Monday, February 22, 2010
Size 4 Model Loosing Work, Considered Fat by Fashion Industry
The fashion industry has always placed an emphasis on body image, but when i read this story i was shocked. 21 year old Coco Rocha, who is only a size 4 is now considered "Too Fat" to be a model. Many designers have dropped her from their shows and stopped working with her because she is "too large." And all this comes after the industrys promise to start promoting a healthier body image and to stop using models who are unhealthily skinny. Right now the industry standard for runway shows and photoshoots is a girl over 5'7" and around a size 0. Rocha recently spoke out saying that at her thinnest she was only 108 pounds, which is shocking considering she is 5'10", and a designer told her she needed to lose weight. Many models go to unhealty extreems to achieve these thin bodies, including anorexia and other eathing disorders. Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died in 2006 from complicatins caused by anorexia, and still our society is obsessed with being skinny. My major concern is not for the models or those already in the fashion industry but for the message that all this is sending to young girls. As women we are constantly bombarded by things meant to make us think we are not attractive enough. Magazines, movies, advertisements, the internet are all showing images or articles about "how to lose 10 pounds" or what to do to have perfect shiny hair. We are meant to think that if we do not have the perfect body or perfect skin or perfect makeup, we are not beautiful. It scares me to think how girls are going to be able to develop self esteem in our society right now with everything working against them from such a young age.
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While I do agree that the media portrays beauty in an unrealistic way, I think that things have really improved in terms of boosting body image. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty fights stereotypical views of beauty in North American culture. Their campaign launched in 2004 to “widen the definition and discussion of beauty”. They found that only 2% of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful and that 81% of women in the USA strongly agree that “the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can’t ever achieve”. They feature thought provoking ads with real women in their underwear showing real shaped bodies. This is a confidence building message to young girls, that no matter what size, shape and color you are you should be proud of your body.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked that only 2% of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful. I think that the media puts way too much weight on LOOKS and not enough on PERSONALITY and INNER BEAUTY. When I think of the people I find most beautiful, I think of those around me that are kind, loving, and generous to their friends and family. If only there were more campaigns like Doves to change our perceptions of beautiful, than more than 2% of women would think they are.
One of my friends was rejected by a modeling company because her legs were too big, and she is one of the thinnest girls I know. She is also very beautiful. I've had many guys tell me that they dont like girls too skinny, and that being a size 0 is just scary. But,then alot of my girl friends are always unhappy with their weight. It seems that girls cannot accept themselves because some parts of society cannot accept them.
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