Extra! Extra! This is NOT empowering!

[dramaqueen_23]

Everything...everything about this article pisses me off!

I have to assume that this is the latest in the proliferation of media pieces promoting "healthy body image." Unfortunately, once again they've got it all wrong.

Comments

[sugarmommaless]

I think their use of the word homely is unfortunate here. I think they're using the definition that means common and reminiscent of the home...not ugly.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homely

[dramaqueen_23]

That definition is a little less aggravating...but overall I'm still annoyed.

[rpriske]

While I agree with your general take on the article, the piece does remind me of something else...

Generally when someone is referring to the 'idealized' view of what men are looking for they are wrong.

The 'idealized' view is not what men are looking for. Instead it is what the media claims that men are looking for. This is a very different thing.

[dramaqueen_23]

Which is another thing that pisses me off about this article. It's editorializing thinly veiled as reporting. Unfortunately, it seems that's becoming almost standard in mainstream journalism.

[listersgirl]

I'm quite concerned about the recent proliferation of media pieces following along the lines of "real women have curves". It's coming from a good place, this idea of sending out the message that there isn't only one perfect body for women, but surely there must be a better way to do this than to put other women down? Sigh.

[dramaqueen_23]

It's coming from a good place, this idea of sending out the message that there isn't only one perfect body for women.

While I agree that acceptance of one's body (curvy or no) is excellent, I don't know if these media messages *are* coming from a good place. My inner cynic says it's still coming from a place of manipulating women into focusing on our appearance, so we'll buy stuff.

[listersgirl]

Well, sure - I mean, look at those Reitman's ads that are everywhere, the ones that say something like "small medium fabulous". Clearly advertisers are looking for any way they can to draw consumers in. But I feel like it started elsewhere. Of course, I still think it's misguided, no matter the source.

[bruiseblue]

Real studies, very rigorous scholarly ones with citations and everything, have consistently found for a hundred years that it's not a woman's size that matters, it's her hip to waist ratio. You have the ideal ratio at any size.
Cultures that like bigger women and cultures who prefer petite women both prefer the same hip to waist ratio. Psychologists and Anthropologists who've studied this separately came to the same findings, even.

I can't remember what the idea ratio is, but I've had it at various sizes and times in my life. And anyway, that's what the hind brain likes - men you'd want to love aren't ruled by that part of their brain.

What really gets you noticed is confidence, I firmly believe, regardless of what you look like, what you wear, how big your waist is, etc.

Sometimes I enforce a media blackout when all of the 'love yourself anyway' ads become too much. I highly recommend it.

[dramaqueen_23]

Sometimes I enforce a media blackout when all of the 'love yourself anyway' ads become too much. I highly recommend it.

I may have to institute something similar. This is seriously harshing my zen!

[bruiseblue]

What irks me is that all of the bigger ladies on those ads always have perfect skin, hair, makeup, no wiggly jigglyparts - they're not even real fat ladies!

And of course, they can only get that way by using those products that are advertised. If they used some other soap, they wouldn't qualify.
so annoying!

[dramaqueen_23]

Ninety-nine percent of the time, it isn't even the product. It's the illusions of make-up and photo editing designed to make us believe it's the result of the product.

[tinkerspink]

Plus the fact that you need at least 2000 participants in the study to make it even remotely valid. They shouldn't be allowed to publish articles like this. How can I teach my daughter not to care about all this ridiculous stuff. I love my body and I hope that will help.

[dramaqueen_23]

I think it's impossible to underestimate the positive influence that your healthy body image will have on your daughter. Believing you are a person worthy of love is a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is an amazing lesson that you will teach the Bee.