The reading “Unbearable Weight” discussed issues with femininity and anorexia. One quote that I found particularly interesting was “The Body-what we eat, how we dress, and the daily rituals through which we attend to the body-is a medium of culture.” I agree with this statement. We go about our daily lives doing what we think we want to do or should do, but how we act is often influenced by others around us. I believe our culture today shapes and influences us to be how we are. Many things such as clothing styles or certain trends tend to be things that people do because others are doing them. Many things people wouldn’t do if they didn’t see others doing the same thing.
I think this is one of the main problems with anorexia and weight issues in today’s society. Since the strain on being slender is so large and publicly displayed, it seems to almost be the norm. If women see other women worrying about weight and taking drastic measures to stay thin, it almost makes it seem okay, when in reality it is far from okay. While we were in class and talking about the “Biggest Loser” show, I started thinking about other shows as well. Fashion and modeling shows have become very popular, such as “America’s Next Top Model.” In have always loved these types of shows and I’ve never really thought about the negative effect they may have on others. Even though they have sometimes had plus size models on the show, they hardly appear to be overweight. Each one of the models are clearly very skinny, and again, they have the body type that the “Killing Us Softly” movie discussed is unrealistic. I started thinking about how it would affect men if they were to have modeling shows like these. I believe that it would have a negative effect on men as well. The sad thing is that in the future I feel like TV programs like these will only become more popular, and in return, will continue this upward spiral of weight issues in today’s society. I am interested to see if any new shows occur or if changes will be made to shows like these in the future. Perhaps a model TV show with men or all plus size women will be produced.
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I agree. I remember watching a modeling show with Janice Dickinson. I remember this girl came walking into the room, and Janice was just disgusted with her. The girl had said that she had put on like five pounds, and Janice said that was unacceptable and told her to leave until she lost the weight. This encourages women to just starve themselves. The media is great at that.
ReplyDeleteMegan asked me if I thought runners had their own "beauty ideal" or if we were in some way influenced by the media. In "Runners' World" they did an article that talked about how much time a runner could shave off in their 5k races for every pound they lost. They also have a super skinny model that is always on the front in itty bitty shorts and a sports bra. The "beauty ideal" has permeated into every aspect of our lives, even athletics.
This is an interesting post, and an interesting response. The idea that the average body is no longer the acceptable body definitely seems to fit with our discussions of heteronormativity and putting women in their place.
ReplyDeleteI think that you're right, RunningGoldiLocks, that the beauty ideal permeates every aspect of our lives. But it's not just the image - it's the way to get to that image. When I used to dance, I had a friend who was much more serious about dancing than I was. In high school, she would go to "ballet camps" where the dance teachers controlled the dancers' diets. It was very extreme and scary. So it's those behind-the-scenes stories that we don't hear about...how does a runner lose a pound? Why is the media obsessed with presenting us "plus-size" models who are really not "plus size?"