Social stigma and extremes

[dawnmipb]

Former Vogue editor exposes the truth about thin models.I was thinking about how to stigmatize this, like we have with smoking, so that less of it occurs. To me, human beings seem to be eternal adolescents: if you want to influence a group of them, the best way to do it is through public shaming

Comments

[dawnmipb]

Whoops! Sorry. Out of practice. Will fix.

[aardy]

The only "solution" I can think of is not feasible for me to do: Start up a competing clothing design firm (side note: one that uses the actual measurements instead of meaningless numbers for sizes) and/or a competing fashion mag, and advertise the heck out of the fact that your outfits look good on models who are are glowingly healthy rather than only those that are drop-dead sick like "the competition's" do.

If going the fashion mag route, if a designer sends sample outfits that just don't fit on a healthy model, find something they do fit on (like a plastic skeleton, which could become a running gag) and do an exposé piece on it. When designers throw hissy fits and stop sending outfits as a result, run a cover story explaining the sordid reasons on the designer's end why your mag won't be covering Brand X Designs anymore. Find 2nd or 3rd tier designers who don't pull this crap with their fitting models and declare them the new haute côture. Etc., etc., etc

[dawnmipb]

I love the skeleton idea. That is just brilliant, and I wish the magazines would do it. "We wanted to feature Dolce & Gabbana's new wrapdress, but, judging from the size they sent over, you have to be dead to wear it. So if you'd like to see what you would look like wearing D&G before you starve yourself to death, here you are."

Actually, there is something happening right now that counteracts this trend to some degree. Fashion blogging. I follow a few on wordpress. It's ordinary women showing what they're wearing every day, and yes, it's designer stuff. Only one of the women is disturbingly thin; one is a plus size who specializes in vintage.

You have to deal with the comments, but you have to deal with those anywhere, so....

[geekchick]

one is a plus size who specializes in vintage

Oooh, which blog is that? Not that I need more blogs to follow, but still...

You have to deal with the comments, but you have to deal with those anywhere, so...

I am trying to make it a policy to not read the bottom half of the internet. Except at Scalzi's blog, because attempts to turn his comments section into a cesspool tend to get malleted pretty fast.

[dawnmipb]

Oooh, which blog is that?

Vintage Reflection. Some of her poses are flirtatious. :)

I am trying to make it a policy to not read the bottom half of the internet.

Figurative as well as literal. *headshake* I'm not sure I could go back to blogging publicly as I did back in the wrestling days. My head would explode!