What? You've got to be kidding me! This beautiful, healthy, 20 year old girl (Whitney Thompson) wears a size 8 - a 10 on a
Much of what I've read on Whitney's win talks about how great this is for young girls - to see that even a "plus-size" girl can win America's Next Top Model. I say bullshit! What this does is distort the perception of "normal" even further.
Do you know what's even worse? For years, men (at the hands of women) have taken the brunt of the blame for encouraging the stereotype of super thin as attractive and sexy, and I don't believe it for a minute. It's not the men that encourage this stereotype, it's the women. I've read quite a bit on Whitney's win, and it's the women who say, "She sure put on a few pounds after they selected her," and "She looked better when she was thinner."
Looked better? She looks fabulous! Maybe as women we should stop being so critical of each other, and of ourselves, and recognize the beauty each one of us exudes.
37 comments:
Dana, I was shocked and frightened when I heard she was "plus-size". I'm a 6, 8 on a bloated day, and damn, if I looked THAT good, I wouldn't give a flying crap if I were ALWAYS an 8! I don't get it. I thought plus sizes starteded somewhere around size 16 or something!
And I agree. It's not the men's fault. I know SO many men who would rather have that girl than some skinny minny with no meat on her bones. What is there to hold on to?
I don't know, it just shocks me!
I saw her win on E. I watch this show when it's in reruns and I catch a bunch at one time. They called her a plus size model and said in the fashion industry that would be size 8-10. Jaw drops. Excuse me they don't sell that size at Layne Bryant, starts at 14 or 16. She is beautiful. My first thought was now watch her crumble under pressure and start dropping weight, I hope not.
Amen sister! Us women have always been our worst emeny I think. and for the life of me I can't understand it. I'd love to be a size 8-10...hell, I'd be happy with a 12 for that matter. Not b/c everyone would look at me and say how good I looked; Because I know I'd just simply feel better...healthier and would be more fit...and could possibly add a few more years to my life.
It's total bullhit!
I guess that is the modeling industry's version of plus. When the norm is a size 0, 8 or 10 is plus. She is a beautiful girl and has an amazing body. God Bless her.
We all know that is not the reality of plus size. She is not shopping at Lane Bryant for her clothes.
I think calling her "plus" is less about society in general than about the fashion industry.
Whitney is really hot. I didn't follow the season but I saw that last bit where they go through all the photos and announce the winner. She is a well built woman. Everything is in the right place and you can't see her bones protruding. The fact that they call her plus size is so ridiculous it's disgusting but then you see what they are comparing her to and put one of the other twigs right next to her... I think that is when sensible people go "What's wrong with that skinny thing? Is she sick?"
Amen to this post! From a guy's point of view, if I want to date super skinny I would go to the cemetary.
One other point to blame. I have found that clothing sizes have changed over the years. I did an experiment once where I held up a pair of jeans I had bought today versus a pair I bought 5 years ago. The tag lable stated the same size, yet when I held the clothes next to each other, the pair I had bought recently was noticeably bigger. And here I thought the older pair would have been bigger due to wear and tear and lots of washings....go figure.
Ladies, guys love Voluptuous...trust me! Or at least, this one does!
Flyinfox_SATX
I think she looks fantastic and think it'll be interesting to see just how far she can go in the business.
I'll never in a million years understand the fashion industry.... I've heard a lot of designers claim their making clothing for "the everyday woman" but then send out models that look like sticks with hair.
Bina, although I will likely never see a size 8 (I'm a 10/12 girl), I've been a size 22 and it's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm STILL, after all of the hard work, considered a "plus-size" by the fashion industry. I don't care what anyone says, girls don't watch ANTM and think, "Gee, I'd like to be a plus-size."
Lu, I'm concerned that she won't get any work in the fashion industry if she DOESN'T lose weight! How sad is that??
tt, I have been somewhat impressed with the Jenny Craig commercials as of late - the ones that say, "What is your 'right' size?" I think the focus really does need to shift from the perfect number to a healthier life. I know I get terribly caught up in the numbers game.
Karen, I agree, but my concern is that the target audience for ANTM hears "plus-size" and "full-figure" and equates that to a negative - it is, after all, the "nice" way to call someone fat.
Knight, Whitney is AMAZINGLY hot! I was glad to learn that she had won, but so bothered by the "plus-size" label.
Flyinfox, clothing sizes have changed, and we - as a society - do have some health/weight issues - but damn if Whitney does!
Leighann, one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is to open up a catalog for "plus-size" women and see little miss size 8 wearing clothing wear size 16 is the smallest size. How in the hell am I supposed to figure out how that will look on me?
Women are much more self critizing of themselves than men. I can find beauty in many different women, of many different ages, shapes, and sizes. I must say, the ones that at least make an effort to look good, usually do...
Wow, plus is a 10? She looks phenomenal.
Amen, sister. Great post!
"It's not the men that encourage this stereotype, it's the women."
I get yelled when I say this. Take a look at most "men's mags" like Maxim and Stuff and the rest. Most of them have female editors and executive managers. Same for the celebrity mags like People and US Weekly.
It's like the dirty little secret that nobody is allowed to admit is that it's mostly women exploiting women in these magazines and on shows like AMNTM.
Buff, I so agree with you and *I* am extremely guilty of doing just that. I seem to easily find beauty in everyone else, but can't seem to see it in myself, as illogical as I know that is.
RLL, that was my thought too! I was pushing 300 lbs just 2 years ago and almost had an orgasm the day I put on a size 10.
