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SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
I've been looking into "body image" and how it affects our happiness. I've noticed more and more that people have an unrealistic view of their bodies. They believe themselves to be, too fat, too tall, too short, too old, too ugly...etc.

Without doing extensive scientific research I can't really conclusively say why this is, but I do believe it has to do with the way we are constantly bombarded with images of stick thin, blemish free, buffed and polished young men and women. Most of these images have been touched up or sculpted on a computer and are not the reality of what people actually look like. I know that's a bit of an over simplification of the issue, but stay with me I'm getting to the point of this post.

I would like to counter these unreal images we are given everyday. I'm thinking of starting a project to make up a book of nudes, of real people. All shapes, ages and sizes. I want to show that in reality everyone has a beautiful body. I want to show people that all shapes and sizes are the way we are meant to be.

Isn't it time we stopped this ridiculous notion that everyone should be young, stick thin and tall or they are ugly? Why do we allow ourselves to beat ourselves up over our body shapes?

I want to do something to promote a better healthier population that don't have self loathing issues due to trying to live up to some lunatic unreal unattainable body image.

Do you think I'd be wasting my time? Are the Young, skinny image too deeply ingrained for anyone to make a difference?

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


DrBooBRONZE Member
I invented the decaffinated coffee table.
453 posts
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom


Posted:
Personally, I think anything which encourages people to accept themselves for who and what they are, and attempts to bust the rubbish that we're fed by the media regarding the size/look people are "supposed" to be or have, can only be a good thing.



And furthermore, it's not just a case of trying to avoid images. We're bombarded with this rubbish from an early age - on TV, film, billboards, even toys. In the first study of its kind (Hailliwell, 2005), researchers used pictures of Barbie dolls to assess the impact of cultural ideals of “thinness” on very young children. They found that girls as young as five worry about their weight after seeing images of unrealistically slim figures.

Even more poinently, Mattel have said they visualize the Barbie doll as being an aspirational role model (Pedersen & Markee, 1991). If Barbie were a real woman she'd be 5 feet, 9 inches, (1.75 m) and would be 36-18-33, she's have to wear children's size three shoes, and probably not be able to walk properly and have a neck too thin to hold her head up (most women's necks would need to be elongated by about 3.2inches to come close to Barbie's). Great role model for our young girls.

An then there's the well known one that if manequins were real women they'd be too thin to menstruate.


Non-Https Image Link




It also doesn't help that our thin spokeswomen seem to have very few brain cells (maybe through lack of norishment?)



Written by: Columbus Dispatch, 2000





Actress/Estee Lauder spokesmodel Elizabeth Hurley was recently named "Babe of the Century'' in some poll. This apparently caused her to lose her senses, because she went on to gratuitously dump on Marilyn Monroe — who's hardly in a position to defend herself. Hurley says that the screen legend was overweight, peaking at a dress size of 16. "I've always thought Marilyn Monroe looked fabulous, but I'd kill myself if I was that fat,'' Hurley told Allure magazine in an amazingly tactless moment . . . "I went to see her clothes in the exhibition, and I wanted to take a tape measure and measure what her hips were. (laughter) She was very big."






So, I say, Go for it. Beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes, and this can not be celebrated enough biggrin hug

Rant over redface

Boo x

I intend to live forever - so far, so good.

If it costs "a penny for your thoughts", but people give you their "two-pence worth", who is getting the extra penny?


SocksBRONZE Member
Arf! Can I have a biscut?
288 posts
Location: North America, Mid West, USA


Posted:
I'm reminded of a photo spread that Sports Illustrated did around the 2000 olympics. They had olympic athletes pose nude, but tastefully so. It wasn't just the thin athletes, but the weightlifters, the wrestlers, and many others that aren't "perfect". One comment I remember was from one of the larger weightlifters who said "I put a lot of work into this body, it's about time I showed it off." And he wasn't a small guy.

It's not a waste of time to show the human body in all forms. Some people won't believe that a "well padded" form can be beautiful, but they also shell out millions of dollars a year in the mistaken idea that they can buy the perfect body.

Truth is magazines photoshop models to do things like fill in lips, lengthen legs, or highlight hair or whtever... Beauty can be manufactured, I hate to say.

I'm weird. Just work through that and we'll all be fine.

