Tag: body image

  • The Media’s Photoshop Problem – and this Lane Bryant Model’s Perfect Photo Clap Back

    The Media’s Photoshop Problem – and this Lane Bryant Model’s Perfect Photo Clap Back

    Scrolling through my social media feeds and flipping through magazines, I’ve questioned my fair share of photos for their authenticity. Airbrushing, tightening, whitening, and everything in between HAPPENS, and probably a lot more than we think. We all look at these perfect people depicted in magazines or on Instagram gawking at them, but do we really know how many rounds of photoshop that picture has gone through? Nope, we don’t.

    I recently came across an Instagram photo of a Lane Bryant model, Denise Bidot, and man is it refreshing. It’s refreshing because she looks like a normal person, and she is definitely not airbrushed – the stretch marks on her stomach are completely visible (and beautiful, might I mention). Her caption says, “Loving this new image and how real it is. Thank you @lanebryant for loving my body, stretch marks and all.”

    I love it, I love it, I love it. Okay, can you tell I love it? I love it because we’re all so conditioned to think the way perfectly airbrushed bodies in the media look is ‘normal.’ It’s not. But this photo from Denise Bidot IS normal – and in my opinion, her stretch marks shouldn’t be considered not normal. A lot of women have them, and they’re perfectly okay. So why do so many of the media make these ‘imperfections’ not normal?

    I’m sure you’ve all witnessed instances of celebrities being photoshopped, but this article outlines some horrible ones. A few highlights – Katy Perry’s stomach being smoothed out, thighs being thinned, and boobs being lifted in Rolling Stone, or Meghan Trainor’s waist being slimmed in her “Me Too” music video (which she corrected, thank goodness).

    Thankfully, some celebs call people out when they notice the nipping and tucking (like Zendaya and Kerry Washington, for example). It’s great that they’re acknowledging this problem, but why does the media want to depict them as something they’re not? I truly don’t get it.

    But that’s part of why I started The Curve Confessions – because our views of beauty are constantly skewed in the world around us. These kinds of photos are already changing our beauty ideals – making us think what we see from these perfectly framed women is what’s considered beautiful. But if we look at Katy Perry’s photoshop mishap in the article above, that makes it even worse. Because a celebrity like her, who is considered extremely attractive, is getting edited. I can’t help but think, what the hell would they do if I went in for a photoshoot? It’s just not okay to even have to compare ourselves to this (which is why we shouldn’t).

    I love the media (reading the news is part of my job), and I love following celebrity news – it’s something I really enjoy keeping tabs on. But, I want us all to take a critical eye to this stuff, and realize that it can be a complete fairy tale land. Yes, a lot of celebrities have killer bodies and look very similar to how they look in magazine articles we all see – that’s going to happen. But next time you’re scrolling, just remember that it COULD be photoshopped. And if it’s not, you should also remember that this is not the norm, and you don’t have to strive to look like this to be beautiful.

    Also, remember my post on Refinery 29? 67 percent of women are considered plus-size, but only TWO percent of them (or should I say us :)) are depicted in the media. We see things in the media that give us a completely skewed view of the real world – so let’s all make an effort to look around and remember the normal, beautiful and diverse bodies we see every day.

    I just had to get this photoshop stuff off my chest, because I hate seeing all of us compare ourselves to these people who live such different lifestyles than us (and if you don’t compare yourself to these beauty ideals, keep on keeping on!). I want you all to set your own beauty standards. You are beautiful, and you need to believe it – no matter what.

    PS – I think this goes without saying, but any photo you ever see of me for the rest of time will never be photo shopped or altered. 🙂 Also – you go, Denise Bidot, you go.

    Photo credit: Denise Bidot

  • All About Ashley

    All About Ashley

    “Stand up for curves. Confidence is sexy.” is a tagline straight from her website. Gosh, I love her.

    You guys have heard about her before on the blog – but it’s finally time to do a post on one of my biggest inspirations in the body image movement – Ashley Graham.

    I was first introduced to her when she became the first ever plus size model to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition – and I’ve honestly been hooked ever since. I watched a couple of videos of her on Instagram after all the news started hitting about her, and she was so confident in her own skin it was contagious.

    Ashley was signed to an international modeling agency at the young age of 13, and has been killing it from the beginning. But since I’ve been introduced, she’s pretty much hit the ground running, with magazine covers and features on the regular (in Shape, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and more), being named to Forbes Magazine’s “30 under 30,” and even having her own fashion line (okay, there’s so much more, but these are some highlights).

