leelastarsky | skinny girls

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: my head

Entry tags:

skinny girls

I know everyone has probably had their say on the topic of JK's views already, but I had to weigh in too.

I am regularly appalled by the... what's the word? ...Worship? of the skinny, androgenous, pre-pubecent figure. Of magazines promoting wafer-thin sexless bodies as the ideal for girls and boys to set as a goal. But it is a ludicrously unachievable goal as this ludicrous advertising demonstrates -

This is a prime example of the ridiculous Photoshopping the advertisers do on the models! The purple lines I've added as a rough estimate of where I think her body really was and you can see by the lighting changes where she was cropped.

My point being that not even the models are thin enough! They're promoting figures that cannot be achieved in Real Life as the ideal. What does this do to kids who have no idea that a figure in photo can be manipulated like that? I have seen women's ragmags simply stretch pics on actresses - widthways when they want to flail at them for being fat, lengthways if they want to point the finger at them for being too thin. Seriously WTF?

And, of course, being that wafer-thin means no boobs, so implants are required. Or, as is now the trend in Hollywood, the poor actresses who do happen to have some cleavage are getting breast reductions!! (Jennifer Connelly leaps to mind) Because the andrgenous look is what keeps them working. *head desk*

Look at photos of Marilyn Munroe - all womanly hips and breasts - she would be laughed out of Hollywood today for being horrifically fat.
Which, in my mind is silly and tragic. Women have hips. Women have breasts. They have been designed by nature (or God) to bare children and need hips and breasts to do so. Yet it is the pre-pubescent girl figure that is held up as the ideal, which I find extremely disturbing.

It's not just girls either. The ideal male must either be musclebound or boyish, both with no bodyhair (again with the pre-pubescent).

Why is this? The paedophilic overtones creep me out, and I can't help feeling it's like some weird sort of anti-promotion of sexuality - we're not permitted to show you images of sexually mature males and females because, godforbid, you might think about sex! But we want to use sex to sell our product so we'll use models who look pre-pubescent so that you don't notice. O.o *sigh*

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Thanks so much for posting this and being absolutely blunt about where the picture was altered. I can no longer stomach mass-market media for the very reason you point out in the altered picture. Size is one of the most clear alterations but the reality is that it is not inches that are shaved off but anything that makes people look human rather that plastic mannequins.
My 9 yr. old son worries about being fat - this the kid who is in perpetual motion and I have to buy everything in slim sizes already because he is very wiry build.

We are leaving a very sick legacy to the next generation if we don't expose this cult continuously!

*rant over - slinks away*

I wish I could find this site again, where the owner showed how he altered photos to make them glamourous or better for ads. The changes he made were amazing.

Leela's right: the model in this pic is unreal.

I suspect the body hair thing has more to do with the get clean thing--body hair holds odor, and you know, humans are supposed to be totally odorless. Also, it absorbs light, so you can't make someone look shiny like a Greek statue. I'm not a huge fan of lots of body hair, but at the same time, the removal thing has gotten way out of hand. Going to the gym and seeing butterfly shapes made of neatly combed hair where no woman should have a butterfly shape made of neatly combed hair... eep.

Interesting analysis of the way the light was falling. Even knowing that pictures can be altered, I wouldn't have caught it because I don't observe the way light falls particularly well.

Totally agree with everything you said.

What's even worse are the pro-ana (anorexia) websites that hold these celebs up as the ideal. Pages like this:
http://www.plagueangel.net/grotto/id2.html
full of pictures glorifying women who look like they've just exited Auschwitz. I honestly don't understand what's happened. Women like Marilyn Monroe were sexy, they had sexy bodies. These skin and bone types look like coked out 12 year olds.

Yes, it's very true.

Yes, even models photos are altered. Nearly every year they do that SI Swimsuit 'behind the scenes' show. Their photos always take out an inch or so of thigh, alter the arch of the behind, etc.

I believe there has been a huge push in our culture to sexualize children (the pedophilic overtones you refer to) and the look is also a part of that. No breasts, no curves, no hair. Girls who look like boys, boys who look pretty.

When one opens their eyes to it, you can see it everywhere.

