"Thinspiration"

"Thinspiration"
Ashley Phillips

“Type the terms “#thinspiration,” “#thinspo” or “#ana” into various social media networks, and a disturbing underground world comes into focus. Images of emaciated legs and protruding ribs are flanked by words like “starving for perfection” and drastic tips to drop weight. Combined, they reveal a troubling movement that advocates eating disorders”(Fighting social media). Although many people believe it is only normal behavior for teenagers to become a little insecure about their physical appearance and weight through their teenage years, research shows that for many it is becoming more than normal. It is an obsession or newly found epidemic called “Thinspiration. 

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Now some people may be wondering what Thinspiration is and why it is so important. Thinspiration is a “term that refers to inspire weight loss. Usually the person who is trying to lose weight will use pictures of someone who is the desired size as a reminder of his or her goal.”(Yandoli). Most people who believe in Thinspiration are not fixated on the idea of being healthy, just the idea of being thin. Thin does not necessarily mean healthy.This is proven by people who become sick or caught up in eating disorders. “Forty-seven percent of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures or ads. Sixty-nine percent of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape” (ANAD).

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This fact is important to understand because it shows the effect that that social media and just media in general has on these girls. I believe this sets them up for failure because instead of believing they’re beautiful they feel the need to constantly compare and tweak what they view as their flaws. The Internet has become a common source of Thinspiration imagery, especially on weight loss websites and those that promote eating disorders like Anorexia, Bulimia etc.The problem with all these images coming about is that women then tend to look down on themselves because they feel as though they are not good enough or not up to the unrealistic expectations that our society has created with these images and expectations on what a woman should be.

(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BJTA4NhCcAATyWz.jpg:large)

Most people, including teenage girls, look up to their favorite celebrities as a source to show what their body should look like instead of focusing on medical facts about healthy weight. This is a problem because everyone’s body is in fact different and the perfect weight for someone else may not fit or be healthy for you. “Weight is based off height, age, body type and gender stated by” (Ideal Weight). So two people may be the same weight but one looks bigger than the other based on these things, that does not make a person fat. The ideal body weight as well as a healthy body weight range based on height, gender, and age.  A person who believes in or follows Thinspiration may feel fat when that is not true at all.

The pressure society puts on celebrities and models to be thin sells. These companies are only interested in the business side of things. These companies are not concerned with the effects of their shenanigans. Every magazine cover that is put on display is photo shopped often beyond recognition. If one is not informed of this they begin to look up to and aspire to be like or as good as the photo shopped model or celebrity on the cover.

Using Thinspiration might be able to get you down to the desired weight of choice but it will not happen the healthy way that it should happen and the results will eventually disappear because your “healthy lifestyle” will change after the results you want are temporally present. Those results will only make you feel better and or more confident for the time being, trying to change yourself in this unhealthy way won't only damage you physically but mentally as well. You should love and accept yourself and than tweak yourself if wanted. As my father tells me as long as you exercise and stay on a balanced diet you'll be the weight you're suppose to be.

It is alright if losing weight is something that people want to do, as long as it is done for the right reasons and it is in the right mindset everything will be alright. Do you guys agree with this? What are your thoughts on thinspiration? I believe women overall should start to become more confident because we are all beautiful at the end of the day. Physical appearance is only a small part of a what is considered a “beautiful person”. A beautiful mind, heart and soul are what counts. 

If You Don't Look Like a Calvin Klein Model, Don't Expect us to Look Like Victoria Secret Angels!

 

    Do any of you guys have a Victoria Secret Angel body ? Maybe some of you do, or think you do, or for you seniors are trying to achieve that body. All I have to say is STOP ! You are perfect the way you are, stop letting the media, your boyfriend depict the way your body should look just to be accepted in society . I don't know how many times I have heard people say that they wish they had a nice body every- body shape and size is unique in it's own way , whether it is being petite or a bigger petite. Every girl let's themselves down because they see what is on TV and say I want that, they look at Kim Kardashians behind and say " I need me a booty like that", or they watch the Victoria Secret Fashion show and say I want my body to look that, and just think that is how they have to be. For those that are letting their boyfriend tell them they want a girl with boobs or a behind , he isn't right for you or if he is saying he likes girls that look a certain way leave him. If for some reason you can't leave him tell him once he looks like a Calvin Klein model then you will look like a Victoria Secret Angel. I myself have let the media control the way I should be by looking at what the media thinks is pretty.