    This past week, Ashley was recognized at Glamour’s Women of the Year awards for “instantly bringing size acceptance into the mainstream with just one (fabulous) photo,” which references her Sports Illustrated cover. In her acceptance speech, she tells girls and women everywhere: “I let my body hold me back for so long. Don’t let your body hold you back. Don’t let your body insecurities hold you back from doing anything that you want to do.” Preach, girl.

    While at the awards on Monday, Graham was presented with a custom barbie doll that was modeled specifically after her. But this Barbie doll came with curves – as Graham’s number one request was that the doll’s thighs touched (ha, I love her so much).

    Mattel’s Barbie brand, the ones that created the doll, had already expanded the Barbie squad with curvy, petite, and tall body types last year – but this custom Ashley Graham doll is just another step in the right direction. And Graham’s public effort to make girls and women everywhere feel good about themselves, no matter their size, is a force to be reckoned with.

    As all celebrities have dealt with, Ashley’s been criticized on both ends of the spectrum – from “promoting obesity” to “selling out and becoming too thin.” But through it all, Ashley has stayed true to herself, and ladies, that’s all we can do.

    In a world sometimes filled with disrespect, judgement and anger, it’s important that we all channel our inner Ashley Graham. A woman that stands by her body and herself – empowers other women to do the same – and embodies the term f*** the haters, Ashley’s message applies to us all.

    And to me, it doesn’t just apply to our bodies, but it applies to our jobs, our relationships, literally everything. Never be ashamed of who you are – and don’t ever change who you are for the sake of others. Be true to yourself, love yourself, and you’ll find your way in this absolutely crazy world (just like Ashley has).

    And Ashley, just a heads up, this won’t be the last time I obsess over you on the blog 😉 ❤

    Photo credit: Allan Slank

  • Penn State Football Kicker’s Inspiring and Brave Body Image Story

    Penn State Football Kicker’s Inspiring and Brave Body Image Story

    Joey Julius, kicker of Penn State University’s football team, is a superb athlete. But what you may not know about him is that he has struggled with body image issues and binge eating disorder almost his whole life. If you’re unfamiliar, binge eating disorder is one of the most prevalent eating disorders among adults, characterized as recurring episodes of eating large quantities of food. This past weekend, I learned more about his inspiring story. Check out the video from ESPN here: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=17797877

    The public isn’t always made aware of athlete’s struggles with body image, but Joey was strong enough to bring his issue into the public eye. Him doing so is moving – and will help others to realize that it’s okay to feel the way you feel, and it’s okay to admit you have an issue. But it’s also okay to change your life for the better, even if it’s scary as hell.

    Like Joey mentions, guys and athletes have an expectation to just “be a man” or “rub some dirt on it.” As a guy, admitting he had an eating disorder was likely not easy – but his honesty and willingness to make a change got him the help he needed. Additionally, public speaking in itself is terrifying – and Joey doing so on such a personal level is incredibly brave of him.

    It’s so important to acknowledge that body image issues don’t solely apply to women – but men can be affected too (and like Joey, guys or athletes shouldn’t be afraid to get help or admit they’re struggling). Same goes for us all – we owe it to ourselves to improve how we see, talk about and treat our bodies. And if that means asking for help, so be it.

    Men and women everywhere have an immense pressure on ourselves to look a certain way. But guys, six packs and zero percent body fat aren’t the reality. The way you look is perfect, and if you don’t see that, I hope this post (and my blog) can help you.

    Whether you’re struggling with an eating disorder, the way you see yourself in the mirror, or whatever the case may be – there’s one answer to help all of those things. And that is change. Joey’s change was seeking a treatment center, but yours may be therapy, amping up your exercise routine, making a point to be healthier, or just simply changing your thought process to accept yourself.

    Whatever your story, or even if you’re a bystander of a friend going through issues – we all have a part in the body image movement. Here are a few things you can do today to help:

    • Be nice to your body. Exercise as much as you can, eat healthy, and always remember to tell yourself positive things about you and your body.
    • Accept others bodies and praise them, don’t be jealous or mean. Everyone’s on their own journey. So reconsider the next time you make a fat joke, get jealous of a celebrity’s body, and try making a point to praise others and tell them they look great. Remember, you look great too, and everyone deserves to be praised.
    • If it’s feeling like you can’t do it alone or these issues are affecting your overall well-being, seek help. Whether that’s therapy to talk through your thoughts, a treatment center, or confiding in a friend – do what you need to do to feel better. Positive self talk and the strategies above are great, but they may not be enough. And that’s okay.

    Thanks to my amazing Dad for sending me this story. I love you! And thanks to Joey Julius for being so open and inspiring. I don’t know you personally, but you are truly an inspiration.

