Some days it sucks to be a woman.
We have Work It on tv, the new ABC sitcom which has men dressing up like us. And not just us as women, but dressed using the worst, most ridiculous stereotypes of us. And most bizarre, it seems to be implying that it would be easier to be a woman than a white man in business.
We also have The Bachelor on tv (Also ABC as a matter of fact) with girls crying hysterically over losing the love of their life, that they met 15 minutes ago.
You mean you DON’T do that?
And, as a coworker of mine pointed out, our political representation includes “I can see Russia from my house,” and “9/11 widows are harpies.”
It’s really hard sometimes.
So when I saw an article entitled “‘Most runway models meet the BMI criteria for anorexia’, claims plus-size magazine in powerful comment on body image in the fashion industry,” I mentally groaned.
If it’s not one thing, it’s the other.
Looking at the pictures, of an admittedly gorgeous woman, I can’t help but wonder what HER BMI is. In one in particular, where we see her body next to a scarily thin girl (See Below.) I found myself thinking- aren’t we celebrating extreme’s? Isn’t THAT what our culture is guilty of?
The larger woman, is that a healthy weight? Isn’t the above picture illustrating negatives of two kinds- what it means to be to thin, as well as what it means to be too large for ones frame?
And I guess the same goes for my first examples- we are all guilty of it. I’m probably represent the worst, when it comes to consuming those stereotypes- think about my TV addictions! I turn on Real Housewives because hearing women scream at each other is FUN. I like the stupidity, the crazy. And yet, in the same way healthy isn’t found in anorexia or obesity, neither is what it means to be a woman.
Our world could use far more normal: in body, in intelligence, in life. There are super women all over the world- going to school, working, helping others.
So let’s take a minute to celebrate THAT.
P.S. Along those lines, check out this story about the women at Miss America. I still get my share of comments but I think this story accurately portrays why these women are truly pretty super- (I’ll be rooting for the wonderful and incredibly sweet Miss Indiana who happens to be my former roommate!) Tune in Saturday evening, as ABC redeems themselves by showcasing some actually wonderful young women with incredibly wonderful “healthy” bodies. I’ll be tweeting furiously, I’m sure.
