How about a new take on celebrities?
Last week I saw the new Woody Allen film, Vicky Christina Barcelona. Besides it being a fantastic movie, I couldn’t help but be totally amazed by the real beauty that Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, and Penelope Cruz all possess.
I mean, just take a look at these images. That is a woman with really gorgeous curves! Want more female eye candy? Click here. And don’t worry, I’m not quite finished yet- one last link for you!
Are these women thin? Yes, but I think that they are healthy-thin. They’ve worked for those bodies. It’s their job to look that way, and they appear to have balanced a healthy lifestyle with the demands of society and the media. They look as though they celebrate their curves, they embrace their bodies, they do what they can to keep themselves in top condition.
And yet. We rarely hear anything about these women.
My question to you is this: why do we spend so much time staring at women such as the ones from 90210, and railing on about how thin they are and how it’s terrible and they need to gain weight etc etc, when instead we could be raving about how great it is that there are other celebrities who have not fallen under the spell of eating disorders? Why do we place so much attention on the negative, which probably makes these already ultra-self conscious, super-skinny girls just spiral downwards, when instead we could be just enjoying the entertainment they provide for us (not their lifestyles, but the shows and movies that they star in), and be congratulating actresses like Scarlett Johansson for their ability to rise above the harshly critical public eye?
It’s not our place to judge. And it does no one any good to put the spotlight on diseases like eating disorders. People suffering from those conditions need a helping hand, and we could be spending our time appreciating and becoming empowered by the role models we see who accept and love their bodies.
This is an absolutely fantastic post/photo of beauty in 1919. It looks to me as though “beauty” and “healthy” were synonymous during those times… why can’t beauty and healthy mean the same thing in the present day?
I agree that we should spend more time commending people for the good things they do rather than condemning them for the bad! Reinforce what you want to see more of, for sure.
The problem is that our society has crossed the line into using the actual celebrities (and not just their movies/music/shows) as entertainment. often this “negative” attention is actively courted by the celebs themselves. The 90210 girls have an amazing publicist, frankly. The only way this will change is when we stop consuming the garbage they are spewing. And this post is a great start, Sagan! Amen to all that.
Who knows… maybe some day the pendulum will swing back in favor of more healthy figures that actually allow celebrities to EAT.
Thanks for the link. 🙂
I agree with Vered – these things do move in cycles. In the 1920s it was trendy to be rail thin too – flappers and all that. It was a reflection of youth-worship a kind of hedonism/escapism which really resonates with society in the 00’s.
But this is now so dangerous in the global influence of the media, and the accesibility of this new desirable image. I mean, you may not be able to afford a Fendi handbag, but you can afford to starve yourself, right?
So, Pied Piper style, celebrities are spreading a plague of eating disorders, but instead of INFORMING and spreading understanding of the causes, the media simply condemn the sufferers and perpetuate a climate of intolerance and alienation.
Makes. Me. So. Mad.
TA x
I think people often look towards celebrities as a healthy visual. I don’t believe that most are a good example, some yes…maybe your examples? Nice post! Thanks!
Great links!! Hopefully society will embrace healthiness over superficial “beauty” soon!!
As one who is embracing her new-found curves (damn you, sugar!) I applaud this post 🙂 Seriously, I’m so tired of beauty stereotypes – I think it’s especially prevalent in the East.
Charlotte- I suppose there IS a big problem with the idea that any kind of press is good press- we really do need to change that!
Vered- wouldn’t that be nice!
TA- great point; all of this information is so accessable to everyone these days that it just makes it that much more dangerous. Makes me mad too.
Mark- there’s so many unhealthy celebs out there, it’s wonderful to find some that care about their bodies!
Veggiegirl- we can only hope:)
Dee- now you’ve got me thinking about all the fantastic food you make. Sighs. I’ve never much considered how prevalent it is in the East but would LOVE to learn more about the different body image issues across the globe.
I agree with Charlotte: there’s no such thing as bad publicity for actors.
you;d think with all the emphasis we put on wealth and socialites, we would envy larger bodies, like we used to. its a sign of excess.
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitness.com
For some reason I was left thinking (I love this post &) perhaps because the emaciated wonders are still insisting they ARE healthy.
I love being the mom to a toddlergirl and its terrifying being the mom to a toddlergirl.
Miz.
For some reason I was left thinking (I love this post &) perhaps because the emaciated wonders are still insisting they ARE healthy.
I love being the mom to a toddlergirl and its terrifying being the mom to a toddlergirl.
Miz.
For some reason I was left thinking (I love this post &) perhaps because the emaciated wonders are still insisting they ARE healthy.
I love being the mom to a toddlergirl and its terrifying being the mom to a toddlergirl.
Miz.
You said it girl. We spend way too much time focusing on the negative publicity with celebrities and not the ones who look strong and healthy. No wonder people have such negative self-images.
What a nice, positive post!!
Really, I think if Ms. Ferguson was kicking it today, she could be the same BMI, with a modern athletic and toned look like the examples you gave!
Tricia- certainly seems that way; it’s unfortunate that that’s their point of view.
Kelly- I love that. Why is it that everyone seems to WANT to look as though they’re starving and incapable of taking care of themselves?
MizFit- that IS a problem. But then, maybe they wouldn’t have to insist those things if we didn’t accuse them of being unhealthy in the first place… and then they wouldn’t be kidding themselves and perhaps they’d recognize their issues?
Crystal- positivity makes the world go round:)
Dr. J- so true. She’d be amazing. THOSE are the kinds of trends that we ought to be succumbing to!
Love that pic! I definitely resemble that body type then what is considered beautiful today. Well, I like the way I look, don’t care if I fit in or not!
Missicat- I love to hear that!!
What’s that saying? “What gets rewarded gets repeated.” Or something like that. I think we can start a new trend. First shot goes to Sagan.:)
Good point! More focus on the positive is a great idea.
But I think some of the criticism is necessary to balance out the unspoken assumption that we are supposed to emulate the skinny actresses and models we see everywhere.
Most women who see these images in the grocery store are feeling like there’s something wrong with themselves because they don’t look that way. The more people who cry “foul” the better, I think, until we dump these ridiculous standards as role models. We’ve done that better in the health blogosphere, but not so much in “real life.”