May

19

A Quick Note on Misogynistic Body Standards

Filed Under assholes, beauty myths, fat-shaming, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, pop culture | 13 Comments

in-touch

I know way, way, way better than to waste my time analyzing tabloid magazines.  Which is why I pretty much never do it, and I’m not going to bother saying much very now.  Because of course, we pretty much see the same shit above every fucking year around this time.

But I saw this magazine in the checkout line in the grocery store, and masochist that I am I had to see who was cruelly and ridiculously shamed on the cover this year with a “worst” label.  And upon seeing Uma Thurman there with the phrase “Saggy Boobs” emblazoned underneath her, it just hit me in the gut like nobody’s business. Because I’m at least used to butts similar to mine getting sneered at.

I’d say “way to go telling women that the way their bodies naturally look is repulsive,” but of course I know that’s the point of virtually everything in this magazine.  But. There is a little fucking thing in this world called gravity, and strangely enough, boobs are subject to it.  Especially big ones. (You know, the same kind women are supposed to feel bad about not having.)

It’s incredibly past the point of bad enough when we’re mocking the “lumpy butt” of a woman who is already thinner than most (while simultaneously mocking a woman for being too thin), as if bodies exist for judging and ones that carry an ounce of fat are hideous and shouldn’t be let out the house.  Can it get any worse when we’re mocking a body “flaw” that is not only shared by huge portions of the population, but that we also can’t even pretend can be “fixed” by spending every waking hour of your life in the gym?

Finally, they’re at least acknowledging the truth that it’s not about getting women to “take pride” in their bodies or “work harder” at them. It’s just about reminding us that close to all women’s bodies, no matter how much “pride” you take or how hard you “work,” will ever be considered good enough.

Jul

24

HRC: And One Other Thing

Filed Under beauty myths, fat-shaming, feminism, gender, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, politics, sexism, stereotypes | 8 Comments

I’ll be entirely honest: when I saw Hillary Clinton, one of the first things I thought after “wow, that’s Hillary Clinton” was “wow, she’s so pretty.”

Hillary has been attacked for her appearance an awful lot throughout her career. She’s been called ugly, “too” masculine, fat and so on. Allow me to be clear: even if I personally found Hillary Clinton to be the ugliest person on the face of the planet — and obviously I do not — that’s still no good reason for anyone to debase because of her physical appearance. And mocking someone’s features is not only juvenile and mean-spirited, it’s about as far as you get from a genuine political argument. On the other side, if a politician is someone who would be considered very conventionally attractive, “hot” even, it would not be okay to debase her because of her appearance either — you know, calling her stupid because she’s pretty, or making crude sexual comments. None of this is okay — and it’s something that is done far, far more often to women in politics.

The question of why our culture mocks and judges women based on their appearance is a well-worn one. I think we know those answers: it’s a means of keeping women in their place, outside of political discourse and rendering them nothing more than sexual objects for public consumption. Basic stuff.

But when considering this, my mind went elsewhere. The question is not why Hillary Clinton is judged on her appearance, it’s why she’s judged so negatively on her appearance. Why is she called ugly? What’s up with all of those “fat thighs” jokes?

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Jun

2

Target Women: Wedding Shows

Filed Under beauty myths, fat-shaming, feminism, fun, marketing, media, pop culture | 13 Comments

A few weeks ago, I posted this Target Women video, a spoof news show segment about the way that yogurt is marketed. I was hoping that they’d do more, particularly because I thought the woman doing the segment, Sarah Haskins, was really funny.

The folks at Current TV noticed and sent me the latest clip (a good thing, because I can never remember to check these things on my own). This week, Sarah takes on television shows about weddings. Enjoy.


The second half about Bulging Brides is the best part. I think that a lot of us know what Sarah’s talking about when she points out that the purpose of this kind of programming seems to be all about convincing women who feel fine about their bodies to freak out about how fat (and therefore, of course, disgusting) they are. And then to buy the diet products that are undoubtedly marketed during the commercial breaks. Good for Sarah on calling this shit out and being rightfully unashamed to show her own body (which, other than bust-size, resembles mine quite closely in terms of size and shape).

Seriously, that show looks atrocious — I don’t know about you, but I had a strong urge to punch both of those trainers in the face. How sad is our society when people to actually sign up for this?

Nov

16

Your Daily Dose of Hate

Filed Under assholes, beauty myths, fat-shaming, misogyny, patriarchy, pop culture, race and racism, sexism, slut-shaming | 2 Comments

[cross-posted from Feministe]

Here’s a beautiful example of male college students who think that being offensive is the same thing as being funny: The Sentinal “humor” piece “Mock of Love.” It’s a set of “spoof” suggestions for the second season of the VH1 Bret Michaels dating show Rock of Love. The irony is that if you’ve ever watched Rock of Love (you won’t admit to it, so I’ll do it for you), you’ll know that no one could mock the show better than its mere existence does. The jokes write themselves — including the incredibly misogynist ones.Now, I can’t say that we should expect much from a publication whose poll in the sidebar looks like this (the options are bad enough, but what people actually chose is even worse). But Antonio Ciaccia takes things to a whole new level of douchery, managing to insult everyone on pretty much the most vile terms possible, and miserably failing to actually be funny.

