Category: Pop Culture

  • What Is Body Neutrality, & Should We All Be Practicing It?

    What Is Body Neutrality, & Should We All Be Practicing It?

    If you follow and read my blog, you know I’m always talking about being body positive. But recently, I’ve dug into a new, similar concept called ‘body neutrality.’ But what is body neutrality, and should we be practicing it?

    I did some research, and the short answer is… absolutely. Essentially, body neutrality aims to encourage us all to accept the body we are in and focus on its achievements rather than its appearance. For example, thinking about what our bodies can do for us, as opposed to the way they look.

    To be honest, this has given me a whole new outlook on what I preach. Because the thing about body neutrality is that it makes it OK to have days where you don’t love your body. Because we all have those tough days, we all have our moments. But we have to remember what our bodies DO for us – not just what they look like.

    Don’t get me wrong, I still am preaching for us all to be confident in our own skin, that is for sure. I just think it’s important to practice body neutrality as well – so that we don’t feel guilty on days where we’re not feeling body positive, but instead appreciate our bodies for all they can do and are. So, I guess I’m body-positive-neutral? I hope you’ll join me.

    XOXO

    Photo credit: beyondbeautifulbook

  • Nike’s Plus Size Mannequin Makes a Bold Statement, But Why Is It Bold?

    Nike’s Plus Size Mannequin Makes a Bold Statement, But Why Is It Bold?

    If you haven’t seen it flooded in your social media feeds, this week news broke of Nike adding “plus size” mannequins to its flagship London store display.  Mostly, I’ve seen positive reactions on social media, with people commending them for putting these (very common) body types on display.

    I’m happy about it too. But I’m also still upset that it’s something that’s so bold – and at that, it’s also something receiving backlash. A Telegraph article called out the mannequin for being “obese” – which did receive backlash – but is insane to me that someone could say or think that.

    It’s also still kind of crazy to me that this body type is considered some ‘revolution’ by Nike – does the world realize 67% of women in the world are considered “plus size”? Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing that a huge retailer like Nike is taking the liberty to do this- but I don’t think it should be some bold statement. It should be our world’s reality – because a lot of women relate to the looks of that mannequin.

    Oh, and the term plus size… I was always over it but I am definitely over it. ‘Plus size’ women shouldn’t have to be categorized in a different category than others shopping.

    Do you agree? Hoped you enjoyed this short, sweet, and to the point blog post this week! Xoxo

  • National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Why We All Need to Get Behind the #ComeAsYouAre Campaign

    National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Why We All Need to Get Behind the #ComeAsYouAre Campaign

    If you’re unfamiliar with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), this week is a great time to get familiar. NEDA is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people and families affected by eating disorders – and from February 25 through March 3 (coined National Eating Disorders Awareness Week) – they’re raising awareness of eating disorders to educate others and remind those struggling they’re not alone.

    It is estimated that eating disorders will effect 20 million women and 10 million men in America alone in their lifetime. Eating disorders come in many different forms and affect people of all different backgrounds, and are specifically more likely to be developed by people with negative body image (which personally resonates with me).

    To spread awareness this year, the National Eating Disorders Association teamed up with Instagram to create their #ComeAsYouAre campaign, a movement to let individuals at all stages of body acceptance and eating disorders recovery know that their stories are valid, and to encourage them to share their whole stories – “the real, the mess, the un-perfect moments.”

    We all know Instagram can be a place filled with pressure – to feel we should look a certain way, to compare our bodies to others, etc. – and this campaign is such an important reminder that we should all be accepted exactly the way we are.

    Whether you’ve experienced an eating disorder, body image issues, or know someone who has, this year’s movement is important for us all – and I’m so grateful to be a part of it (even if it’s just posting my own photo and story).

    I hope you consider spreading awareness, too. Eating disorders and body image issues affect so many people, and it’s so important to educate ourselves and remind those struggling they’re not alone. And this campaign is a great way to do just that.

  • An Open Letter to The Bachelor: Where Are The Curves At?

    An Open Letter to The Bachelor: Where Are The Curves At?

    Dear Bachelor Franchise,

    I am writing because I noticed a huge flaw in your programming – one that is quite frankly an epidemic in today’s media – and that is your failure to include curvy women on your show.

    Question: When casting your seasons for The Bachelor, do you have a requirement that says, “Women must be no bigger than a size 4?” Because I’m going to be honest, I see a little more body diversity when men are competing for the rose, but not so much when it’s women.

    There’s nothing wrong with these women that are featured on the show season after season – I don’t skinny shame – but there’s a whole lot of thick and curvy women that you’re missing out on. And quite frankly that America’s missing out on when you don’t include anyone on the show bigger than a size 4.