Jay, I'll never yell at you for saying that because you are absolutely right! And yes, women (said generally) want to push the blame on men because that's much easier than having to change their own behavior!
This is the silliest thing I have ever seen...PLUS SIZE???? c'mon...as someone else said...to me plus-size is 12 - 14 NOT 8 -10
i would hate to be a young woman today...the pressure is out of control
in highschool i was hardcore bulimic because i bought into all the advertisements that i nEEDED to be super thin. and honestly, now that i weigh a healthy amount (i'm almost 5'10), i feel a lot better about myself and i'm not obsessed with every little morsel i eat.
One of my shortest comments ever, Amen Dana!! Cheers!!
Bond, I have a more generous definition of "plus-size" My thought has always been that if I could no longer shop in the "misses" section (usually through size 16) then I needed to consider myself "plus size" The thing is sizing is so subjective - at 6' tall, a size 10 is much different than for my neighbor who is 5' tall.
Tequila, at 43, I still struggle with bulimia and fret over every piece of food I put in my mouth. I don't want to see my 13 year old step daughter doing the same thing. BTW, thank you for sharing your story - it's yet another example of how hard we are on ourselves.
You're not allowed to be a Plus Sized model if Lane Bryant doesn't carry your size because you're too small. *glares*
Honestly though, it's really sad to me that they consider her plus sized because she's not heroin thin. She looks beautiful but I worry that in the next year we'll see a very different picture of her because the pressure she's going to get from the industry is going to force her to become a size 0 in order to continue her dream.
I heard about this yesterday... The fashion industry is sick.
I agree with you 100%. I wonder how they expect women to know what looks good on the average body when models are merely hangers with bones.
I think that girl looks great! IMO an 8/10 is not plus size at all!
These were my exact thoughts, as well! How are our daughters supposed to know what healthy looks like, if we keep teaching them that this is fat?
Tali, I like the Lane Bryant test too! I hope she doesn't succumb to the pressures of the fashion industry either, but like you I am concerned that in a year she'll be hearing, "We just can't get you any work until you lose weight"
Doc, and who supports the fashion industry?? That would be WOMEN of course!
FF, those friggin' plus size catalog models piss me off. In fact, I refused to purchase clothing from those catalogs - Lane Bryant and Avenue were the only two stores I would shop at because they actually used models that could wear the clothes without having to alter them.
Matt-Man, at least it's just your comment that is short *wink*
Boo, you cannot tell me that a 13 year old girl does not equate "plus-size" or "full-figured" with fat. You can try to be PC about it, but it is what it is.
We are often our own worst enemies. I've never been able to understand, or be part of, all the crap women heap on other women.
"she had work done" - "she never lost the baby weight" - I don't believe she's a size 8"
and blah blah blah
Amen Dana! Great post.
There is nothing more sensual and lovely, than a woman who has curves!
Excellent points that you raise here -- Whitney is gorgeous and perfectly fine looking and this vicious cycle in our society has to stop . . . she's definitely not a "plus size"
I do so love it on those VERY rare occasions when advertisers use ACTUAL plus-size women for their ads, billboards, etc - it's like another win for normal healthy people to feel good about themselves rather than forcing themselves into a very unhealthy manic race to be the thinnest person around.
Kudos to you for raising this.
I have always had a thing for "Plus-Sized" women. Which is ironic since my gf is not. Are we doomed?
Of course, even at 5'6 135 she would probably be considered "plus-sized" by assholes who think that they are refined judges of beauty. Cheers Dana!!
Plus?!? It's not plus if it's what women should have in the first place...HIPS! If you've got some hips, then you're properly equipped. Hips ain't extra!
My daughters ain't gonna fall for that bullshit, not if me or mama got anything to say about it. Plus....sheesh!
FMD
Dianne, the fact that women often spend more time tearing each other down has always been a bone of contention for me.
Mike, I've always thought women should look ... well ... feminine.
Mark, Dove has done an excellent job with this type of marketing, and I buy their products because of it!
Matt-Man, well then I guess it's my lucky day, because according to these guidelines, at 6' tall and a size 10/12, I'm a plus size!
FMD, hips are good, aren't they?!
Dana, so do i!
Our perception of what is healthy is so distorted in this country. One one hand we have kids sitting in fron of video games for hours on end stuffing junk down their throats getting larger and larger, while the fashion industry insists that being of anorexia whieght is the only acceptable size.
Where the hell is the balance?
I have never appreciated the Twiggy look.
I wish you could have seen the dance of joy I just did over here. This is one of my biggest bitches in life. And you are 100% right my dear friend, it is women who push the toothpick, skin stretched over bones look. It's horrible. Sadly, I struggle with my self confidence enough, I don't need some other woman telling me that at my height (which is just over 6 feet) that I need to be 150 lbs, size 8. I mean, come on...
Besides, most men have always said they love a woman with curves. I don't think they are talking about the curve of their bones???? Sorry for the rant in comments. Sister, I am with you!!!
Thanks for the love
THat is part of what I think is awful about the show. My personal attraction is not to "BIG" girls, but I would rather go to the "meat on her bones" side of the spectrum than "body of a 12 year old etheopian" side of the spectrum.
HOW IS UNDER DEVELOPED AND UNDER NOURISHED ATTRACTIVE?!?!?!
The media along with the fashion industry has managed to brainwash the people. Women are the main victims. They tell woman what to wear, and what size, and every woman in America jump through there asses to buy it.. Women are in competition with each other. At times, even with there own children. It is really sad how women are being used. But they allow it to happen.
Become the skin and bones type, but the majority of the men like some meat around the bones.
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