachable for most women, and those decades were characterized also by eating disorders and mental health issues in general becoming more public.
The 2000s brought widespread use of the internet, which had horrible effects for body image and exposure to negative images in general. In the early years of the new millennium, several celebrities admitted to succumbing to eating disorders: Scarlet Pomers, MaryKate Olsen, Nicole Richie, and Victoria "Posh" Spice, all shown below, to name a few.
The downhill trend is obvious, but it's possible to stop it. What we need is more blogs like this, and less pro-anorexic sites. Along with making this blog for my senior project, I have a personal goal to find pro-ana sites and comment them with the link to this page - I need more followers, and I hope the images and words I put out there for them will maybe make a difference or mean something to girls who need help.
The Renaissance
Painters like da Vinci immortalized the beauty of natural looking women. These paintings are famous today, and still viewed as beautiful, yet women who resemble those in the paintings - walking pieces of art - are NOT. There needs to be a change.
Now for a more modern approach, I'll start with the 1950s.
In the 60s, however, things changed with the introduction of fashion models into the mainstream culture. Artists like Andy Warhol used pencil-thin women in his movies and artwork (although he actually did a few pieces of Marilyn herself, he was using her to demonstrate pop culture, not feminine beauty). And the most famous model of that decade was Twiggy - whose kohl-rimmed eyes and stick straight hair started a revolution among girls of the decade.
The eighties and nineties brought with them a "health craze" that went a little too far. The kind of perfect, muscular toned bodies shown on the cover of health and fitness magazines were too unreachable for most women, and those decades were characterized also by eating disorders and mental health issues in general becoming more public.
This is Cindy Crawford, one of the most famous supermodels of all time. She was a somewhat healthy size 6 when this photo was taken. While her toned figure is near impossible to duplicate, it has nothing on what the new millennium had to offer.
The 2000s brought widespread use of the internet, which had horrible effects for body image and exposure to negative images in general. In the early years of the new millennium, several celebrities admitted to succumbing to eating disorders: Scarlet Pomers, MaryKate Olsen, Nicole Richie, and Victoria "Posh" Spice, all shown below, to name a few.
The downhill trend is obvious, but it's possible to stop it. What we need is more blogs like this, and less pro-anorexic sites. Along with making this blog for my senior project, I have a personal goal to find pro-ana sites and comment them with the link to this page - I need more followers, and I hope the images and words I put out there for them will maybe make a difference or mean something to girls who need help.
01 April 2010
Pro Anorexia
I'm gonna let these pictures speak for themselves. I found them on pro-anorexia blogs here on Blogger.
For anyone who hasn't heard, pro anorexia is an online movement that reinforces the belief that eating disorders are lifestyle choices and not diseases. They should be illegal. They're insane. Girls as young as 13 on here recording how little they eat per day and getting encouragement for starving themselves. It's scary.
For anyone who hasn't heard, pro anorexia is an online movement that reinforces the belief that eating disorders are lifestyle choices and not diseases. They should be illegal. They're insane. Girls as young as 13 on here recording how little they eat per day and getting encouragement for starving themselves. It's scary.
I don't really have anything else that I can add. I'll be honest, looking at these sites made me a little sick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)