"If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater suggest that he wear a tail." - Fran Lebowitz


Frederick the RecklessBRONZE Member
Troupe Leader and founder, Fire and Steel
241 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
Written by: Pele


Written by: Frederick the Reckless


HECK, Pele, one of our mods, is slightly overweight in her interview video, but she's GORGEOUS! at least to me, and those of us who realize that beauty does not necessarily come in a small package.





redface thank you. redface smile



You're welcome... ubblove

Frederick the Reckless,
Troupe Leader,
Fire and Steel


TinklePantsGOLD Member
Clique Infiltrator, Cunning Linguist and Master Debator
4,219 posts
Location: Edinburgh burgh burrrrrr, United Kingdom


Posted:
I have the worst body image in the world. I'm obsessed with my appearance. The only thing that is normal is my face, which I think is beautiful - even though one eye in hgher than the other and my nose is a piggy nose lol. Everything else has to be checked regularly.
eg - posture - am i standing up straight? is my bum sticking out, do my boobs look too small? is my hair ok? - I constantly check these while pasing shop windows. I'm not vain, I'm far from it, I want to look pleasing to the eye, and knowing that due to my weight gain 5 yrs ago and the following weightloss, i'll never ever be confident with my body unless my skin is covered up and I am satisfied my bum and thighs aren't looking huge.

Its sad but true. I have to act confident, but I'm not confident at all.

Always use "so's your face" and "only on Tuesdays" in as many conversations possible


{anthrax}BRONZE Member
Look I've changed my title!
209 posts
Location: England


Posted:
The best thing I ever did to boost confidence was sing and play guitar on stage with the band members.

At first I would feel physically ill before each performance, now I'm excited about being on stage. It really helps boost your confidence for everything else, I can't remember the last time i was worried about anything.

anthrax.... it infects, then spreads..... fast


Frederick the RecklessBRONZE Member
Troupe Leader and founder, Fire and Steel
241 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
Written by: TinklePants


I have the worst body image in the world. I'm obsessed with my appearance. The only thing that is normal is my face, which I think is beautiful - even though one eye in hgher than the other and my nose is a piggy nose lol. Everything else has to be checked regularly.
eg - posture - am i standing up straight? is my bum sticking out, do my boobs look too small? is my hair ok? - I constantly check these while pasing shop windows. I'm not vain, I'm far from it, I want to look pleasing to the eye, and knowing that due to my weight gain 5 yrs ago and the following weightloss, i'll never ever be confident with my body unless my skin is covered up and I am satisfied my bum and thighs aren't looking huge.

Its sad but true. I have to act confident, but I'm not confident at all.




take it from me... you're adorable.

Frederick the Reckless,
Troupe Leader,
Fire and Steel


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Ok, after reading the replies in this thread and thinking about this idea more, I've come to the conclusion that yes, having more positive images of all shaped, sized and aged people on view all the time would eventually benefit peoples self body images, but it wouldn't fulfil what I want to achieve fast enough.

I have family and friends that have really low self esteem and they mostly focus this on body image. I want to help them now, not wait for a long term plan to make differences through a kind of drip, drip, drip effect through society.

I have a few idea for you guys to think over and give me your views on. You might point out all the holes in them and shoot them down in flames so I want to spend a bit of time formulating the ideas and trying to put them into text so the text actually reads as I mean the ideas to sound. That way if you do shoot them down in flames at least I will know its because its a rubbish idea rather than you not understanding what I'm aiming out.

I'll get back to you with the ideas soon.

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


Frederick the RecklessBRONZE Member
Troupe Leader and founder, Fire and Steel
241 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
another thing, pointing toward a shift in the direction of society beginning to accept women of all sizes: there is now a magazine that photographs big women in the same manner as playboy. the photos are tastefully done, with no nasty shots, the lighting is chosen to flatter, and retouching is done to soften the areas that the models would normally be uncomfortable with. i ordered an issue online at https://www.bodaciousmagazine.com/hompage.htm
, and i was extremely happy with the quality of the photography, the choice of models, and the sheer intelligence and appreciation that went into the publication. it features artwork by Les Toil, as well. for those of you that don't know who Les Toil is, he's world famous for his paintings of voluptuous, curvaceous and reubenesque women. if this magazine was as degrading a publication as the vast majority of the other BBW publications, he wouldn't touch it with a ten foot paintbrush. in fact, the magazine is so well done, my girlfriend is thinking of trying out for it.

Frederick the Reckless,
Troupe Leader,
Fire and Steel


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