There is a common misconception that thin women don’t have body image issues. Often times, when I tell people about this blog, they respond with “But why? You’re thin?!” I’m never quite sure how to answer this. I mean what does that have to do with anything? Sure, I don’t experience the same discrimination that others do based on the shape of my body, but please don’t be fooled…the media targets ALL of us…fat, thin, black, white, male, female, etc. The material we talk about on this blog reminds us on a daily basis that someone is always trying to sell us their diet products and shape our minds. And they don’t discriminate.
I remember one time I was watching a Special K commercial where an extremely thin woman was trying to decide what to eat for breakfast when one of her shirt buttons popped. Later, she is seen eating a bowl of Special K cereal as the narrator talks about how studies have shown that women who eat breakfast actually weigh less! I’m sitting there thinking to myself…”Why in the world does this woman need to weigh less? what is wrong with the way she looks”?
So what is it that this 60-second commercial is trying to get across? I think it’s something along the lines of this: everyone wants to lose a little weight, even this extremely thin woman. If her button popped, what does that mean for the rest of us? Eat Special K cereal and you won’t have to worry about your buttons popping.
Whom does this commercial seem to be targeting? I believe its targeting every woman who wants to lose weight. And guess what? Even though I’m fairly thin, I still have, at times, succumbed to the desire to be thinner. These commercials and diet ads seek to target EVERY woman! They play off of our desire to be thin(ner) and that is a desire that most of us have, despite our jean size.
I’m hoping that, by now, we here at EAC have done a sufficient job in pointing out how society plays off of our desire to be thin(ner). With this in mind, it’s no small wonder why we have body image issues. And that goes for ALL of us. So I wish people would please stop asking me why. With the message that thinner is better bombarding us all at every turn, and the idea that you can never be too rich, too thin and too beautiful as our current cultural motto, do you really have to ask why?
If my buttons started popping, I’d go get a muumuu – er, I mean – when my buttons did start popping, I went and got a muumuu.
Im totally with ya, Im a male and I get sick of hearing all the time that guys dont need to worry about been fat because theres not as much pressure for them. Well if I wasnt gay then that might be true but regardless there is always pressure if you feel it.
Also I think there was a study that showed no correlation between what you weighed and the amount of pressure you felt to lose weight. As you said it doesnt matter if your fat, thin, black, white, whatever – if you feel your fat you feel pressure.
I just wanted to say I really like your blog, I came here via Shapely Prose.
Excellent!!
sometimes we dont need to ask why, but to realize that ads is ads
they put away reasons and truth.
just be happy as the way we are (with or without cellulit..)
I must admit that one of the things I saw that boosted my ego no end (being a very larger lass myself), was seeing a sz 6 (US sz 0) young girl (about 18-20 years old) in the change rooms and she was COVERED in cellulite.
I dont have any self esteem issues, so maybe it is just the nasty side of me that took pleasure in it?
…and…again with the tape measure! *haha!* Even ‘before and after’ cellulite, you’re not likely to lose inches in your thighs, just smooth out the texture, right?
The symbolism of the tape measure….do I measure up? Numbers don’t lie, so I’d better whip out that little yellow tape measure and I’ll reduce myself to a number…and that number will either make me smile or cry.
saw it this morning. does anyone have a link to the commercial? im telling a friend about it and thought she would have a laugh at it.
so true! i’ve been naturally skinny my entire life and i still feel the pressure to be thinner. plus i feel like because i am perceived as being thin people expect me to have no flaws..even thing girls have cellulite.