Be prepared, this post will be a bit of a rant. I do not read tabloid newspapers or read gossip magazines, so this 'campaign' only came to my attention after reading a small article about it on Facebook. If you have read my blog before, you may have read my 'Real Women' post, so will already know some of my thoughts on the way the media portrays beauty and will also understand why this campaign has infuriated me...
The 'No More Skinny' campaign is being put out there by The Sun, with apparently many 'celebs' backing it. I understand that, primarily, this campaign is to stop top designers from using 'size zero' models and to display their designs on a wider range of body shapes. I understand that the modelling industry can be brutal, with already very thin women being told they are 'too fat' to be a model and feel under pressure to go to in many cases unhealthy extremes to have a career and maintain it which is disgusting. But the man behind it all, Dan Wootton, is going about it in the completely wrong way.
Firstly, the title of the campaign itself is just completely out of order. IT'S BODY SHAMING. Enough said.
Secondly, some of these 'quotes' (we all know how the papers like to twist peoples words) from celebrities are also out of order. Lucy Kay apparently said "Curves should never go out of fashion." Excuse me, but since when were our bodies a fashion statement?! Casey Batchelor is quoted to have said, "It's unattractive. Men love curves, not skeletons!" Just no. "Gone are the days of Marilyn Monroe, the most iconic model of our era," Olly Murs is reported to have said, "Sometimes skinny women can look attractive - but it is too dangerous. It's ridiculous when you see size 6 or even size 4, girls on stage." 1. They're are plenty of curvaceous celebrities out there, 2. SOMETIMES skinny women can be attractive?! Have you heard yourself?! and 3. I'm a size 6, am I not attractive then?!
There are some positive messages being put across. Jessie J is quoted to have said, "I think it's really important that women of all shapes and sizes are represented in fashion modelling and that all women are celebrated for their beauty..." Spot on! I totally agree with this. I am all for a campaign that helps women to love their bodies and understand that their size is not the important thing, but happiness and health is. But you have to be careful in the way you deal with this sort of issue.
But, can we take a second to think about the poor models under fire here as well? They are already under enough pressure to look a certain way in order to have a career, only to receive more criticism from the rest of the world, with lots of nasty comments about their figures... being deemed unhealthy, unattractive and bad influences on girls. Just imagine how they must be feeling.
These models are not solely to blame for girls and women being under pressure to be 'skinny'.... the MEDIA and EVERYDAY PEOPLE are also to blame here! Far too often magazine headlines are the 'shocking weight gain' of a particular celebrity, or what diet they're on, or how 'terrible' they look without make-up. It's so wrong. Not to mention all the adverts trying to sell us weight loss aids, or encouraging us to join a weight loss programme. Women even wear spanx to make themselves look slimmer. People say snide comments behind peoples back "oooh hasn't she got fat!", "She's put a lot of weight on...". Not to mention there is the pure shallowness from some men, who will refuse to go out with a woman because she is 'fat' or will break up with someone because they've gained weight. (Some women show this shallowness with men too, I should add, which again is out of order). And telling a girl that no man will want her if she has no curves is just disgusting and totally untrue!
Blaming skinny models for younger girls starving themselves, is like blaming bigger celebrities for obesity in younger girls. You just can not do it. Positive body image messages should always be taught, girls should grow up knowing that size doesn't matter and that they should just be healthy and happy. They should be taught that a variety of body types exist and that every single one of them is normal. Body shaming is any way is NEVER acceptable people.
Have you seen anything on this campaign? What are your thoughts? x
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