Amplify Issues - Bodyimage

Survey Results: How We Describe Others

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:38:00 -0500

After watching “Toddlers & Tiaras” (again) last week, I was writing about it in my journal, getting dispirited about how much emphasis is placed on such a limited idea of female beauty and how these marketable expectations are being placed on the shoulders of younger and younger girls. Before going to bed, I finished by writing: “I wish the world was different. I wish more women were better respected. I wish that most of the comments made about women weren’t about the way they look.” But as I tried to fall asleep, I just kept wondering, “How often are comments about women based on their looks?” Was it as high as I thought? Or was I exaggerating the problem in my head because I’d just watched a show about 3 year old beauty queens?

After a few minutes, I got up, turned the light back on, and grabbed my notebook. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep with this thought running through my head, so I made a list of 32 well-known people, 16 women and 16 men. I decided that I would survey my friends and family, asking them to give me a short comment about each person. Then, I would keep track of whether or not the comment was about their physical appearance. I ended up getting 8 men and 10 women to respond to my survey. Admittedly, this is not a large group and I am not suggesting that the results would be the same among a broader spectrum, but they were surprising.

Women commented on a physical aspect 15% of the time.

1/3 of these comments were about other women.

2/3 of these comments were about men.

Men commented on a physical aspect 8% of the time.

1/3 of these comments were about other men.

2/3 of these comments were about women.

When I started this, I thought the percentage of physical comments would be much higher, so I was pleased to see people commenting on a variety of other aspects (whether positive or negative) that these people had. I was also encouraged that women were not overly judgmental physically about their fellow women. Women are thought to have a bad habit of basing their own body image on other women. It’s said that we either try to emulate other women who we’re told are attractive, or we criticize other women for not looking more like us.
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My moment of horrified shock during "Toddlers & Tiaras"

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:41:00 -0500

Last night, I was watching “Toddlers & Tiaras” on demand (mainly because I’d already watched all the available episodes of “Intervention”) and while the first episode was generally shocking, disheartening, a blow to my feminist principles, and a basic guide on how not to be a mother to a girl, something that happened 10 or 15 minutes into the second episode made me pause the show, turn off the TV, and go up to bed. What I found so unbelievable and so destructive that I had to stop watching was when one of the mothers said:

“My ultimate goal is to try out for some lingerie football league.”

Excuse me---that’s your ultimate goal? That’s what you want more than anything? Running around after other women in frilly underwear while men objectify you is how you most wish you could spend your time? You want to tell your young daughter that how you find personal value and recognition is by being of a specific size and shape and letting strangers ogle your near naked body? You want to tell her that that’s a good way for a woman to earn money and gain attention? That if she wants men to like her, and if she wants to like herself, she needs to be thin and out of her clothes?

Girls and women (and everyone else) should be valued for their intelligence, generosity, compassion, courage, dedication, etc. Girls should know that the female body comes in all shapes and sizes and that they have more valuable things to offer than their pant size. I think it is dangerous for a mother to set an example that puts a male’s opinion of their physical form above what they say and think and what they are able to achieve while dressed.

When I think about my ultimate goal, I think it would be to ensure that when I have a child, they grow up to be a good person. I’m not saying that women who play lingerie football or enter their children in pageants are bad people. But when I think about what I want most, it just doesn’t involve men cheering about my daughter’s panties.

~ Samantha
Community Editor

Positive Resolutions

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:32:00 -0500

Most of the time, new year’s resolutions are pledges to improve yourself in some way. They are for the most part made with good intentions, but I just want to suggest to everyone that instead of looking at resolutions as a promise to fix yourself somehow or to end a bad habit, it might be better to frame your resolution as something that will help you be kinder to yourself or in a way that helps you prioritize your needs.

For example, if your new year’s resolution is to lose weight, reframe the negative thought pattern of “I’m fat; I weight too much; I will look better when I’m thinner,” to a positive thought pattern of “I want to eat food that is good for my body; My worth is not in my weight or shape; Finding fun ways to exercise and be active energizes my body and mind; I respect my body and want to treat it well.” Within a positive frame, a resolution to lose weight is about what is healthy for you as an individual and your personal empowerment to live well. It’s not about correcting something that is wrong or being hard on yourself in an effort to present a more acceptable image.