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Nov

12

“Overweight” still doesn’t mean “unhealthy,” and related fantasies

Filed Under beauty myths, class and economics, discrimination, fat-shaming, objectification, patriarchy, stereotypes, women’s health | 8 Comments

A new study has just been released that shows, yet again, that those who fall into the “overweight” category on the BMI scale are actually the healthiest. Or, at least, they live the longest:

Two years ago, federal researchers found that overweight people had the lowest mortality rate of any weight group. Investigating further, they were able to link causes of death to specific weights. Obese people had more deaths from heart disease, they reported last week. And thin people? They had more deaths from everything but cancer and heart disease.

But there were 100,000 fewer deaths among the overweight than would have been expected if those people had been of normal weight. This is what might politely be called the chubby category, with body mass indexes (a measure of weight for height) of 25 to 30. A woman, for instance, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs between 146 and 175 pounds.

About a third of Americans fall into that range, defined, less politely, as “overweight” by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interestingly, I am in the demographic that the article cites. Not just overweight according to the BMI chart, but I’m actually 5′4” and in the provided weight range. So that’s reassuring, I suppose.

[Side note: actually, I would much rather be called "overweight" than "chubby." WTF, Times?]

I will admit that I take glee in this study. No, it’s not because I think that I now have some ability to cheat death (I wish!). And it’s not because I want to see skinny people suffer. I don’t. And one of the things that pisses me off most about the weight discussion is when fat-pride takes the form of thin-hate. I understand where those feelings can come from, certainly, but I don’t think that it does us any good. And, believe it or not, thin women have body issues, too — like the fact that “pretty” not only equals skinny, it also equals big boobs, and it’s pretty rare to naturally have both. So, no, thin people, I don’t want you to die before I do. In fact, I’d like to find ways to help you, and the rest of us, live longer and healthier.

The reason I’m happy is because my point that the BMI is an absolute crock of shit has been proven yet again. I’m happy to know that I’m not unhealthy because of my weight (if I’m unhealthy, it’s because I don’t exercise enough). And I’m happy to have something to throw back in the concern trolls’ faces when they start whining about how “worried” they are about everyone’s health.

. . .

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Nov

6

The Racism of Cosmetic Surgery

Filed Under beauty myths, class and economics, fat-shaming, feminism, marketing, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, pop culture, race and racism, women’s health | 13 Comments

Beauty and the Breast has posted an article by Jennifer Cognard-Black, who has also written this great article on plastic surgery for Ms. Magazine. Her latest, Exporting American Beauty: Plastic Surgery and the New Culture of Worldwide Acceptance, was apparently intended for Ms., but they decided against printing it. I’d say that they missed out, and I urge you to go read the whole thing.

When discussing the social perils (rather than just physical risks) of plastic surgery, feminists generally comment on how an “ideal” cookie-cutter woman is being constructed that looks easy to emulate if you have the money and are willing to go under the knife, but isn’t. That model is generally blond, with big boobs, a flat, tight stomach, small but curvy hips, wide eyes, small nose, big lips, and high cheek bones. It’s a long list. And yet we also tend to fail to discuss that it’s not only white women trying to reach this strange blond ideal — plastic surgery patients who are women of color are using the same white model.

Yet while it’s clear that increasing numbers of women are choosing plastic surgery as a cure-all for aging or low self-esteem, what’s less clear is how such surgeries offer the promise of individual beauty when they tend to erase bodily difference in favor of a single, American ideal. This new culture of permissive plastic promotes a world in which all women can look “American”—and this particular American idol, as E. Ann Kaplan has noted, is an icon that stands for the nation-state, one that is created and sustained by pop culture but that only exists in the realm of fantasy. While this iconic woman’s body might wear many colors of skin, the most popular surgical procedures show that it will have the following “American” look: large, firm breasts; a thin waist and boyish hips; curved buttocks; long legs; symmetrical toes; a double eyelid; a smooth brow; a perpetually surprised look; bee-stung lips; and a nose like a small, pinned butterfly.

Such a limited and limiting ideal also means that these cosmetic procedures work to erase ethnicity. Caucasian women are prone to wrinkles caused by sun damage, and according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more and more are choosing brow lifts and Botox injections. When Connie Chung had eye surgery before her brief stint as an evening news anchor, she made a procedure that shapes Asian American eyes from ovals to orbs all the more acceptable, and its popularity continues to grow. In turn, more African Americans are having rhinoplasties to slim their noses, liposuction to diminish their waists and buttocks, and breast reductions to mold their cleavage into the standard shape and size, while Hispanic women are undergoing ever more breast augmentations to achieve the same outcome.

