Bodies
Models and their much reported-on weight (or lack thereof) is most certainly one of the media's favorite topics when it comes to the fashion world.
They hem and haw and declare how horrible it is that these women are so underweight and how the industry is toxic and blah blah blah but then they'll run a story about how Mary Osmond lost her 30 pounds. Or how Kirstie Alley is disgustingly 'letting herself go'. And a nipple slip by Rihanna. Who died and made them the moral authority?
It is easy to take potshots at such a vain industry, and it does take up space in the lifestyles section of your newspaper. So I'll join the bandwagon and ramble incoherently about it....
There's a model named Gemma Ward. Beautiful, talented, and she used to be in high demand. She recently took time off from modeling. (Some say it was because of her ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger's death).
And then *gasp* she got fat. And we're talking 'fat' by fashion industry standards, which is to say, still not realistic.
The fashion blogosphere went apeshit and some pretty mean things were said. It goes without saying that Ward was probably feeling the pressure to be thin when she was a working model. Is she happier now that she's on hiatus and doesn't have to starve? I realize that's an unsubstantiated claim, but it's no mystery that models have to watch their weight. Some go too far and still some size zeros get told they are fat by their agency, photographers and designers. It *is* a toxic industry.
It's hard enough for us mere mortals to go through life taking the highly unattainable body image forced upon us with a grain of salt. Models are girls with problems, too, and to be in an environment that validates that Image is very triggering.
Last thought: If diets really worked, diet companies wouldn't make $40 BILLION a year.
They hem and haw and declare how horrible it is that these women are so underweight and how the industry is toxic and blah blah blah but then they'll run a story about how Mary Osmond lost her 30 pounds. Or how Kirstie Alley is disgustingly 'letting herself go'. And a nipple slip by Rihanna. Who died and made them the moral authority?
It is easy to take potshots at such a vain industry, and it does take up space in the lifestyles section of your newspaper. So I'll join the bandwagon and ramble incoherently about it....
There's a model named Gemma Ward. Beautiful, talented, and she used to be in high demand. She recently took time off from modeling. (Some say it was because of her ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger's death).
And then *gasp* she got fat. And we're talking 'fat' by fashion industry standards, which is to say, still not realistic.
The fashion blogosphere went apeshit and some pretty mean things were said. It goes without saying that Ward was probably feeling the pressure to be thin when she was a working model. Is she happier now that she's on hiatus and doesn't have to starve? I realize that's an unsubstantiated claim, but it's no mystery that models have to watch their weight. Some go too far and still some size zeros get told they are fat by their agency, photographers and designers. It *is* a toxic industry.
It's hard enough for us mere mortals to go through life taking the highly unattainable body image forced upon us with a grain of salt. Models are girls with problems, too, and to be in an environment that validates that Image is very triggering.
Last thought: If diets really worked, diet companies wouldn't make $40 BILLION a year.