Monday, May 19, 2008

Vanity Issues

I have some of my days wondering if I'd ever be a model. Every model I've seen is beautiful. They're tall and thin. I look at myself and think I just may not make the cut. I'm a big girl and every model I've seen on the catwalk and on the glossy pages of magazines have bodies that are to-die-for. Literally to-die-for. In a business that promotes reed-thin women, I'm crap.

Beauty, as shown by the media, is synonymous to tall and thin. Well, you don't necessarily have to be pretty, just THIN. THIN is acceptable. THIN is perfect. And due to all this, women all over the world starve themselves. Why do you think women become slaves to the treadmill? Why do you think we have numerous cases of anorexia and bulimia? You can't blame these young women. Blame the fickle industry called show business. This industry tends to shun women who actually have meat on their bones. Tell me, have you ever seen a stocky woman dominate the catwalk?

Women of size want to prove that big women are beautiful, too. That they, too, can be images of perfection. Reed-thin women don't constitute to the majority of the world's population and promoting such women would only make the majority feel awful. They'd think I'm not pretty/beautiful/svelte enough.
Have you ever watched "Make Me A Supermodel?" Jen, a meaty woman was able to enter the final four, thanks to her supporters. This shocked the panel of judges. They have said that she can't be a ramp model. Sure, she has a lovely face but as one of the judges said, "You will never be a supermodel." And why not? Because she has fat? She has a body that doesn't look so fragile? Because she's the kind of beautiful your fickle industry doesn't accept? You could see the utter shock and disappointment on the judges' faces as this not-so-typical model actually makes the cut. She's just one of the few who immersed themselves in a kind of industry that could crush your dignity.

Modeling is a mean business. One of the other models (a guy) actually called the average-built Jen OVERWEIGHT. Excuse me? Just because she has a body that isn't malnourished-looking as the others, she's overweight (Read: She's tall, just gave birth, and has a waistline of 29in)? Wake up, world. Beautiful doesn't mean thin. They were never synonymous. Don't make the billions of women out there who are beautiful the way they are miserable.

4 comments:

mox said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mox said...

i don't consider skinny people good-looking.

phantasmagoria said...

well, yeah. you may not. but many out there do. especially agents and all. there are plus-size models but no average-built models. you don't see them on the catwalk 'cause it has been said "clothes look better on thin people." hehe. what a world

Anonymous said...

hi soulmate. haha. i'm not the only one who cares pala about y'know, wanting to be a model. but y'know, i always thought of you as model material. you have really nice shoulders. and you're taller than the average filipina. that's a start. :)