In fact, even though some plastic surgeons claim they suggest aesthetic “improvements” to women of color that are specifically geared to maintain ethnicity, the popularity and end result of the most fashionable procedures tell a different story. Regardless of a patient’s ethnicity, race, age, or nationality, women are being cut into clones. As Kim Gandy, the President of the National Organization of Women, points out, “The ‘standard’ created for Latina and African-American women’s bodies was established [in] much the same way that standards are created for women in the US and Asia—through music videos, magazines, television, and movies.” The inherent assertion of plastic surgery is that the body can be re-shaped into a single, American ideal that all women have the possibility—even the right—to achieve.

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Oct

6

Britney loses her kids gets fat

Filed Under beauty myths, fat-shaming, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, pop culture, women’s health | 2 Comments

For those of you who are lucky enough to avoid this kind of “news,” Britney Spears lost custody of her kids this week. My take on the situation is that it’s very sad but possibly best for her kids right now, and ultimately absolutely none of my business.

I’m in the minority, though, because everyone seems to think that it’s their business. As if a woman suffering from addiction and probably depression who has just lost her kids really needs a media circus around her right now. Yeah, I’m sure that will fix things for her. Cortney rightfully asks why so many people are taking such joy in the recent turn of events. It’s a question I’d like to see answered, too, because none of the answers I’ve seen thus far are particularly satisfying. News outlets like CNN and the NY Times are trying to write serious stories about all of the media attention, while conveniently behaving as though they’re not “the media.” And I’ve tried my best to ignore the whole thing because it alternately bores me or makes me really sick. That was until I was at the grocery store last night and saw this at the checkout:

Ah, yet again with the fucking fat thing.

You know, you’d think her losing her kids would be enough of a story. But nope. She’s fat too. Screw the kids, drugs and mental problems, can you believe that she weighs (gasp!) 160lbs? Let’s just forget about what it feels like to actually weigh 160lbs (*waves*) and then see the very concept of weighing 160lbs as absolute proof of hitting “rock bottom.”

You see, being mentally imbalanced isn’t that big of a deal– in fact, it’s kind of funny. Being on drugs is okay, as long as it’s something like cocaine that will help you stay thin. Losing your kids is a plus, because you can be a bigger, sexier star when the tots aren’t at your side. But being “fat,” that’s just unforgivable.

Of course, it’s not the first time that Spears has been touted to have reached “rock bottom.” The other was her anti-sex symbol decision to shave her head bald. Does anyone else see a trend here? I think that it’s awfully convenient to be able to tear a public figure in trouble to shreds and to remind women of how they’re treated when they stop living for the benefit of the patriarchy all at the same time. Don’t you?

Oct

5

Beauty is in the Eye of the Money Holder

Filed Under beauty myths, class and economics, discrimination, fat-shaming, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, sexism, women’s health, work | 1 Comment

This article from AlterNet about whether the idea of natural beauty has been abandoned due to the rise in popularity of plastic surgery really got under my skin (pun not intended). It is apparently out of American Sexuality Magazine, which I have never read but certainly won’t be picking up anytime soon, based off of this piece.

The title question is obnoxious enough. Quite frankly, I would love to see the end of the concept of “natural beauty,” not because I support cosmetic surgery but because the ideas for “natural beauty” are extremely rigid and really not all that natural. They’re arbitrary, antiquated and close-minded. I’d love to see the day where “natural beauty” is about recognizing that real bodies are all beautiful and worthy of appreciation.

But I cannot in any way support ending the idea of “natural beauty” in order to replace it with a literally artificial standard. Cosmetic surgery pisses me off precisely because it ruins any small hope that we may have had of realizing my dream. And obviously, it pisses me off that women are constantly told how they should and should not look.

The article is just like all of the others — mildly concerned over whether we have gone “too far,” but ultimately celebrating the “choice” that women (it’s always women) now have to make themselves “better.” But this — this just fucking ridiculous:

“Once it was necessary to feel stigmatized, ugly, or abnormal to justify getting cosmetic surgery,” explained Pitts-Taylor. “Now in the United States there is a rhetoric of empowerment surrounding surgeries. One does it to ‘improve’ oneself, for example. People express an interest in using cosmetic surgery as a way to take care of themselves.”

Take *Amanda Scott, a sales rep from Houston. “I lost a lot of weight years ago and ended up with extremely droopy, small boobs,” said Scott, who despite earning less than $50K a year recently had her breasts done to “even out” her proportions.