 

    Let me tell you guys a story and I'm sure only some people in the class know this story. So I met this guy about six or seven years ago and his name is D.J. I have had the biggest crush on him he is a senior and  he goes to St. Benedict's my entire family loves him, they think he is the perfect guy for me. However, many times I think to myself I might not be the best girl for him. For a while D.J was in his awkward stage but I still liked him and no girl paid attention to him, then puberty hit him hard as can be. He is tall a little muscular and he's Portuguese he has a smile that melts girls hearts, from what I heard he has a good heart, and he is really funny- which is great because I love to laugh. But recently I have been hearing the kinds of girls he likes and I have noticed a pattern in the girls he likes for example they are all Italian, they all have "blond" hair, and they all have a booty. So for a good time in my life I thought he will only date me if I was Italian, had "blond" hair , and a booty so since I couldn't help him out with the Italian part because I am Peruvian and Puerto Rican, and I refuse to dye my hair "blond", I thought I could help him out with the booty part. So over the past summer I was doing exercises to make my booty more firm, more round, and not so jiggly. It wasn't working and I thought to myself he will never date me. Every time my aunt would introduce us he would look up at me for a second, then he would look away, it made me so mad. But recently I have been noticing that I can't be like those girls and will not be like them and that D.J will like me for me. Then I also thought he isn't exactly everything I want in a guy maybe he should change I like guys with light eyes, who aren't Portuguese, and who aren't so cocky. So in my head I thought if you don't become the ideal image I have of a Calvin Klein model, I won't become his ideal image of a Victoria Secret Angel. But then I also thought and with the help of people who are more wiser than I am that it isn't just about looks, you also have to take into consideration the way the person's personality is. They could be the cutest guy in the world but the biggest jerk you meet, or like it is most of the time that the guy with the biggest heart isn't always your first choice, but the guy with the heart is meant for you.

 

   There was a book I read once it is called "The Earth my Butt and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler if you girls haven't read it I highly recommend it , I read this book at the time I wanted D.J to notice me. It is about a girl named Virginia who is oppressed by her skinny family, everyone in her family from her parents to her siblings are all skinny and they are all popular, and Virginia is the outsider of her family she is a little thick and she hates herself everyday for it. She gets bullied by these certain girls called the Brie girls who in the end you find out one of them has a eating disorder, and she tries so hard to be skinny and be accepted by her family. She even puts a picture of a model on her fridge so when she gets something to eat she remembers this is what she wants to look like, so she doesn't eat to much. In the end Virginia realizes she doesn't have to listen to her parents in the way they want her to be she can be her own type of Victoria Secret Angel ! On a blog I recently read Just Say Yes they had said " TV, movies, magazines, and the Internet all bombard teens with images and pressures about what their bodies should look like." I completely agree with this even my mom goes I wish I could be like that or look like that.

   

   The Victoria Secret Angel fashion show wasn't too long ago and I am sure we all looked at those girls like they were goddesses with their skinny bodies, long legs, I know I did and no one should have to think they need to look like that, whether it is the media, your friends, or your boyfriend who expects you too look like that. If someone does say you need to look like this just say " Sure when you look like a Calvin Klein Model, I will look like a Victoria Secret Angel!"The good thing is these days more women who are thicker are being able to become  models or are trying to become a model in season 16 of America's Next Top Model they let Kasia go on the show when there normal average model is smaller and taller.  But my question to you guys is do you let the media or your friends oppress the way you look? Do you look at any model and wish you looked like them? Who influences you the most on your body and how you look?

WE ARE ALL ANGRY BLACK WOMEN !

What is an Ugly Black Woman? What are Angry Black Women? Why must black women continue to be stereotyped by America with words such as these? Recently, I was watching a TV show called Being Mary Jane and in one of the episodes Mary Jane Paul, played by Gabrielle Union, does an interview with Elizabeth Foy on Elizabeth's new book, Charting a Better Course. 

https://cmgcocoafab.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/040715-shows-bmj-eps-210-elizabeth-foy.jpg?w=400&h=225

