Y’all have probably heard this video again.
Favorite quote from the video: “Throw out the clothes that you can’t wear anymore. They’re just taking up space, and PISSING YOU OFF!”
Thoughts, ladies and gents?
Even though I’m moving towards low-carb eating after Passover/Unleavened Bread/First Fruits, I still hear loud and clear what she’s saying! Rockin’.
Oh yeah, and the woman is BEAUTIFUL. Oh man.
…then again, I’m never quite sure. You see, I don’t see Tyra Banks as fat in the slightest. By the same token, I’m not automatically looking at myself and going, “I’m still hot, I’m still hot”. My life doesn’t revolve around a woman who has made millions off her body. Part of that livelihood means that there will be critics that will note that you’ve gained weight. Some may not be as polite as that, but it is what it is.
“It is what it is” is the catchphrase of our industry — from mainstream fashion right back into us little plus sized ladies. We don’t like our options, but sigh, mentioning our little catchphrase into the conversation: it is what it is. For most, it’s either the mainstream fare, the online boutiques (I’m still not in a clothes buying place, let alone with enough cash to put down for a Monif C. dress), or the sewing machine. Hey, it was good enough for Grandma.
I don’t have anything against Tyra Banks, except that what she’s going through the rest of us go through every. single. day. Maybe that little walk around in a fat suit has finally made her realize that “golly, other people feel like this all the time — *giggle*”. I still don’t think a 5′10″, 161lb. woman can call herself “plus-sized”, but that doesn’t mean I can’t say I don’t understand what she’s going through. It’s quite simple.
The. spotlight. blows. Add in the ex-model part, blend it with the “I tell young women on my hit reality tv show whether or not they make good professional clothes hangers” part, and you’ve got a whole mess of issues just waiting to come out. Sorry to be crass, but let’s not forget one thing: Ms. Banks is a celebrity — and there’s no such thing as bad PR, to be perfectly honest.
Parallel? I’m an internet marketer — and I’ve watched some of the best marketers in the field get torn apart in forums — everything from “this product blows” to more personal attacks. Does it hurt? Of course. However, every single person I know faces criticism in some area. Should Ms. Banks garner more sympathy because she’s a celebrity, even though several of you lovely readers go through similar, if not the exact same struggle every day of the week?
I’ll believe that Ms. Banks has made a change when her ventures change. It’s all well and good to ask for sympathy, but I can’t stay quiet when she runs a reality tv show that’s severely based on weight / appearance. Ms. Banks, does this mean that you’re going to make a way for America’s Next (Plus Sized) Top Model?
I wanna be on top.
Demi Moore called: she wants her nude magazine cover shot back, Britney.
Or that’s what a lot of feedback from the blogosphere says. Naturally, I don’t think that Demi Moore is losing any sleep over what photos Britney Spears takes of herself, or what Britney does with her life. Therefore, I haven’t really paid too much attention to the story.
What I am paying attention to is the deeper issues around the story. I took a good long look at the pictures — they look very polished. Is that the polite term these days? Perhaps they aren’t doctored, but like most readers, I have a hard time believing that people in magazines aren’t touched up in some manner.
I want to see this again.
I’ll give the rest of you a few seconds to bring your chins up off of the ground. I don’t mean to say that I necessarily want to see Britney again, but I want to see this concept again. I want to see a woman right off the street. Bonus points if she’s a plus sized woman. She doesn’t even have to be pregnant to satisfy this little dream of mine. Just being curvy and female would go for a lot more in my book.
I want to see curves, I want to see genuine smiles. I want to see happiness. And if we see another pregnant woman, can we see stretch marks? I want to see reality, I want to see a body untouched. I’m not going to say that this is an easy task, by a long shot - it’s embarassing to be out in the open without some sort of safety net. I still don’t have the guts to post my mug out to the world.
Mr. Deluxe — who is proud to be assimilated into my fashionable universe, I must say — argued with me about the latest episode of Britney. It went like this:
Me: Honey, Britney Spears posed naked on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.
MrD: So?
Me: She’s pregnant.
MrD: Your point? Demi did that already.
Me: … (long sigh)
Me (continuing on): It’s still a big thing, but we need more. I think it’s important to show that pregnancy is natural, and not “hide” it away.
MrD (sounding surprised): It’s hidden?
He doesn’t see it because dear Mr. Deluxe is an ardent fan of pregnant women. He loves the “glow”, the promise of life inside the woman, and the “wobble”. I didn’t say he was normal. He tells me constantly that he loves women at any size, so long as they’re happy. It’s that accepting, loving attitude that makes me glad I got to him first!
Unfortunately, Mr. Deluxe has a different view on the matter because he has a scrapbook of pregnant women, the way other men collect swimsuit models. I still have pregnant friends that confide to me that they don’t feel sexy anymore, and that their husbands have confirmed this as well, albeit silently. It’s unfortunate either way you slice it.
Do I care about Britney’s photo stunt? Not necessarily. Does it worry me that the popular symbol for pregnancy and womanhood is a girl that barely looks pregnant, let alone real? Of course it does.
So, magazines - won’t you please give me a real woman? Give me curves, give me smiles, give me stretch marks and cellulite. I hope one day that the tide will turn and we’ll get what we’ve been clamoring for all this time: reality.
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dee·lux·GRRL n.An intelligent, dynamic female who isn't afraid to take risks, take time for herself, or create her own unique style!
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