Have you guys seen this making the rounds?
It shows how a photo editing program can take an attractive, yet somewhat plain woman, and turn her into this Barbie-like perfect specimen in mere seconds. According to Marc, this video was made in order to show the "awesomeness" of photo editing software but has been co-opted by those that want to talk about the unreasonable standards we have for beauty.
And if you watch that video, it's pretty amazing. There ain't a part of this woman that they don't mangle to look "better". Her eyes are moved and brightened and widened. Her skin is completely touched up to remove all blemishes, no matter how small. Her already thin legs and stomach are made thinner and her torso and legs are elongated.
I have often compared myself to famous people and wished that I was more attractive. People like Sofia Vergara and, my personal girl crush, Anna Paquin. But I don't think that I consciously look at models in magazines and strive to achieve their beauty. AND, like any intelligent person, I know that when anyone's picture ends up in a magazine, the pictures are completely touched up.
But this is INSIDIOUS. We are bombarded every day with images showing us just how incredibly inferior we are. That we need to be thinner and smoother and generally PERFECT or else we are nothing. No matter how confident you are, there is no way that this can't crawl into your head and effect you - in some fashion.
I won't try to pretend that my body image issues are based on what the media portrays. But I can't help but think that the reason I look in the mirror almost every single day and hate what I see is in some way influenced by what I am accosted with every day in the media.
We ain't going to change the media, so let's say we change ourselves? Can we start celebrating NORMAL women? With all their imperfect perfections? Recognizing that stretch marks and loose skin and blemishes and birthmarks and short legs and small boobs or saggy boobs are all what REAL women have?
I am thankful today that I have a wonderful, warm and safe house to live in.
Many thanks! This post seems to have done the trick!
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