I for one am not a fan of the skinny, skinny girls. I am not a "skinny" chick though. I had a photography project for a class a few months back where we had to take pictures of ourselves but not as ourselves. It seems confusing but it's not really. I opted to exploit myself in the most tasteful way possible. Since I am a woman of curves, I stepped out of my comfortable zone. My friend dressed me up as a greek goddess and took pictures of me in positions that a greek goddess would be in. I got praises in the class saying that I was brave to expose myself this way. They compared me to Marilyn Monroe and the olden days when it was a GOOD thing for women to have curves. Anytime somebody sees my pictures, they love them so yea. I'm thinkin that you're right on the cropping of the picture.

Wow, I hadn't seen JK's comments so they were new to me, and I appreciate you leaving the link for it. I applaud what she said and she's absolutely right. And I sincerely hope that all her female fans out there (especially the little girls) see that, too.

As for the photoshopping....gaah, you're so right! They do it all the time. I even remember seeing an episode of Oprah where she showed a magazine shot of her and pointed out all the parts that some editor had 'altered' without her knowledge. I remember her being like "Look at that! THat is NOT My arm!" They had, of course, made it thinnner.

And then there was that spread that Jamie Lee Curtis did a few years ago. The one where she insisted on being photographed as she *really* was. Meaning, she posed in her every day clothes, without make up, and she specifically stated that her photos were not to be airbrushed in any way.

And the truth is? Yeah, ha ha, she looked kinda bad. But only 'kinda bad' in comparison to the faked up way they usually made her look. In reality, she looked like a normal, everyday woman. Someone you'd live next door to and bitch about your kids with. Anyways, I always thought that was really cool of her to do. Especially since there are other celebs who throw fits if you happen to photograph them from the wrong side. I guess it was her way of trying to get the message out about the 'unrealistic ideal'. Or whatever.

I used to have much more interesting things to say about this, but my sociology major seems to have faded from my brain. ;)

Yeah, and they airbrush the models' skin so it looks flawless. Look at face of any model on the cover of a magazine - no pores. ;~P

Go you for having the guts to do that photoshoot of yourself! :~D Marilyn is still classed as a sex-goddess, so it seems ridiculous that someone with her curves just wouldn't be taken seriously (as a model or actress) today.

Yeah, some of the stuff media shows us about women's bodies is just scary. I remember watching America's Next Topmodel a while back, where these girls compete to become a top model. All the girls were thin in my eyes, which makes sense in the fashion industry, alas. However one of the girls got told off by 'experts' (fashion designers and such) since her clothing size was one size bigger than the rest of the girls'. My mouth literally fell open, because this was a thin girl, and yet she was told she was too 'fat' by professionals on TV. What kind of message does that give the kids these days? *shudders*

OMG thank you. You couldn't have said it better. Seriously. Because all through magazines there are photos of these models that look like my sixteen year old sister in barely NOTHING and it's supposed to be sex appeal, but it's not supposed to be sex appeal and that has always creeped me out.

Ack. I'm glad there was nothing to link to under that "hardcore bones" shot. AAAAGH.

That was my reaction too! O.o

It's sad what woman are expected to look like today.

I'm trying to loose weight for health reasons, and I talked to a trainer. She told me I should weigh 118 to 114 pounds. I turned to her and said "Really? because the last time I weighed 118, my doctor told me if I dropped three more pounds he'd reccommend me for eating disorder counsling."

She back tracked really quickly on my "ideal" weight but I was shocked that I was being told, by a nutritionist no less, to strive for a weight that my doctor had been concerned about!

I was watching another show and this stylist was complimenting Mary-Kate about her new "adult" figure and for "loosing the baby-fat."
This show had been taped prior to Mary-Kate (I hope that's the right onew) admitting the eating disorder but it was funny/sad to see the compliments she got before she came out with how she'd lost the weight -_-

I had to comment on this. I have seen people work in action to completely alter a photo...NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, but because the art director or whomever tells them to. Look at any Graphic Designer's Portfolio who has done this sort of work. I have listed creepy examples:

This is one of a portfolio shot of a woman made to look younger

Here is an altered model wearing a bikini

Men are no exception!

Ick.

And I felt guilty for airbrushing a pimple out of a shot of me once...