Tall, fit, and perpetually bronze, Scott, twenty-eight, said her maintenance routine also includes regular mani/pedis, monthly waxes, hair cuts and color as needed, and frequent splurges at the cosmetic counter, a regimen she considers fundamental to her life and career. “As a single woman approaching thirty, I definitely feel a lot of pressure to look a certain way. But I’ve always known that being attractive helps out career wise as well as romantically.”

Whether cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery can actually level the playing field is hard to say. For years, only the wealthiest could afford the hefty costs and downtime demanded by pealing skin, draining tubes, and compression garments. Remarked Pitts-Taylor, “Plastic surgery stratifies our bodies in economic and class-based ways; those who can afford it will wear their financial resources on their bodies.” . . .

“I really don’t think there’s a danger of have and have-nots,” said Oliver.

“Cosmetic surgery has really been ‘democratized’ between classes as compared to say, twenty, thirty years ago, because it’s much easier to find a way to borrow money for it. The financing industry has gone heavy into cosmetic surgery, dentistry, and laser corrective vision surgery.

Oh. My. God.

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Oct

2

BMI = BS

Filed Under beauty myths, fat-shaming, parenthood, pregnancy, women’s health | 10 Comments

Kate Harding has put together a slideshow illustrating how ridiculous BMI standards are. The show includes everyone from the underweight to the morbidly obese, and a lot of you might be surprised at what you find. Even as someone who has a history of railing against the BMI, it was not exactly what I expected to see. I fall into the “overweight but almost obese” category at a (just very slightly below so that all my pants are a little too lose) size 12. I know that I do not look “almost obese.” But being told time and time again that you must, well, it starts to get to you and makes you wonder how thin exactly they want people to be.

So yes, it is reassuring to see other women who fall into the “overweight” category and look a lot like me. And they look great. In fact, one of my favorite things about the show is how diverse the pictures are. We’re not talking clinical assessment, here. We’re talking real images of real women enjoying their lives and generally looking pretty damn comfortable in their own bodies. How often do we see that? Not nearly enough.

There is also an extended set of pictures available at flickr. The bonus with those is that you get to see the height, weight and BMI percentage for each person. That will open your eyes even more, so check it out.

On a similar theme of loving your body, check out this (NSFW) blog that I found via Radical Doula called The Shape of a Mother. Women post photographs of their post-pregnancy bodies, which strangely enough do not resemble those you see in the tabloids where the stars have all lost their “baby weight.” It’s a little bit of truth for the childless, affirmation for the moms and a much-needed dose of women expressing a bit of self-love.

Sep

10

Obligatory Britney Post

Filed Under beauty myths, fat-shaming, media, misogyny, objectification, sexism | 10 Comments

Sigh. Okay, so there are about a million things that I would rather be writing about right now than Britney Spears. Trust me. So I apologize to those of you who don’t want to hear it, and to those of you who have already heard about it 20 times already. But I feel that, unfortunate and sad though it may be, the treatment of Spears has indeed become a feminist issue. And I feel that in order to be responsible, I have no choice but to blog on it. And yes, I hate it, too.

There is absolutely no doubting that the performance is atrocious. Every single other dancer on that stage shows her up, she doesn’t seem to be trying, she looks confused and is clearly lip-syncing (very poorly). Yes. Got it.

But she’s not fat. When I came across this post by fellow-ette this morning stating the exact same thing (prior to her update) I saw the photo of Britney and said “well, no. Of course she’s not fat. Who the hell would say that she’s fat?”

Everybody, apparently. Hell, just do a Google search yourself. You’ll see. Look at the YouTube comments. You’ll see. Watch some news coverage on her performance, if you can stand it. You’ll see.

The fact of the matter is, just because you are five pounds heavier than you were back when your body was taut to an almost freakish extent– and before you had two kids– does not make you fat. And as sad as it may be, there are still countless girls and women out there who would kill to be even this thin. So fucking hell, I’m pissed off. Is this what we’ve come to? Will women ever be fucking thin enough for everyone without being dead?

As Jessica also points out, “When was the last frigging time a male musician’s beer belly made news?” Good question. I can’t remember it. The fact is, even if she was fat, it would not be okay to talk about it like this. It will still be bullshit. But Britney still isn’t fat.

I’m also extremely concerned to see that many people out there still think that it’s okay to laugh at Spears. Luckily, I haven’t seen any feminists garnering amusement from this, but they seem to be the exception. Britney Spears clearly coming apart at the seams, most likely struggling from either a serious psychological problem or addiction, not to mention recently going through a divorce with two kids in front of the media while being in and out of rehab, is not funny. So for those of you who still think that it is, it’s not. You can hate her music all you like, and hate everything that her old image stood for. I sure as hell do. But it’s not okay to laugh. It’s not okay to call her fat– especially when she isn’t. And I shouldn’t have to be writing this fucking post about how degrading Britney Spears is just a socially acceptable way to degrade all women.

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