It never ceases to amaze me that in the year 2012 women are still struggling to be recognised for their achievement and abilities as opposed to their bodies.
Body image has been the focus of great media attention in Australia recently. Just prior to the Olympic Games, our four time Olympian, Leisel Jones was criticised for being “overweight.” Apparently to be an Olympian you need to look anorexic. Shots were taken of her crouching down by the pool to emphasis the existence of a stomach. If I crouch down like that I’d look like Michelin man. Fortunately, there was a public outcry. Anyone who qualifies for the Olympics and goes on to earn four gold medals is obviously fit and health otherwise they wouldn’t make it to this elite level. It is such a shame that her Olympic experience had to be overshadowed by negative media attention. Other Olympian women were also criticised for their weight or looks including Holley Mangold, Jessica Ennis and Gabby Douglas.
Not long after that story was published in the print media A Current Affair, a local TV show, decided to air a story criticising young women for how they dress when they go out to night clubs claiming they dress too scantily. Ita Buttrose, an iconic magazine editor, commented “Do you (young women) want to look like a hooker or a desirable young woman? … It’s not the tart that they (young men) take home to meet their mother” implying that only “nice girls,” as defined by Ita, get married. Charlotte Dawson, Next Top Model judge, commented that prostitutes dressed better and “it’s not in their [young women’s] best interest” to dress like that, “that there are consequences of dressing up like this “and to “know the risks you may take.” In the process A Current Affair objectified the young women by zooming in on their buttocks as well as implying that they were “asking for it.”.It’s about time the media leave young women and their bodies alone.
Media should be criticising fashion outlets, the music industry and their own fashion magazines that push the short skirts, shorts and revealing tops not the young ladies wearing these clothes. Young women mimic music stars like Rihanna who dress “sexy” and the media pushes this as being a desirable image. What young females wear is heavily influenced by what is available in clothing stores for young women. The media sends conflicting messages to young women. On the one hand it pushes the idea that women should look sexy but then it tells women that if they dress “too” sexy they should expect to get raped. Media pushes the societal view that it’s unreasonable to expect men to have self-control. Dress a certain way and you can expect to be raped. It’s about time that we teach that rape is wrong and there are no excuses! No women or girls ask to be raped! No women or girls want to be raped! Women get raped regardless of what they are wearing. A woman could be out jogging or even at home and she can become a victim. Men need to be taught to control themselves.
On the other hand, thank goodness for recent triumphs. In May 2012 Julia Bluhm along with other Spark activists organised a petition against teen magazine Seventeen challenging them to print one unaltered photo spread a month. They claimed that digitally enhanced photos of models negatively affecteed the self-esteem and body image of girls. As a result Seventeen promised not to change the faces or body size of their models, to listen to readers’ feedback and to celebrate beauty in all of its diverse shapes, sizes and colors. A great victory! Julia and Spark now have their sights set on Teen Vogue. Some companies like Dove are getting the message that women should be comfortable about who they are and are adjusting their advertising accordingly. It would be great to see other companies and the media follow suit.
We need to encourage girls and women to feel confident about themselves instead of constantly scrutinizing themselves and others for the way they look or don’t look. Girls and women should be judged by their intelligence, achievements and who they are not their clothes and outer shell.
Photo Credits
©Healthy Is the New Skinny
With “Not Ever, Rape Crisis Scotland has launched Scotlands first ever TV campaign aimed at tackling women-blaming attitudes to rape. The advert was launched on Monday 28 June, and was broadcast for the first time that night during coverage of Brazil’s World Cup match.
Recent Amanda Makrides Articles:
- Cut Waste, Save the World. Part 1: Fridge Audit
- Blow the Whistle
- Watching The Clock
- What the World Needs Now
- If It’s Too Good To Be True…
it’s crucial to make it clear that our bodies are not “public property”.
latest update – campaign in Australia for Cleo Magazine to better reflect the true body image of women. Early this year Jessica Barlow started a petition requesting Cleo to stop photoshopping images of girls. http://paper-people.com/ Now CLEO have agreed to:
• They’ll publish their photoshopping policy within the front pages of every issue
• This month’s edition includes a six-page spread on the issues of digitally altering images, magazines and body image — including an article from Jessica Barlow about the petition!
• Cleo have confirmed that their policy is to never slim down or alter girls’ physical appearance in the photos they personally shoot for the mag.
• They’re considering a disclaimer on externally sourced altered cover images, and are asking readers to email cleobodyimage@acpmagazines.com.au if you wish to see them do it.
Another victory!