Conversations in the ladies' changing room

[athena25]

So, I had a slightly odd conversation in the gym this morning. Mostly, everything is odd in the morning, not least because I'm going to the gym before work which involves Getting Up Early and all sorts of confusing things like remembering everything you need for work before you have had coffee or a shower. Usually, in common with almost everyone

Comments

[major_clanger]

I think it is much better for women to be tall and delicate - don't you? That's what everyone thinks is beautiful.

This to me is one of the strangest attitudes I encounter with regard to physical attractiveness: the idea that women's bodies are composed entirely of fat and bone and that there is a single measurement from 'fat' to 'thin' with attractiveness very much correlated with the latter. I actually find very skinny women quite unattractive. Equally, I find a degree of muscularity is attractive - I'm not talking full-on bodybuilding, although I certainly don't think that is in any way unfeminine, but more a sort of firm curvyness.

My girlfriend is very curvy, a long way from what anyone would call 'thin', and does fairly serious weight-training. I rather suspect the woman you met would class her as totally the wrong shape for a woman, which I find very sad because I think she's physically (as well as in many other respects) wonderful. It's depressing that these attitudes are so widespread.

[athena25]

There's a real lack of diversity in "attractive" female bodies as generally presented in the media, which I think is an ongoing problem. Especially as it's pushed to a specifically western view.

I love my muscles, I don't find the idea of being scrawny and feeble at all attractive, but a bit like those limp wristed ladies who kept suffering from the "vapours" all the time.

[athena25]

Which rather illustrates the insane sadness of the entire situation.

[athena25]

I agree with you on the problem of the "ideal" female body. There's no such thing, there's just bodies, and the individuals who live in them.

Doesn't sell newspapers though, does it?

[athena25]

And if we all looked like supermodels the entire female population would probably die out due to getting knocked over by a strong wind or heart attacks from restrictive diets and too much artifical sweetener.

[ed_fortune]

I don't know from Feminism, but this whole 'you have to like this' shit has to got to, for both genders.

People should enjoy exercise because it can actually be pleasurable and fun, rather than to achieve some insane ideal form.

[athena25]

Agreed - and certainly gendered body issues are part of my feminism. I can't speak for everyone on that though.

Health benefits are a plus point for me when I go to the gym, and also how I look, I want to look fit and strong. And more to the point - to be fit and strong.