I think one reason many resolutions don’t last the year is because they were based in negative thought patterns- They were about fixing something that is wrong rather than nurturing something that is right. That’s not to say that a new year’s resolution shouldn’t be about breaking a bad habit, but instead of thinking of it as not doing something that is bad for you, think of it as choosing to do something else that is good for you.

I hope that we can all make positive resolutions for ourselves and I hope that we have the confidence, motivation, and support to always think of ourselves and our goals kindly.

~Samantha
Community Editor

my point of view

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:40:00 -0500

yeah all of this is true and yeah we should value inner beauty intead of outer but the truth is we don't. I am overweight and i am trying to loose weight and yeah i do want to be like all of my ohter friends who are skinny and pretty. Everyone at my school in front of people are like yeah inner beauty is more important but inside they know that if a boy has two choices for a girlfriend; one is a skinny pretty girl but has a terrible personality and the other is a chubbier girl who has a super personality the boy always goes with the bitch. Yeah there is some boys who would go for the nice girl but the majority don't. I think that one yeah love your body but if you are overwight or obese(im like talking 20-100 pounds overweight not like 1 or 2) then you should change your body for yourself and for your health. But a girl who weighs like maybe one pound more than her friends should be happy. Even though i am overweight i like my body i don't love it but that's why i'm changing it. Actually everyone i know who was overweight and lost a lot of the weight are beautiful it's just that the extra lbs. covered that up. The media does affect a lot of girls and boys but i think everyone should be taught that you were born a certain way for a reason, because that certain difference make you beautiful and why go and be like everyone else. Matching clothes is cute matching bodies and faces not stylish. That's just what i think, just my opinion.

When I look in the mirror, I assume...

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:56:00 -0500

Written for NOW's annual "Love Your Body Day" blog carnival.

Poor body image has become something that many people now almost assume that nearly all girls and women have. Why? It’s true that there are a lot of people dealing with a less-than-accepting view of their physical form, but what is the consequence of assuming that most or all women and girls want to change something about the way their body looks or moves? I think when the idea of being dissatisfied with your body saturates our media, marketing, and discourse, it makes disliking your body seem normal.

Being constantly surrounded by advertisers offering people ways to improve the look and function of their body, they begin to believe there’s something about them that needs changing. And when someone enjoys their body the way it is, they shouldn’t feel pressured to find a feature that isn’t someone else’s definition of perfect. We need to change the mentality of looking for what’s wrong with our body to loving what’s right with it. It’s about taking ownership of our body and valuing it as it is more so than the opinions of those who only see its value in its ability to be manipulated.

When we think our body isn’t perfect, we have to stop and ask ourselves whose standards we are judging ourselves by and what the intentions are of those who are trying to change us. We are the ones who have ownership of our body, and when we know that we look good we have the right to take pride and pleasure in it. All of us deserve to assume that when we look in the mirror we will like the person smiling back.

~ Samantha
Community Editor

Response: In Defense of Fat Acceptance

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:05:00 -0500

While writing a response to a comment on Hello-reality’s recent post about the new show on TLC called Big Sexy about plus-size models, I realized that it had gotten quite long so I decided to post it separately. The original post about Big Sexy accused the fat acceptance movement, and the TLC show, of “promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.” Two commenters responded, both expressing opinions I disagreed with, mainly stemming from what I believe to be a misconception of what the fat acceptance movement is really about. Here’s what I have to say:

First, you are absolutely right that it is just as insulting and just as inappropriate for someone to say "You're too skinny." It happens a lot, and it shouldn't. People often assume that thinner people are always happy with the way they look, but that is not always the case in reality. You're also right that there is a large number of people in this country who are not living a healthy lifestyle which can become quite costly when it comes to medical care.