Mary Jane asks Elizabeth if she feels as if her book is being used as a "political football” for the Republican campaign and in response, Elizabeth says she feels ambushed. This causes Elizabeth to lash out Mary Jane Paul, telling Mary that the rest of the world sees her as an ugly black woman who is constantly playing the victim; who is always misunderstood; who is always playing the race card and is nothing more than a broken record. Mary Jane Paul responds by saying that in the end they are both women fighting to be heard in this world; the only difference between them is that Mary Jane is black and a black stereotype is placed on her because she speaks on black issues while Elizabeth Foy is a Caucasian woman fighting to be heard and respected in like fashion. Therefore, in reality they are the same and she sees Elizabeth Foy as an Ugly black women too. The link to this episode is http://www.bet.com/video/being-mary-jane/season-2/full-episodes/episode-210-primetime.html . Seeing this made me think more about Black women in America and how they are perceived by the world. It made me ask myself why, when a black woman speaks up on a topic she feels strongly

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about in her community, is she considered an angry or an ugly black women? As young ladies we must realize that we, as a group, are a minority and being such, we have to fight to be heard or to be respected. Yet it seems as if whenever we do show the courage and bravery it takes to speak out on matters that hold significance in our lives, we get bashed for it, judged, and labeled incorrectly. How can our society demand we speak up if we want to be heard, then insult us for doing so? In this land of the slaves and home of the timid, how is that rational? How is it fair?

http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/20120112-michelleobama_stereotype.jpg

      I recently read an article in the New York Times written by Alessandra Stanley on Shonda Rhimes and the article opens with the following lines, “When Shonda Rhimes writes her

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autobiography, it should be called How to Get Away With Being an Angry Black Woman.” The link to the article ishttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/arts/television/viola-davis-plays-shonda-rhimess-latest-tough-heroine.html. This article caused a lot of controversy in social media and many black women were offended by it. The article talked about how Shonda Rhimes has become a very successful woman through the success of her her TV shows Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder and Grey’s Anatomy. Although, within these TV shows, Ms. Stanley believes Shonda created these strong, successful black women in the mold of the Angry Black Woman, an archetype cast in her own image. Looking at this article one has to contemplate: why is the black, successful, intelligent and outspoken woman considered to be angry? Is it because black women have gone through so much and they tend to come off too aggressive for the people in the U.S.? I must admit black women can come off quite intimidating, but it is because people have walked all over black women from the very beginning. From the time of slavery black women have had to work in the fields and do as much work as men while  still taking care of their children. As well as carrying their children during strenuous pregnancies and enduring the heart wrenching experience of having their children sold into slavery. Imagine watching a child that you carried for eight to nine months be taken away from you and sold into a harsh life? What would you do or how would you feel? See this was African American women's reality during slavery time and they could do nothing about it at the time. No one expected any less from them just because they were pregnant. Then,moving on to after slavery, where women were struggling in their attempts to gain the right to vote, there was also legalized segregation within the suffragist movement for women. The Caucasian women wanted the black women to walk separately from them but Ida B. Wells, being who she is, refused and said we are all equal fighting for the same cause so we must fight together. It takes strong and aggressive black women to stand up to people in order for them to protest segregation because she has to be unafraid of the consequences. When one considers Black Women’s history, it becomes clear that it is only right they get angry because of all the suffering they have endured in America and the toll it has taken on them. It, in turn, makes them strong and if being angry is what makes them confident and bold, so be it. In the end, we are all the same regardless of race, ethnicity or nationality and as fellow brothers and sisters in the United States we must stand together in order to gain the respect that we deserve; we should not separate ourselves by putting stereotypes on each group, breaking down and shunning each others movement. We are all fighting for the same privilege:to be respected and accepted in America. Thus, in the wise words of Mary Jane Paul, we are all Ugly Black Women!

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What is a "Feminist" Anyways?

fem·i·nism

ˈfeməˌnizəm/

noun

1. the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.

   
   

One of the latest reads that I was truly inspired by was titled We Should All be Feminist by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  This was an excerpt of a speech that she gave at TedXEuston.  If you ever listened to Beyonce's song Flawless, there is an intro to the song that was taken from Ngozi's speech.  This speech was given to spread the idea of feminism and why everyone should become a feminist.  

As I was reading this book, I was developing ideas as to why men ridicule women and why the superiority role belongs to males.  Chimamanda talked about how in her home country Nigeria, women were not considered independent and are always to depend on males.  She presented a few scenarios that she was involved in.  One scenario is when she was staying at a hotel.  When she walked through the hotel lobby, a male employee came up to her asking if she was visiting someone (a male), what is the reason for entering the hotel without a male escort, etc.  The male who was asking her these questions was implying that she is possibly a prostitute.  To make the assumption that a woman's reason for entering a hotel is for prostitution is completely absurd.  Why is it that a woman has to be escorted into places by a man?  Women should be allowed to go to places alone.  However, this idea of male supremacy is carved into people's brains, believing that women have to depend on men.  

