Perfect image.
Every day we're inundated with images of what we should be. Movies, television, commercials. All of it designed to make us feel bad so we buy some product.
You're fat and ugly, but buy our new face cream and excercise program and you'll look like this (insert Barbie photo here). Only 99% of us are never going to look like that, so we keep stressing and buying more product. That's what they want.... I know this sounds like feminist mumbo jubo, but it's not... I look at psych research from various classes... looking at magazines for just 3 minutes makes women feel bad about their bodies... Looking at porn akes guys see their partners as less attractive even if only temporarily so..
Society has created this unrealistic ideal that just hurts people all around. It's spreading to guys too... I mean the prevalence of eating disorders is still like a million times higher for girls, but the pressure for guys to look a certain way is growing rapidly...(exaggeration I know)
The irony is that stress releases coritsol which actually contributes to gaining weight- wonder if that's one reasone why so many people on diets end up gaining weight...
Anyhow, why do I care? Well... I don't generally care about my own weight so much... I lost a lot (to put this in perspectivelike, 45 lbs)- and gained a chunk back (like 15) recently (yay for exam stress- happens every time)... but now I have to be in a bathing suit in exactly a week and I'm not feeling so thrilled about it, but I'm going to suck it up and do what I have to do. I am who I am and that's that... Still it sucks that I even need to worry about this- that others worry more... that thin girls worry... it's unnecessary. There need to be controls on media images- particularly in advertising for weight loss and beauty products.... well that's my 2 cents... I'll leave you with these Lesley Wright lyrics....
"You knock me down 'til I'm 2 feet tall
With a backhand swing
Designed to fall
My confidence
Filled with discontent
Rewind the frame to long ago
I was staring out the window
While you cited all the reasons I'm not beautiful
I'll never be a super model
I'm just not that tall
To you that means that I'm
Not beautiful
Not beautiful
Insecurity ruled my heart
Spitting doubt upon every part
A tidal wave
I was choking on the rage
Your floor littered with magazines
Flawless faces of beauty queens
Perfection
Consuming self-esteem
I'll never be a super model
I'm just not that tall
To you that means that I'm
Not beautiful
Not beautiful
It took some time but I came to find
Beauty shines from a light inside
And all along I realized You were wrong
'Cause I may not be a super model
Standing 6 feet tall
But that doesn't mean that I'm
Not beautiful
I'll never be a super model
I'm not perfect or tall
But that doesn't mean that I'm
Not beautiful...
You're fat and ugly, but buy our new face cream and excercise program and you'll look like this (insert Barbie photo here). Only 99% of us are never going to look like that, so we keep stressing and buying more product. That's what they want.... I know this sounds like feminist mumbo jubo, but it's not... I look at psych research from various classes... looking at magazines for just 3 minutes makes women feel bad about their bodies... Looking at porn akes guys see their partners as less attractive even if only temporarily so..
Society has created this unrealistic ideal that just hurts people all around. It's spreading to guys too... I mean the prevalence of eating disorders is still like a million times higher for girls, but the pressure for guys to look a certain way is growing rapidly...(exaggeration I know)
The irony is that stress releases coritsol which actually contributes to gaining weight- wonder if that's one reasone why so many people on diets end up gaining weight...
Anyhow, why do I care? Well... I don't generally care about my own weight so much... I lost a lot (to put this in perspectivelike, 45 lbs)- and gained a chunk back (like 15) recently (yay for exam stress- happens every time)... but now I have to be in a bathing suit in exactly a week and I'm not feeling so thrilled about it, but I'm going to suck it up and do what I have to do. I am who I am and that's that... Still it sucks that I even need to worry about this- that others worry more... that thin girls worry... it's unnecessary. There need to be controls on media images- particularly in advertising for weight loss and beauty products.... well that's my 2 cents... I'll leave you with these Lesley Wright lyrics....
"You knock me down 'til I'm 2 feet tall
With a backhand swing
Designed to fall
My confidence
Filled with discontent
Rewind the frame to long ago
I was staring out the window
While you cited all the reasons I'm not beautiful
I'll never be a super model
I'm just not that tall
To you that means that I'm
Not beautiful
Not beautiful
Insecurity ruled my heart
Spitting doubt upon every part
A tidal wave
I was choking on the rage
Your floor littered with magazines
Flawless faces of beauty queens
Perfection
Consuming self-esteem
I'll never be a super model
I'm just not that tall
To you that means that I'm
Not beautiful
Not beautiful
It took some time but I came to find
Beauty shines from a light inside
And all along I realized You were wrong
'Cause I may not be a super model
Standing 6 feet tall
But that doesn't mean that I'm
Not beautiful
I'll never be a super model
I'm not perfect or tall
But that doesn't mean that I'm
Not beautiful...