However---the fat acceptance movement is NOT equivalent to promoting smoking. That is an all too common misconception. Fat acceptance is NOT about wanting people to be fat or become fat or stay fat, it's just about people being. IF someone who is fat is living an unhealthy lifestyle, fat acceptance will actually HELP them live healthier. A person who feels badly about themselves from constantly hearing from their peers and seeing from media images that what they look like is not acceptable or desirable, they will have a harder time feeling good enough about themselves to want to become healthier. Telling someone they look bad will not make them want to look good. Helping someone believe that they- as the strong, beautiful, capable person they are- have the power to live healthier is what the fat acceptance movement is about. You have to accept yourself as you are before you can love yourself enough to live healthy.

BUT healthy does not only mean "thin." Healthy is not just a number. It is more than a mindset, but it starts with FEELING good about ourselves. Fat acceptance tells people that they are worth being healthy. It says that there is more to beauty and being desirable than the 95% of our narrow media images.

Also, it is extremely rude to call fat people “freaks.” That is over the line, and as someone who said you have been harassed for being “too skinny,” you should know.

Anyone who knows anything about the fat acceptance movement would know that they care about the health and well-being of fat people. If you doubt that, then please take a little time to learn something and expand your understanding.

~ Samantha
Community Editor

TLC's latest show: Big Sexy

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:04:00 -0500

http://racked.com/archives/2011/07/26/plussize-fashion-reality-show-big-sexy-will-debut-on-tlc-aug-10.php

When I first saw the commercial for this show; I instantly hated it.
Yes, it may be trying to fight stereotypes but most of us are smart enough to know that not all plus-size are lazy people sit about all day.
Besides, most people in reality shows aren't stick thin. They're usually a healthy weight.

I just disagree w/ the fat acceptance movement in general. It simply encourages an unhealthy lifestyle. It also belittles regular-sized women by saying "real women have curves" or "we're just full-figured."
1. A woman w/ no curves at all is no less a woman than the curviest women alive. They're both equal.
2. What the heck is w/ this full-figured phrase? Just because I may not have an overweight/obese figure doesn't mean it isn't full. It's full for my individual body type. I just find this phrase insulting.

- So what do you all think? Is this show a breath of fresh air in a world of skinny/regular-sized
people in reality TV? Or do you agree w/ me that it's just another branch of fat acceptance that encourages an unhealthy lifestyle?

Wimmin in the news: Sexy Pre-Teens, and Chocolate-Starved Women.

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:47:00 -0500

If you haven’t heard of Jenna Rose or the little ‘Single Ladies’ from last year’s World of Dance hip-hop competition, the girls from the tv show ‘Dance Moms’ are here to remind you. It’s a show on Lifetime and is set in Pittsburgh’s Abby Lee Dance Company, where little girls’ collective innocence come to die. The show follows a cast of seven girls ranging in age from 6 ½ to 13, their “doting” mothers, and the very tasking Abby Lee.

With girls in skimpy costumes doing age-inappropriate dance moves, this show represents most of what I hate about American telly. There’s just something about watching flat-chested, prepubescent stick figures dressed in lacy, pedophile-friendly lingerie and dancing like they’re in the stripper Olympics that doesn’t sit well with me. Who even makes be-ribboned stockings for eight year-olds? Gah!

There are two culprits here - the mothers who watch their daughters slut it up every week but keep bringing them back, and the pushy dance instructor who tells her students that they need to wear skimpier outfits and do more scandalous dances. This dance instructor is quoted as having said to one little girl, "You have to be really hot. Sexy. Make it like you're 17 years old." Well lady, there’s the thing. If you know this dance routine is not PG-13, why are you teaching it to these girls. One mother expressed her belief that her daughter belonged in the dance school by saying that she would slit her wrists if her daughter ever told her she wanted to play softball. This is where I scream, “Child Protective Services!”

Without further ado, I present to you a gag-worthy, circus of horrors complete with butt-smacking and suggestive leg-spreading.