    Photo credit: Nick Knouse

  • Next Time You Talk Negative, Think of Your Best Friend

    Next Time You Talk Negative, Think of Your Best Friend

    In tandem with World Mental Health Day earlier this week, Yahoo Finance posted an eye opening and emotional video of best friends saying negative things they’ve thought to themselves about their bodies, but aloud to each other. Check it out here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=LzT2ZzDXceg 

    Watching this video brought tears to my eyes. To hear these women body shaming themselves was hard – and to be honest, I wanted to shake them and say, “What?! You’re perfect and amazing.”

    This video is a great reminder that we need to stop comparing, and we need to stop judging ourselves. But it also brought back some hard memories from my past.

    For almost my whole life, I’ve talked down to my body. I’ve said some dark and horrible things about myself and my figure – and I’m not proud of it. In turn, I’ve made changes to turn those thoughts positive. But there’s always room for improvement for all of us, and we must work together to rid ourselves of the negativity.

    One of my favorite people who I reference a lot on the blog, Ashley Graham, said in a recent SELF magazine article, “We’ve been taught to say negative things about ourselves. I decided to break that cycle.”

    Well, that’s what I’m hoping to do, too.

    So accept those around you, and accept yourself – flaws and all. And hell, don’t be afraid to compliment yourself and show yourself some love – whether it’s your smile, your outfit, what you achieved today, or how your amazing body looks, don’t forget to give yourself some encouragement. Yes, you can do this out loud. Whether it’s while looking in the mirror, writing in your journal, wherever, it’s SO important!

    I spent too many years not doing it – so I’m giving myself some major catch up time. You should too.

    Body shaming and negative self-talk comes in many forms – and it is mostly internalized. The next time you criticize yourself, body-related or not – imagine yourself having to recite these words aloud to your best friend. Painful, right? Think about this video next time, and maybe your negative thoughts will change.

    Sadly, according to DoSomething.org, approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape.

    91 percent – I’m in shock. I’m also saddened by this statistic – and I want people everywhere to know that you are worth it. Your body is amazing and unique. And we all need to appreciate ourselves for exactly who we are, even if it starts with a few kind words.

    So take this video as a lesson – and if you wouldn’t say that negative comment to your best friend, don’t say it to your beautiful self either.

  • Refinery 29’s Moving Campaign: #SeeThe67

    Refinery 29’s Moving Campaign: #SeeThe67

    Meet the invisible majority. 67% of American women are plus-size (considered size 14 and up), but they make up less than 2% of the images we see in mainstream media.

    Refinery 29 is making an effort to change that. If you’re unfamiliar, Refinery 29 is an online lifestyle site focused on fashion, beauty and style. Just recently, they launched a campaign called the 67 percent project. In short, it’s their pledge to feature plus sized models on their site, in their newsletter, as well as on their Instagram and Snapchat channels 67% of the time – from this point on.

    The mainstream media is consistently promoting stick thin models, but in reality, this is not what the majority of us look like. Refinery 29 wants people to see themselves depicted when scrolling through their content, or at least people who look more like the average woman, and this project is making that possible. Not only that, it’s pushing other media outlets and people everywhere to #SeeThe67.

    I can’t express enough how important this movement is – and how proud I am of Refinery 29. It’s not easy. It’s different – and it’s hard. But it’s beyond needed in this world. People need to be constantly reminded that they are beautiful no matter the size. And the more the media can promote this message, the more people like you and I will start to believe it.

    This past week, I got the opportunity to meet with top-tier lifestyle media outlets for a work event in NYC, one of them being an editor at Refinery 29. It was a super cool office, and an exciting moment for me in my career. But my visit there was meaningful in more ways than one. It was most definitely a great opportunity for me to meet with an editor of this caliber and get face time on behalf of my company. But it was also incredibly special to be there on behalf of The Curve Confessions, since their #SeeThe67 campaign is admirable and inspiring (and what The Curve Confessions is all about).

    Taking a stance like this is no easy feat, as the publication has been planning for months and faced hardships already, stating, “Not only have we faced practical challenges, but we’ve had to reckon with deeper issues of bias and prejudice along the way.”

    Refinery 29 bringing this issue into the public eye makes them a top publication in my book. So all I can say is thank you, Refinery 29. Thank you for taking your public forum and using it for good – and validating all those people out there who don’t feel worthy enough, or question their size due to the pressures of our society.

    Your message and campaign means a lot to me, and it also means a lot to women everywhere. But this campaign is only the beginning, and I’m damn proud to feel like I’m a part of it.