Tag Archives: body image

10 A-List Women Who Love Their Bodies Without Your Permission

It is incredibly refreshing to have public figures, celebrities, and actresses who speak out against the body obsession that runs rampant in Hollywood and throughout our country. In this day and age in particular, it is high time we have women to look up to who take care for themselves, but also defy the traditional look of a Hollywood starlet.

Who do we love? Women who just don’t care how they are perceived. Comfortable in their own skin. And they don’t need your permission or approval to do so. Seriously, these are our heroes.

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS

The voluptuous star of Mad Men, which wrapped last night in a blaze of glory, has been praised for years about her very true-to-form hourglass figure. What we know and love about Hendricks is that she is happy, comfortable, and strong in her shape.

“Back when I was modeling, the first time I went to Italy, I was having cappuccinos every day, and I gained 15 pounds. And I felt gorgeous! I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, ‘Oh, I look like a woman.’ And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, because I loved it.”

REBEL WILSON

The Australian funny lady is one of the stars of this summer’s box office smash Pitch Perfect 2. Wilson is hilarious, talented, and an extremely important asset to the body image standards conversation. Wilson is not a size 0, and plays a character called “Fat Amy,” so clearly her size is a talking point. With grace and beauty, however, Wilson stands up to the discrimination.

“I don’t really care what I look like that much, and I think women out there should just be happy with the way they look. They shouldn’t really try to conform to any kind of stereotype. Just be happy and hopefully healthy.” (more…)

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Jessica Tholmer

Why is Lily James’ Waist in Cinderella Even a Controversy?

There is a bit of controversy surrounding Cinderella’s waist, or rather, Lily James’ waist. Many critics have spoken out about the actress’s waist size, claiming that it may have been altered to appear smaller for Disney’s new live-action Cinderella film.

James has spoken out herself, claiming that she has a naturally small waist. “On top of that I have a corset that was pulled me into the inch of my life,” she told Nightline.

She is not the first Disney star to be attacked for her small waist; in fact, most of the time, the animated monopoly comes under the wrath of critics for unrealistic proportions on women. That being said however, most of those Disney characters are animated, whereas James is most certainly not.

Speaking in James’ defense, I find it interesting that her waist has become the focus of an incredibly uplifting film. Cinderella is a re-told tale that has taken a classic story and transformed it into a cinematic wonder, with a particular focus on positivism, kindness, courage, and yes, even feminism. Cinderella puts a very generous and kind-hearted woman on the big screen, yet here we are, focusing on her body instead of her mind. (more…)

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Jessica Tholmer

Kids and Adults Reveal Very Different Answers When Asked What They Would Change About Their Bodies

If someone asked you to name one thing you could change about your body, what would your answer be? Chances are you wouldn’t need much time to respond. We delegate a whole lot of energy towards scrutinizing our flaws, so your answer may come easier than most.

What would kids say if you asked them the same question?

In a recently released video, named “Comfortable,” filmmakers asked this one question to 50 people, kids and adults alike. Adults quickly retorted with responses like “Only one?!” while the kids had to think a little longer to let their imaginations run wild. The film was created by the non-profit Jubilee Project in efforts to help people feel confident in their own skin.

Grown women and men would change things like their big forehead, or “stretch marks after having a baby.”

Children, after a few minutes of hmmm-ing and shrugging their shoulders came up with suggestions like “you know, have a mermaid tail.” (more…)

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Katie McGrath

“I Will What I Want.” The Powerful Statement Behind Under Armour’s New Campaign

Under Armour’s commercials traditionally focus on the gritty, tough side of athleticism, sending the message that wearing their products will turn you into some muscled, gruff super-athlete. With its new women’s campaign, however, Under Armour is taking a different approach.

The campaign began with an ad featuring ballerina Misty Copeland. A pioneer in her field, Copeland is one of the only African-American dancers to be a part of the American Ballet Theater (ABT). In her commercial, she demonstrates her athletic ability and grace while a young girl’s voice reads a rejection letter from ABT; the rejection letter Copeland received when she initially applied.

In the letter, Copeland is told she has the wrong body for ballet and is too old to be considered for the program. She has clearly proved the letter writer wrong as she proudly dances across a stage while her credentials are displayed: Soloist, American Ballet Theater.

The ad went viral, and so did its message, “I will what I want.”

(more…)

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Elizabeth

You Can be All About that Bass and the Treble, too

Back in the day, I was a size four. And standing at 5’ 10”, that made me what some might call a “skinny b*tch,” or at least that’s the term Meghan Trainor uses in her smash pop hit, All About that Bass.

There was a time I felt kind of sorry for poor, skinny me. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t eat. I did. I hammered down pizza, buffalo wings, ramen noodles, and vending machine candy like any good college student (all washed down with keg beer, of course). I remember walking through the mall one afternoon when a large banner outside Lane Bryant caught my eye: Real Women Have Curves. I felt a pang of self consciousness at the straps of my A-cup bra hanging over my skeletal clavicle.

Now? Ten years, two kids (plus one one the way) and 25 pounds later, I finally have some of that “junk” that Meghan refers to. But here’s the thing. I still don’t feel like it’s in “all the right places.” At least a good twenty pounds of that weight went straight to my thighs. Sigh.