Have you ever seen the Yoplait commercial with the young woman who stands in front of an open refrigerator contemplating whether or not to eat the delicious-looking cheesecake? If you haven’t, you probably never will again unless you look on Youtube. The commercial was pulled after complaints by the National Eating Disorders Association, who claimed that it promoted eating disorders. Come to think of it, she does have an awfully long debate with herself over whether to eat a slice of cheesecake.

"What if I had just a small slice? I was good today, I deserve it!" she thinks to herself. "Or, I could have a medium slice and some celery sticks and they would cancel each other out, right? Or, OK, I could have one large slice and jog in place as I eat it. Or, OK, how about one large slice while jogging in place followed by eight celery…"

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Music Worth Listening To: Robyn

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:15:00 -0500

Every time I talk about Robin Miriam Carlsson (otherwise known as Robyn), I introduce her as “the most underrated pop star ever.” I might constantly say a lot of things like, “that has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard” or “it was the most hilarious thing ever!”, but I guarantee that I am not exaggerating when I bestow her with the aforementioned honorable title. I discovered and fell in love with her sound in my freshman year. I'd seen the video for “Konnichiwa Bitches” on MTV and then went on to download her 2005 album “Robyn” which she released after she left Jive Records to start her own label, Konnichiwa Records. The succeeding albums were just as good – The Rakamonie EP, Body Talk Pt. 1, Body Talk Pt. 2, and Body Talk were just as good.

The woman released 3 albums last year! How awesome is that? It's mind-boggling to see that she's been active since 1995 and still hasn't been recognized as one of the really awesome pop stars out there.

Her sound is so wholesome, infused with notes of feminism, individuality, and unapologetic emotionalism. I love her for the same reason I love Avril Lavigne – her songs portray a person who isn't afraid to go against the grain, and not afraid to say what she really means. I adopted Lavigne's philosophy in junior high and I've never looked back. For these two women, it's all about being oneself without feeling the need to do or like the same things that everyone else does.

“If you don't like me for who I am/then you don't like me for who I am/And all you're gonna get/is who I am” - [Avril Lavigne]

While Robyn may not be a tie-over-tank-top-wearing rebel, her music is every bit as awe-inspiring and original as Avril Lavigne's was to me. The music is a bouncy electro-pop fusion that's just as fun to boogie to in a club as it is to jam to on a road trip or solo in a bedroom. Add that to all the great messages in the lyrics, and you've got music well worth listening to.

One of my favorites is “Who's That Girl,” where Robyn sings about being female, the pressure that comes with it, and her refusal to pander to society's opinion of what women should be like.

“Good girls are pretty like all the time/I'm just pretty some of the time.../...Good girls are sexy like every day/I'm only sexy when I say it's ok/I just can't deal with the rules/I can't take the pressure/it's got me saying Ooohh yeah/Who's that girl? That you dream of/Who's that girl?/That you think you love/Who's that girl? What if I'm not like her/I know there's no such girl/I swear I can't take the pressure”

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The Casey Anthony Case

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:53:00 -0500

Note that I am not one who likes to perseverate on these high profile cases, but now that Casey Anthony has been found not guilty by a jury of her peers; I think it is appropriate to pose these questions:

1 - If Casey Anthony's body image did not conform to society's view of what beautiful is, would she still have gotten off?
2 - If Casey Anthony was a lesbian and/or looked butch, would she have still gotten off?
3 - If Casey Anthony was a transgender woman, would she have still gotten off?

The answers are: No, no, and double no

A sad day for justice indeed!!!!