I loved the guy whose hair got taller. It was like he was storing extra hair under his sweater, and the photographer just unstuffed it.

My God, that really creeps me out! It's so disturbingly fake and unrealistic. I just don't get it at all! I guess the big question you would ask, would be: Why? Just why? Gah.

Not to mention the issue of "body hair" and the lack of it in certain areas men have come to expect... hair that's suuposed to be there.

Once I learned a little about Photoshop I completely believed how easy it was to crop the hell out of someone.

And the sad part is that even when you say "oh, men don't want that" I don't think that is as true as it used to be. I think it's starting to rub off on them too.

Urg, the girl in that pic looks really unreal -_-

May I link to this when I update my journal next time?

Sure! :~)

Personally, I'd rather look the way I do (properly curvy) than to be board straight. I like my body! WOO! And I like my boy's squishy tummy. I don't want a muscular guy at all. So, I completely agree with you and am happy I'm not the only person who thinks it's fucked up the way media change people's self image and esteem. *le sigh*

Go JK is all I can say! And I have to admit I would never have spotted the photoshopping on that girl.

A friend of mine found this as an example of all the airbrushing for a magazine cover:

http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/index.html

What the-- that is a real advertisement?

I have no words.

And thank you.

I think that this is one of the reasons why other countries hate americans so much. Our society IS based on how you look! it's crazy madd stoopid! I dunna like it! People are sad... I mean, I am not "fat" but I could lose a few pounds. And I am not exactly "gifted" in the breast department. And let's not even talk about my SKIN! *sighs* I am blonde and blue eyed. lol is that a gift? I'm not sure. I have thoughts of being thinner and stuff, but I never try really hard at it. :/ I am not embarassed to be around people, but I am embarassed about being at the beach. I burn eaisly and I hate sand, so I try to avoid it, but you can't completly avoid it when you live in South Florida 15 miles from the ocean.

But I'm sure that if I lived in a Marilyn Monroe era, I would feel better about myself...

*sigh* now i'm hungry.. XD

I agree, that "Hardcore Bones" picture is just horrible and creepy.

Wow, I could not agree with this more. Before I had my son I was 5'2" and 110 pounds and since I had him I am 125 pounds. At first I was a little self concious about myself because my hips are bigger, my boobs are bigger and I look really different. But my husband and all our guy friends all say that I look sexier and healthier. I think it's good to have curves and not look stick thin and that is why I am not in the gym like a maniac trying to get rid of the extra weight.

And it really is amazing to see what trainers say or the Army wants your weight to be at and what your doctor says is unhealthy. I am in the Army National Guard and for a 21 year old female at 5'2" the weight they want you to be at the most 118. My doctor said that to be healthy, you can weight up to 135. 118 to 135 is a big difference.

And it's nice to see what they really do to those pictures. It is really sad to know that a super skinny model still isn't even skinny enough. That is why girls who 20 years ago wouldn't be considered fat feel awful and are made fun of because they are "fat".

*applaudes*

Thank you. I feel much better now ;) It's often been told me, when I was growing up (I was one of the unfortunate early developers) that if I were a teen/adult in the fourties or fifties, I'd be quite alright, but I'm overweight in today's vision.

This promotion of pre-pubescent isn't the half of it either - it's just encouraging poor manipulatable (because I couldn't think of the word) teens to be unhealthy. And that's just bad.

*kicks today's advertisers* idiots.

No one's going to like me for this, but I'd like to point out the other reason to hate ads like that: It gets people angry and fired up about airbrushing and eating disorders, true, but then you have the people that take it too far and start telling skinny people that they look ill or that they should eat something. Like, when it's totally inappropriate to do so, and to people with healthy appetites. Some people are naturally skinny, and they feel the hate, too. Hell, there're LJ communitues about it.

And THIS...the very first section of this just pisses me off: http://www.angry.net/people/s/skinny_people.htm Vile, hateful, stereotyping. Obviously, skinny girls are in love with themselves an think they're awesome, even when wishing they had the chests of curvier girls. I mean, no one prefers curvier girls!

The sad part is that I think men (a number of them anyway) do want that. And so fantastic and beautiful women are overlooked because their ribs don't show.