Another scenario Chimamanda experienced is when she went out to town with a male.  She explained that in Nigeria, specifically in the city, Lagos, that there are people who make money by parking your car.  She continued with the incident, how she gave the man who was parking their car, ten dollars, and the man decided to thank the male who she was with.  Even though she is the one who gave the guy ten dollars of hers, the man did not thank her. Since she is a woman and it was believed that the man who she was with, is the one who provided that ten dollar bill.  This dialogue basically made Chimamanda invisible out of the conversation because she was a female.  It also made it seem like she cannot pay someone with her own money because she has to depend on the male to pay.  Not in every single situation, the male has to pay.  

The adversities of females in today's society is developing more and more each day because people don't believe in the idea of feminism.  Women fought so hard to be equaled to men.  We fought for our rights as women, we fought for our positions, we fought for our freedom, and we fought for our purpose.  What did men ever fight for?  It seems like men were having things handed to them with a silver spoon.  What was given to women without a second guess?  This idea of feminism has to be carved into our minds instead of the societal expectation that men are dominant.  There should not be a superior vs. inferior debate referring to gender.  Women nor men should be dominant over the other gender, in my opinion.  We all should be equal and have an equal outlook on societal expectations of the two genders.  No female should have to be escorted by a man.  No female should have to be doubted or ignored if they offer to pay for a male.  No female should feel ashamed of being a female. 

This idea of mine, developed from this motivational book written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  As I explained two scenarios she has experienced dealing with lack of gender equality, I have quoted an excerpt of her speech referring to her experiences of being a female teacher.  What do you ladies think of this social issue?  Do you understand where Chimamanda is coming from based off of what I explained? 

"The first time I taught a writing class in graduate school, I was worried. Not about the teaching material, because I was well prepared and I was teaching what I enjoyed. Instead I was worried about what to wear. I wanted to be taken seriously.  I knew that because I was female, I would automatically have to prove my worth. And I was worried that if I looked too feminine, I would not be taken seriously. I really wanted to wear my shiny lip gloss and my girly skirt, but I decided not to. I wore a very serious, very manly, and very ugly suit.  The sad truth of the matter is that when it comes to appearance, we start off with men as the standard, as the norm. Many of us think that the less feminine a woman appears, the more likely she is to be taken seriously. A man going to a business meeting doesn't wonder about being taken seriously based on what he is wearing—but a woman does.  I wish I had not worn that ugly suit that day. Had I then the confidence I have now to be myself, my students would have benefited even more from my teaching. Because I would have been more comfortable and more fully and truly myself." --Chimamanda Ngoizi Adichie

Female Genital Mutilation Crisis

Hello ladies! I was reading an article, which focused on female mutilation in the United States of America, which really surprised me because freshman year when we talked about it, we basically focus on African and Arab countries so being that it is currently happening especially in the U.S is more disturbing.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/06/female-genital-mutilation-skyrockets-in-the-u-s.html 

http://www.theweeklings.com/tgualtieri/2012/08/31/our-bodies-our-choices-part-i/

Practices like this are methods in which the male gender use to overpower women and make them feel inferior.  This practice is justified by supporters who say that this keeps a Woman’s Chastity until Marriage because nowadays, some women do whatever without limit. Therefore, the chastity of women is kept intact until their marriage because the purity of women still matters to men. To me this argument is basically saying that women cannot control themselves sexually therefore, they deserve to be circumcised which is an unreasonable argument. These people don’t think about the side effects female circumcision causes. This practice put women at risk causing urinary tract and pelvic infections, interference in their ability to deliver a baby normally--the act of delivering a baby is already risky for a woman. It becomes more so if they are circumcised since it affects the delivery procedure. Also, because of this, they are likely to bleed more in case their vagina has to be split open. This also has a negative effect on their sexuality as well as self-esteem because it takes away a woman's ability to enjoy sex which instead of being a beautiful thing becomes extremely painful for them. Also most at time, the tools used in the procedure are not sterilized, making it unsafe and harmful being that it endangers women's life.

Women are beautiful creations of God, and it is unfortunate that women's rights are constantly being violated from all angles. We are all beautifully created by God and should respect one another instead of trying to overpower each other.

http://msmagazine.com/blog/2013/02/06/u-s-immigrants-arent-safe-from-female-genital-mutilation/

My question is: As a practice, is female circumcision really necessary?