-Jordan Gwendolyn Davis

TEEN AGE CHEMISTRY

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:24:00 -0500

In life, at certain stage people tend to get lost in their selves and what would this stage be?
This stage would be the TEEN AGE stages at a stage like this is when boys become men, when girls become ladies, when young become Adult. The stage is also called the puberty stage when we have rebellion and aggressiveness and also we tend to lost all sense of direction, sense of control due to different pressures around you which includes:
• Peers
• Family
• The law and
• The human right.
These are situation people might put you into thinking which one is the right one. Also at stage like this you would want to
• Party
• Drink alcohol
• Do drugs all because your peers do it or maybe you were being told that it helps to calm you down or make you fill better.
Also at stage like this you may want to have sex, may be because you read about it, you heard about it or even you’ve seen people do it and even fantasize it, also on the other hand we have our families whom would not want us to do drugs, have late night parties or even have sex at an early stage because they are afraid that once we have sex at the early stage we might have sex with the wrong person, get pregnant, or even get infected with STD’s. Also not forgetting human right where we are entitled to live our lives to the fullest, we can have parties late night, we can drink alcohol as far as we are of age and we don’t drive after drinking. But is certain at this point we are the most vulnerable people in the world, because we may not have enough information to protect ourselves. Although some of us have the wrong information and will share it all around even when the best information comes people will ignore it, may be because of its nature or because of its toughness for people to adapt.
This where we make a difference of either we are boys/men, girls/ladies, children or Adult. But the decision is I our hands.

So Random: Single Ladies, the Moustache Man, and Naked Ratings

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:42:00 -0500

There’s a new show on VH1 and it’s caught my attention. It’s called ‘Single Ladies’ and it chronicles the lives of friends Val, Keisha, and April who are played by Stacey Dash, Charity Shea, and LisaRaye McCoy. According to VH1, ‘Single Ladies’ “is a comedic drama about Val, Keisha, and April - three best friends with different philosophies on sex and relationships. Val ( Stacey Dash) is an ambitious aspiring fashion mogul who wants to find a true partner. Keisha (LisaRaye McCoy), on the other hand, is a former video dancer just looking for a rich man to keep her in style. April (Charity Shea,) has supposedly found the perfect man and the perfect marriage - but is learning that marriage isn't necessarily a happy ending. ‘Single Ladies’ is a modern, sexy series set in the world of Atlanta fashion, music, and celebrity that will constantly explore which woman has the right approach to relationships.”

I’ve seen two episodes so far, but haven’t quite formed an opinion. It’s good to see women of color who are beautiful, successful, and not ashamed to express their sexualities, but it all seems a little too perfect to me. For all I know, all the single women in Atlanta are video vixens and fashion designers who mingle with the rich and famous so I’ll leave it alone. Maybe single is the in thing.

In other news, the man responsible for 'defacing' NY subway ads with the word 'moustache', has been caught last week and charged with felony criminal mischief. That's a little harsh since ads are usually replaced pretty quickly with new ones. Using a magic marker, 26-year-old Joseph Patrick Waldo, aka the Moustache Man wrote the word 'moustache' with a “distinctive cursive flourish beneath the noses of clean-shaven celebs and models in various advertisements”. It might seem like a simple prank live every other graffiti artist, but Moustache Man does have a message.

"At it’s simplest level, it’s a quick joke meant to give commuters something to smile about while they’re waiting for the subway, coming off from a long day at work, or getting stabbed on the D train. And that’s certainly how it started. But for me it’s evolved into part of this broader movement of subverting advertisements. Especially in New York, where we’re bombarded with ads everywhere we go, it feels more and more like we’re part of a one-sided conversation. We’re getting these ridiculous images and dumb catchphrases shoved down our throats (“Good Afternoont!”), why shouldn’t we be able to talk back? So many ads are so laughably stupid that a cartoonish moustache just seems to fit. On another level, it’s a return to hand-written form in a technology driven age where we type so much that some of us have actually forgotten how to write cursive.

Also it’s about war or something."

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Weekly Round-Up: 6/19- 6/25

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:12:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

June 19- June 25

Stats for this week: 28 posts by 19 writers

Using the War on Contraception as an Opportunity- by Amplify_Staff

Inside this post:

Let's face it; people who are motivated to take in a panel on reproductive rights at a lefty political conference know a lot more about politics and current events than the general population. If many of them don't know how overt anti-choicers are when it comes to their hostility towards sexual rights, then the public at large definitely doesn't know.

The Public Display of…Breasts?!- by erinmckelle

Inside this post:

This sexualization has caused women in America to be legally and socially forced to cover their breasts. But, how exactly did this taboo come into existence, and what social factors helped to play a role in this breastification?