I’ve got plenty of friends who’re claiming All About that Bass as their jam. And who can blame them? It’s catchy, it’s fresh, and gosh darn it, it’s nice to see women (and that one guy) with thicker-than-your-average-video-dancer frames getting down with their bad selves! (more…)

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Cat Poland

ModCloth is Fed Up with Photoshop and Signs ‘Truth in Advertising’ Pledge

fashion truth

The fashion industry has earned an ugly reputation for itself by relying on one “standard” body image and the extreme use of Photoshop to depict the “perfect” figure. Though individuals and some companies have come out against these practices, they are still mainstream.

This wasn’t acceptable to Susan Koger, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of ModCloth, an online fashion retailer. In a recent op-ed, she challenged the fashion industry to do better, and announced her company will help lead the way.

“I’m proud to call myself a fashion insider; but I’m also deeply disappointed in the way my industry depicts fashion to consumers,” she wrote.

“I look out, and it seems less about helping people find fashion they love to wear, and more about convincing them that they need to conform to one eerily consistent standard of beauty. A standard built on highly altered and often unrealistic images. I think we can do better.”

(more…)

Posted on September 10, 2023 by Elizabeth

Flat Stomach, Flabby Arms, Who Cares? You Are More Than Your Body

PIN THIS!

“Your body is not your masterpiece— your life is.”

This comment from Huffington Post offered some great food for thought.

How often are we bombarded with messages to treat our bodies like a temple because they are all we have? Well they’re not all we have. We have our whole lives: our relationships, our spirituality, ourselves as a whole being, not just a pretty form with thighs that may or may not touch. It is too common to see women, and men too, constantly obsessing over every square centimeter of their body like it’s the only thing they’ve got to offer the world. It’s not.

Aren’t you tired of comparing yourself to every woman you pass on the street or see on TV? Wouldn’t it be nice not to hate yourself a little bit more every time you see someone who has a flatter stomach than you?

Aren’t you tired?

I am. (more…)

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Katie McGrath

Shame on Social Media for Shaming Our Bodies: Instagram and Facebook Censorship Goes too Far

If you want to post a picture of yourself — or someone else — on Facebook or Instagram, you better first make sure you’re not too fat, thin, sexy, or maternal. You can wear a bikini in your photo, but only if you look like a celebrity, or actually are one. Definitely don’t post a picture of yourself breastfeeding unless you’re famous. You also can’t post pictures that show your breasts, no matter the circumstances. Unless they’re covered by an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weenie bikini of the color of your choice.

Got all that? Don’t worry, we don’t either. That’s because none of those “rules” are mentioned even remotely in the Terms of Service of Instagram or Facebook.

From Instagram’s Terms of Service:
“You may not post violent, nude, partially nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos or other content via the Service [Instagram].”

From Facebook’s Terms of Service:
“Facebook has a strict policy against the sharing of pornographic content and any explicit sexual content where a minor is involved. We also impose limitations on the display of nudity. We aspire to respect people’s right to share content of personal importance, whether those are photos of a sculpture like Michelangelo’s David or family photos of a child breastfeeding.”

Why then, do you think so many women are complaining of their photos or accounts being deleted for posting photos that comply with the rules, or at least comply with them as much as anyone else’s? Here are some of the most recent examples of ridiculous body-shaming by social media sites.

Nineteen-year-old Samm Newman’s Instagram account was deleted after she posted this near full-body selfie. Shortly after the photo was posted, Instagram suspended her account. While Newman is wearing only bra and underwear, she’s hardly posing provocatively or suggestively.

Newman told her local news stations that she felt there was a double standard on Instagram since her account was deleted while other, thinner girls could post even racier photos without consequence. (more…)

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Elizabeth

3 Body Image Power Songs Every Woman Needs to Hear (and Believe) Right Now

Body image. Vanity. Hair and makeup. Scales. Self worth. Confidence.

Being a woman means carrying yourself a particular way in order to be deemed beautiful, also known as worthy, by societal standards. Any woman can tell you that she has come across these thoughts about herself, or shamefully, about someone else. There is nothing wrong with individuality. We are constantly told that it is OK to be different, that skinny does not always mean beautiful, that people will love you no matter what you look like. However, that message is not driven home on a grander scale–the media, magazines, actresses cast in roles. It is hard to be a woman, and frankly, it is hard to love ourselves.

Which is why it is incredible when songs like these come out and inspire us, remind us, that everyone’s beauty is different. Stop what you are doing and lift yourself up. We couldn’t love these messages more and will put these power songs on our playlist.

Beyoncé “Pretty Hurts”

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Posted on July 16, 2023 by Jessica Tholmer

Survey Says: Most of Us are Wrong About Our Weight

Honesty is always the best policy, but when it comes to our weight, many of us may fudge the facts a bit. A new survey indicates that less than 40 percent of Americans report being overweight, though research shows the actual statistic is much higher.

We first heard of this news from our friends at Shape Magazine, and then checked out the survey results ourselves. Not only do just 36 percent of Americans see themselves as overweight, of those people, less than 20 percent are actively trying to lose weight.

(more…)

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Elizabeth

5 Beauty Trends Everyone Wants, Not Everyone Has, and Everyone Needs to Calm Down About

I bet if you pick up your phone or grab your computer right now, you can’t spend five minutes on the Internet without running into a beauty or fitness trend that ask women to alter the shapes of their bodies in ridiculous (and sometimes dangerous) ways.

Our friends at Shape Magazine have spoken with experts about these beauty trends and what trying to achieve them will cost you. We’ve got our own take on the beauty and fitness buzzwords that seem to be sweeping social media.

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Posted on June 11, 2023 by Elizabeth

Tag Archives: body image

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