I have been completely exhausted lately, so haven’t had a chance to post anything. I am so thankful that the conversation about beauty and identity continue through the other great bloggers here.
I am inspired by the brilliant review of the book “50 Shades of Gray” to do a pictorial blog post. While I don’t have gifs, I have collected some really great inspirational images about body image, beauty and identity. Enjoy!!
Love Adele!!!
So very true!!!
I want to make these stickers and post them on mirrors EVERYWHERE!!!
What a great statement!!
Speaks for itself!
YES!!!!
Again… YES!!!!
Naomi Wolf rocks!!!
“Wrong Century” —Brilliant illustration by artist Tomas Kucerovsky depicting the fate of plus-size beauty in the modern age.
Love!!
Also LOVE!!!
I love these images. I normally share them on the multiple social networking sites I’m on. I often ask myself why I share them. Of course it is because I believe in them and I hope that I can help others by changing their perception of themselves and those around them. On a personal level, I guess I want to change my own perception of myself. I want to accept myself for who I am. I am working on this and getting closer every day.
Agnes Sharple
Botgirl Questi
Bumblebee (Wendz Tempest)
Canary Beck
Carissa Arthurine Somerset
Eva Marie
Fuschia Nightfire
George Coghill
Ironyca Lee
Jeremy Owen Turner
Joseph DeLappe
Kathleen Cool
Katie Vizenor
Krista Hoefle
Kristine Schomaker
Lizzie Gudkov
Aero Bigboots
RMarie Beedit
Marmaduke Arado
Isabella Medici
Nadya Tolokonnikova
Nathan Shafer
Pixel Reanimator
Ravanel Griffon
Scarlett Luv
Strawberry Singh
Tabitha Raincloud
Toni Tyldesley
Trilby Minotaur
Vanessa Blaylock
Xue Faith
Yordie Sands
I’ve seen many of these before, but I actually hadn’t seen the Naomi Wolf quotation – it’s a powerful idea!
The pics and messages above are great. I’m not sure what it had to do with “50 Shades of Gary” though. I read the book, thought it was interesting for a few pages then got bored and mad because she allowed herself to be twisted up as bad as the person doing the twisting.
correction *50 Shades of GRAY”
aww, hahaha, I was all excited to read “50 Shades of Gary!” 😛
I’m sure “50 Shades of GARY” would have been better. Mommy-Porn with BDSM and a brilliant college girl with no sense. There I said it.
Haha I wasn’t referring to the book, but the review I linked to that is filled with great pics emphasizing the reviewers comments 🙂
Another great post, Kris! I have to inject that while I do not agree with everything that Naomi Wolf stands for, the quote you included in your post does raise interesting questions. In context, the quote is directed towards anorexia or self-starvation rather than “dieting.” What I find interesting is that anorexia, as I have personally experienced it, has more to do with control than body image, yet both concepts are inextricably linked. In the same way that Rowan pointed out that our hair is one aspect of our body that we have the power to control, so too is weight. While Wolf argues that there is a correlation between female ambition, desire for physical “perfection,” and a cultural imperative to live up to an unnatural ideal, anorexia has plagued young women long before the birth of glossy magazine pages. I am by no means dismissing the huge cultural pressure for girls and women to live up to increasingly unrealistic norms, but I cannot help but think of anorexia and similar control-driven psychological disorders as a means of rebelling against patriarchal authority rather than proof that women are being undermined by it.
I can say, from personal experience, that my struggle with anorexia did not stem from a desire to look like a supermodel or to emulate the images I saw in the media. Rather, it was a dangerous attempt to take control of my life and assert myself as an individual. With that said, I like to think that I was rebelling against patriarchal authority by taking control of my life (and death) rather than submitting to social norms. But then again, maybe the promise of control is by definition, a sign of obedience.
Thank you for your comment Kat, I also have an eating disorder that I am currently working through with therapy and an eating disorder support group. I have found there is not one reason people have eating disorders. Just like people smoke and drink for many different reasons. Everyone has their own story. My own personal struggle with it stems from growing up to criticism and judgment of being overweight and other family issues. I did turn to food to rebel against something that my family wanted me to be and couldn’t accept that I was not. I don’t think it is necessarily a conscious decision to want to look like a supermodel for most, but it is the unconscious discrimination that comes with not looking a certain way in our society. I notice all the time that people look at me different because of my size. I was at an art opening recently talking to a friend who is thin with long blond curly hair. This guy comes up to her introduces himself and doesn’t even look at me. I was standing there almost laughing at how obvious (and sad) it was.
I have been rejected (and ‘abandoned’) quite a bit in my life through my family and with men and through the years I have come to understand this as “I’m not good enough.” And a lot of the time equate it with weight because “I know I have a great personality, so what else could it be?” Luckily I now have tons of support to help me learn to accept myself for who I am. Although it is still a struggle. I am constantly working on it 🙂
How awesome is it to share our stories :). Keep up the good work, Kris… all I can say is you go girl!!!!!!!! Support is something that is incredibly needed when dealing with an eating disorder, and sadly something that is often lacking. Consider yourself lucky to have a support system; I know I did 🙂