NN11: The War on Women- by k_woll

Inside this post:

A great report-back on two excellent panels from Netroots Nation this year: “Protecting reproductive rights in your state” and “The war on contraception.”

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

--------------------------------------
My post this week:
NN11: Protecting Public Education

Body Acceptance and "Health Promotion"

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:08:00 -0500

Tomorrow I defend my graduate project on sexual health education. I have read about the history and current status of sexual health education, and the factors that impact it.

One common belief for a long time was that you couldn’t increase condom use and delay the initiation of sex at the same time. Current research has shown programs are capable to positively impact both behaviors – abstiencing form sex, and condom use, concurrently.

This post isn’t actually about sex ed, but it is about respecting our bodies.

In the current public health discourse there is an obsession with obesity. Many in the medical and public health community forget we come from a society that holds prejudices against people based on the size and shape of their body. The healthy living community – may it be medical professional, public health officials, fitness and nutrition experts, and individuals promoting healthy living, claim their main goal is to improve the health, but in their approach they further oppress and shame people, telling them their bodies are wrong – they are wrong.

Here is my question then – can we positively impact body image and size acceptance, but also promote healthy living? If we tell people to accept their bodies, they will never actively do something to change their bodies they may ask. Well I ask, how can you get someone to make real positive changes to their health – eating who foods, being physical activity (not marathons, just 30 minutes cleaning your house, walking your talk, taking the stairs), drinking enough water and so on if they are constantly told to hate their bodies?

Personally, I don’t treat things I hate very well. Therefore, fi I hate my body, I see no reason to take care of it. I think you can promote body acceptance and healthy behaviors at the same time, I think that is the only way we will see real change in holistic health – mind, body and spirit.

I have many more thoughts on this topic, but that graduate project I mentioned still isn’t done. Consider this a to be continued kind of things …

SlutWalk Chicago: A March to End Rape Culture

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:17:00 -0500

UPDATED: More pictures under the cut!

Today was a great day to be in Chicago! A few thousand people gathered outside the Thompson Center at noon today for SlutWalk Chicago. This march was inspired by SlutWalk Toronto, which was organized in response to an ignorant, victim-blaming statement made January 24th by a Toronto police officer:

“Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized.”

SlutWalk Toronto’s and SlutWalk Chicago’s central message was that society needs to end the victim-blaming, slut-shaming rape culture and start teaching “Don’t rape” instead of “Don’t get raped."

Participants were encouraged to wear (or not wear) whatever kind of clothing they wanted. There ended up being a lot of skin showing, but I loved that everyone looked like they felt comfortable, whether they were mostly covered or mostly uncovered. What a person has on their body does not speak for that person, even if they aren’t wearing anything. Consent comes from what you say, not what you wear.

And remember- consent is about much more than sex. You do not have the right to touch anyone anywhere for any purpose unless they say it’s okay. If someone doesn’t want to be touched, it does not matter what they are wearing or how much they have had to drink. It’s not okay to grab someone’s waist or slap their butt or touch their hair without having their consent. If you want to know if it’s okay- ask.

Our march this afternoon led us around the loop (the center of downtown). It was excellent to be surrounded by so many positive, strong, proud people. I appreciated the fact that those who were more undressed than dressed were truly doing so for themselves because they wanted to and because it made them feel good, and I feel proud that they were empowered to do so because we as a group understood that no matter how a person is dressed, what matters is what they say.

I am so glad that I was a part of SlutWalk Chicago. I hate victim-blaming, and we must all work to end it. The rape culture we all live in has deep roots, but it can change. People need to realize 1) that there is actually a problem, 2) it’s a huge problem, 3) it effects them, and 4) they, as one person, can make a difference.

There are over 40 cities around the world organizing their own SlutWalks over the next few months. Visit SlutWalk Toronto to find out if a city near you is planning an event!

*Note: All pictures, except the first one, belong to Seph Victor Mercado.

That's me in the middle, with the black top, purple shorts, and yes my AFY bag from the Urban Retreat!
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