Sunday, October 18, 2009

Please make this STOPPPPPPP


Some of you may have seen this story. It goes to the heart of my problem with the fashion industry, i.e., their continuing attacks against women and girls' self-image by pushing these unreal (literally) photos of glamorous stick figure-women. My question here is...who really thinks the feminine ideal should be that of a prepubescent boy? Besides child molesters. No heterosexual man would find a bony ass attractive (unless they are hung like a fruit fly, but I digress). Real men want curves, especially in the hips and butt area! I apologize in advance if this sounds homophobic or anti-caucasian, but I think the problem comes from two places...old white women and gay men. They are the two demographics that dominate the fashion industry here and in Europe and they are the ones imposing these ideas of the feminine ideal on the rest of us. These old Salukis (google it) hang out at the gym and starve themselves to maintain as flat an ass as possible and they expect women of child bearing age to look just as dried up and barren as they do. Gay men like the young, svelte, narrow-hipped boy look. So young women are brainwashed to the point of anorexia and bulimia to meet these standards. I've had enough of this bullshit! Bring back real women models with butts and breasts NOOOOOWWW!!

7 comments:

Black Diaspora said...

@Ernesto: "I've had enough of this bullshit! Bring back real women models with butts and breasts NOOOOOWWW!!"

I'm with you! I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore. :)

Seriously, it is a serious issue. Girls and boys (boys not as much) are becoming too body conscious.

You remember Twiggy? (Check out the link. This is as good as it gets.) I believe it all started with her. Perhaps not, but it's as good a place as any to begin in an effort to give this issue some historical context.

Her emaciated look was touted for the longest as "The Look" in modeling.

Can you imagine how many girls died, or injured their bodies, trying to capture her boyish look?

I say bring back the curves! Perhaps it's time to bring back the Renaissance concept of female pulchritude: curves and plenitude.

Glad that you're back to posting/blogging. Your voice is needed.

Ernesto said...

BD...you are correct, this all started in the '60s with Twiggy. Back in the '50s there were some healthy women put up there like Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe. It's funny how the fashion industry went towards skinny women right at the time that people of color were becoming more visible in entertainment media. Besides Raquel Welch (nee Tejada, a Latina) there were no curvaceous women allowed to take center stage. Now I am wondering about the racial aspect; is part of this a strategy to keep women of color mentally enslaved to a Eurocentric ideal?

Then again, 99 percent of women, no matter the color, do NOT look like these starving models!

Personally, I love thickness and natural beauty, including hair. I guess I must be weird or something. Actually, I am not alone, I think most men prefer healthy looking women that could not get a modelling contract.

Clint said...

Lol. Well done, sir. You are a great advocate for the male gender.

Black Diaspora said...

@Ernesto: "Actually, I am not alone, I think most men prefer healthy looking women that could not get a modelling contract."

Healthier the better, I say. I've never thought about the racial angle. I think you're on to something: Beyoncé Knowles even slimmed down for a photo shoot in Sports Illustrated.

Thank God she's back to her normal "bootylicious" self.

field negro said...

@Ernesto: "I've had enough of this bullshit! Bring back real women models with butts and breasts NOOOOOWWW!!"

LOL, I agree with BD. Hey, just because I am on a diet doesn't mean that I can't look at the menu.:)

Hip Hip Hippie Chick said...

Ohhhh excuse me for going to the James once in a while. You no like French ballerinas? I hear that you can breathe when you go muff diving on a svelte chick. And svelte is Latin for pulling out, but I digress.

Should I post that I don't care for powerful, athletic guys -- the current societal expectation for men? This subject needs updating, Ernesto. I think you should accept all women no matter their frame. I know you can wax eloquent on this matter with a little thought. Let's celebrate women, whatever form they naturally come in.

Ernesto said...

I am all for nature, my dear hippiedy hip hippie chick...I was ranting against the UN-natural women portrayed on photo-shopped magazine covers, etc.

Svelte? I don't know anything about this Latin term you speak of. It is a foreign concept to me.