    But what’s wrong with this ‘letter’ is I shouldn’t even have to be writing it – it should just be happening. Curvy, thick, plus-size women – whatever you want to call it – shouldn’t have to fight to be the norm or included in a popular show to find love. Thick women ARE the norm. In fact, 67% of women are considered plus-size. Though I dislike the term plus-size, I’m curious as to why this isn’t it depicted in a popular TV show like yours that millennials, impressionable teens, and the like are watching?

    I asked myself the same thing when I was watching the new season with my roommate the other night – where the heck are the curves at? And sadly, it’s the same story every single season.

    As a woman watching who has curves, nowhere near a six-pack, and still is just as deserving of finding love as the next person, it’d be nice to see some more body diversity on your show. So that’s why I’m writing this letter that you’ll probably never read – but you should. Because I speak for a lot of women whose body types aren’t being represented, but very well should be… 67%+ to be exact.

    And not going to lie… I actually think Colton could use some curves. Just saying. 😉

    Sincerely,

    Your Favorite TV Viewer (And Guilty Bachelor Viewer)

  • These three celebrities are talking body image and I’m SO here for it

    These three celebrities are talking body image and I’m SO here for it

    Well, hello everyone. It’s been a bit since I’ve written a blog post… I’m excited to be back! Side note from this blog, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my blog and how to spice things up and bring more updates to you all. Without getting into too much detail… get ready for more updates, more blog posts, and a whole lot more inspo, people.

    But back to the post… celebrities killing the body positive movement lately. Yes please. As you have probably noticed, I follow the celebrity scene pretty closely. Kind of a guilty pleasure? And since starting The Curve Confessions, I’ve realized now more than ever they are talking about body image. How cool for my blog, right?! Exactly what I was thinking.

    This Sunday, gather some inspiration from each of these amazing ways celebrities are supporting ALL OF US in the body positive movement.

    • Beyonce: Since I know there’s a lot of ladies out there who follow and love the Queen Bey, I think her recent interview and cover with Vogue was SO important. If you missed it, check it out. She talks about her post-partum body and how she’s loving her “FUPA” (her words, not mine!), and how she gave herself self-love and self-care, and embraced being curvier following her complicated pregnancy. Hell yeah, girl. In my opinion, the message here is listen to your body and rock it no matter what stage you’re at. And I’m so glad she could bring that message to the masses in this interview.
    • Emmy Rossum: If you aren’t familiar with the name, Emmy stars in Shameless (aka the best show ever). And not only is she an incredible actress, but I’ve also been catching that she’s an awesome person, too. Shortly after the whole Kardashian’s calling each other “so skinny” thing and talking about their weight (Kim saying on her Instagram story that she’s 119 pounds), Emmy has been promoting some crazy good messages about weight (and how it’s so not important). She wrote a series of Instagram posts asking her followers if they wanted to know how much she weighed – followed by an image of her with things about herself that had absolutely nothing to do with weight. She then encouraged followers to post their own photos – and directed them to an online community called “I Weigh,” which is a movement to look beyond the scale. I’m SO here for this and love Emmy even more now. I encourage everyone to follow both Emmy (@emmy) and I Weigh (@i_weigh) for more inspiration.
    • Amy Schumer: Okay, Schumer is always a proponent of telling women everywhere to rock the skin they’re in. I’m beyond late to the party, but I watched her movie ‘I Feel Pretty’ and it gave me all the feels. She basically breaks down society’s expectations of women and the pressure we put on ourselves, but sheds light on the fact that no matter how you look – EVERYONE feels their own insecurities. But beyond that, it encourages women to have confidence no matter what their size is (something I hope you all feel when following my blog!). In addition to her movie that I was completely late to the game on, she also recently spoke at the BlogHer 2018 conference, encouraging women to lift each other up. Basically, I’m just all in for Amy Schumer’s support of women and positive body image, and I hope you are too.

    These women are just a few examples of celebrities in the public eye talking about issues that are SO important for girls and women everywhere to hear and practice. This is the stuff I love seeing – and only hope to continue seeing.

    Question for you: Do you like the celebrity stuff? Do you want to see more of it? I hope so! But that’s also okay if not. Leave me a comment or drop me an email if you have anything specific you want to see me write about. thecurveconfessions@gmail.com. And if you’re not following me on Instagram, get going! @thecurveconfessions

    Have a kick butt Sunday, you all. Oh also, speaking of celebs, if you haven’t listened to Ariana Grande’s new album Sweetener, please go do that.

    XOXO, Kenzie