I too see the trend toward unattainable body ideals in Hollywood and it is sad, truly. However, please think about what you are essentially saying to the naturally skinny people, who probably went through their own share of grief as children. I know myself that I was often called twig and daddy long legs and the like. I know many times I wished for a curvier and more voluptuous body. As I grow more comfortable with myself I have learned to love my body because it is healthy, it works, and I even think it's pretty nice looking even if I don't have much by way of breasts or hips. So, statements such as, "Women have breasts. They have been designed by nature (or God) to bear children and need hips and breasts to do so" are erroneous. Women are designed uniquely, we are not all formed from the same mold. I think the message here needs not to be a backlash against skinny people, but against the idea that women must fit into some sort of mold to be considered beautiful. Variety is gorgeous.

That was me, I thought I had logged in.

*applause* Wonderfully said.

Mind if I quote your comment? Think I might do a post on this issue myself later...

Not at all. Thank you.

I like you for saying this.

I'm bigger now, but I used to be skinny, and got the "Oh you look like you never eat" stereotype, even though I ate a LOT! As well as the "ewww...your hips stick out...have you been sick?" I was just a very active young woman, not sick! Now I get the "Oh, look at these pictures when you were thin and pretty." WHAT? Just because I am bigger now, doesn't make me not pretty. Even now, I hear bigger women say terrible things about women who are thinner. Most recently, "People ignore you when you're fat, but they're nice to skinny girls. Why is that? I hate skinny girls for that." I told her when *I* was skinny, I was ignored a lot, but now that I'm bigger, people talk to me. HOWEVER, the reason people ignored me then and talk to me now is my PERSONALITY, not my WEIGHT.

However, magazines definately go too far with "perfection." Perfect teeth, perfect skin, perfect age, perfect perceived weight...

I know! I did a report on these pro ana sites for school, and looking at all the pictures gave me the creeps. Some of the women don't even look human anymore.

In no way was my post a slur against naturally thin people! The point I was trying to make was that, in magazines, even the skinniest models are retouched to look thinner. Ribs, spines, hip and pelvic bones cropped off to make them more 'aesthetically' pleasing. Thereby setting a goal that is unachievable to anybody.

Variety is gorgeous
I totally agree! But tell that to the advertisers. Which throws the ball right back at the consumers, because advertisers only use what sells.

I know myself that I was often called twig and daddy long legs and the like
I just wanted to add that I had similar problems as a child. 5'8" by the time I was 11, taller even than all the teachers at my school! and nicknamed 'Lurch' (Addams Family was popular at the time) by friends who barely reached my shoulders. I remember wearing jumpers in summer because my collar bones stuck out so much and I thought they were ugly. :~\ *sigh*

Those were a brilliant example! Thanks for posting them.

That pic is disgusting (What they did to it, I mean). Really, it's ridiculous. People have lost the ability to appreciate real beauty - truth. The lines in a person's face which tells you their life stories. The curves a person has that nobody else can really own. The sexuality in a woman who is happy in her natural, God-given body. Somebody being happy with themselves, despite an unfortunate body feature (missing limb, over-large appendage, whatever). Sad, very sad.

I'd like to see them, it sounds like a great project!

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2006/03/26/celebrity_retouching_10_reasons_to_revise_your_reality.php

A good link.

Awesome link! Thanks! :~)

Hey. Just give me your e-mail address and I'll be happy to. If for some reason you have myspace...I have two pictures on there of my project. It's easiest to find me by e-mail (cuteej4@yahoo.com)

Thanks for sharing this. If we only knew then what we know now, right?

Hi there! I've never posted in this blog before but I come to it for the art. I know this topic was posted a while ago but I've only just found it.

All your comments have got me once again furious at the western world's obsession with weight, whether it's telling people that they're too fat or too thin. I myself worry sometimes that I am too thin, but for health reasons, not image reasons. I never knew that models were airbrushed and photoshopped that way and it disgusts me. I just prey that J.K. doesn't go quiet on this issue.

Something needs to be done.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

skinny girls

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Agreed

no subject

no subject

Re: Agreed

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: Agreed

no subject

no subject

Re: Agreed

no subject

no subject