Hi there,
as usual, it's been a long while since I've last updated. Today, I'm discussing something that, honestly, just really irritates me.
I have friends who model, I have friends who don't. Both groups of (mainly female) friends have one thing in common... they're uncomfortable in their own skin. You'd think, surely, that someone whose job exists purely because they are beautiful would not have such a problem, but actually, it exacerbates the feeling of pressure to look good... why? it's their job to look good. Now, as you may know if you follow the news, fashion or read magazines, blogs, etc. there is a movement coming in, in which women with "real" bodies are modelling. Yet, oddly enough, they still refer to them as "plus size", despite the fact they constantly re-iterate that a "real" woman has "curves".
So why is the word curves in inverted commas? There is no real definition of what a curvy woman is. For example, we refer to a woman who we consider to be slightly overweight as 'curvy' and talk about how brave she is for 'embracing her womanly body' or something along those lines. We also call women with a large bust and wide hips but a small waist 'curvy'... a different thing altogether. This means you can be an (AU) size 8 (american size 4?) and still be 'curvy' but you could also be a size 20 and be 'curvy'. It's an ambiguous term used to make people feel good about themselves but, in actuality, makes people feel quite horrible about their appearance. For example, call someone who is a (again AU sizing) size 10 curvy and she may read this as 'fat'.
But back to the real point here, is a real woman really ONLY what would be considered a plus-size in modelling terms? The answer is a resounding NO. Last time I checked, the only definition of a "real" woman is someone who is or identifies as being a woman. If you're transgendered and identify as being female, you're a woman. If you were born a woman and intend to stay that way, you're a woman. If you've had plastic surgery, you're a woman. No 'if's, 'but's or 'maybe's... you're a real woman. I am a size 10 in conventional Australian sizing. I am slim, leggy and long-limbed... and I am still every bit as real as the girl next to me who is a size 16. We should not shame others into thinking they are too big, too small or too 'normal' to justify our own body shape.
More to the point, are we as a society so obsessed with our bodies that we should be able to judge? not really, no. The same people who call their body a temple and go through ample work-outs to maintain a 'sexy' physique also spend their weekends binge-drinking, having inadequate amounts of rest (due to the aforementioned nights out and their stressful lifestyles), smoke, take drugs... but that's ok, because they push their bodies to their limits on weekdays and eat 'healthy' diets that may or may not make them more and more stressed out. In fact, I would go as far as to say that being so overly concerned with their appearance would be the greatest cause of stress... something that is incredibly bad for your body. We're not obsessed with taking care of our bodies, merely sculpting them into shapes that may not be what they were naturally intended to be.
So, in short, body image can suck my proverbials. I know I'm as real as the hair I brush, the food I eat and the muscles in my body that aren't rippling like a body builder's, but do the job they were intended to do and make my body work. If you are reading this, you were born perfect because you were born alive. Your brain works, your muscles work and your ability to relate to humanity is intact. For that, you should be thankful. If you want to treat your body as your temple, treat it nicely in every possible aspect of your life. I'd rather be alive and not worrying about how I size up to the girl next to me than worrying about how I can please others by the way I look. Life's too short.
