Body Image : Escapism into the Thin Beautiful Zone

This was me 95.2 pounds ago 

Barbie seems to be in the media in a new way artist are using there magic to make her normal. We have been seeing natural barbie and real size barbie in our feeds. Seeing the positive responses to these images. It truly makes me think. Will this let Madison Avenue know that we are all feed up with this standard of beauty.Which can't be obtained by most of the population. I have written about body image for over 3 years , living with those issues most of my life. Have spoken out in support of real beauty.

 What I can't understand is this strange if you will allow me wishy washy public opinion. I am not defending Madison Avenue , yet when they meet our demands we some how lash out. When Lane Bryant aired an advert with a curvy women being sexy featured  it had to be pulled. Then in the same token when main stream fashion magazines try to use curvy model ads they get backlash saying they are promoting diabetes and obesity. The more I thought about it I had my own scenario with this delusional escapism.Not wanting to see myself truly represented in the media.



. They deliver our demands then we turn on them. Has society become so indoctrinated that now we are maybe scared to see ourselves represented correctly in the media. I remember when I was 9 years old standing in line at the grocery store with my mom. Reading a headline about Oprah who I wanted to grow up and be like. I saw a headline that said " Oprah Frumpy Dumpy and Lumpy " It was a quote from Mr. Blackwells list. Though I can't confirm that for I was nine . I can't find the article on the net . Those words rang in my head for months and years even. I thought she was beautiful looked up to her why were people so cruel. My mom had teased me about having my own talk show when I grew up. Due to my gregarious personality though I decided radio would be safer for me. This made me think Are  we as a society  afraid to see average people now? Sometimes I think of the cast of friends my generations iconic show. I think I may have known 2 or 3 people out of my social groups that looked like them. I sometimes think that in the escapism of television and print we somehow think we are like these people. How dare we have to see ourselves as we are. Even though I was an avid watcher of friends in my teens and twenties I absolutely hated it when they put Monica  in a fat suite maybe because at the time she reminded me of myself in a couple of ways. Though I really have never encountered a person of weight that freely carries candy and snack cakes at the time. The segment bothered me allot I would change the channel it made me feel like this is what Hollywood thinks of overweight people that we are just bubbly snack cake packing balls of fun. Who just let fat jokes roll off our backs and giggle.We couldn't be smart or well spoken or even dress well.  I did have allot of the happy fat girl traits this I admit. In all honesty in my own escapism when I watched the show. I thought I was attractive slim like all of them. It was a hard to watch those episodes because in reality I was fat Monica. Just as in the same time span I was often told I looked like Tracy Turnblat from Hairspray. Which I think in a human aspect of myself I came to terms with my own vanity. I think when we watch movies and shows with attractive people in that moment we feel we are just like them. When we see real looking people looking allot of us we end up coming out of the mental vacation. How did we get this way ?


Then one night Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about David Schwimmer saying " If he was a regular person you know he'd only be able to get a 200 lb women." . Somehow this really effected me into thinking I was damaged It would be the worst thing in the world to date a big women. When I saw this segment I was headed to Hollywood for a makeup class. It was the worst somehow it stuck in my head. Thought that people were going to through stuff at me in LA . Even not let me in anywhere to be honest. I'm glad I didnt listen to fear or the media because I had a really great time in LA. Even got asked to go to a date to the Dave Matthews show at the Wiltern Theater. With a very handsome tour guide though I declined because I was alone in a new city didn't think it was smart. Though I did meet him for a cup of coffee the following day he took me to the Duran Duran star on the walk of fame so I could take a picture. I asked him point blank why on earth would you ask me out in a city of the most beautiful skinny women.( I really needed to know ) He said I like your smile, pretty face, and intelligent conversation. It was refreshing to just be able to hang with someone down to earth and real. We kept in touch for about a year then both moved on with our respective lives. Many years I've been battling with my body issues constantly. This blog has been a great outlet to be brutally honest stepping out of my comfort zone for once.Helping many others in the process. I've watched the trends in the real beauty movement pick up momentum. I thought that we were on the right track until the Mike and Mollie scandal erupted a few years back.


We say we want more real people then once again back lash and retaliation. This I didn't understand because on the show "Roseanne" Dan and Rosanne were frisky all the time no one batted an eyelash. It seems to be so very confusing can you image all the young girls out there having to deal with all of this. I've come a long way with my weight struggles yet slow and steady I'm wining the race . Even if I reach goal I'll always have body image issues. I remember being told over a year ago to say in the Mirror every morning " I love myself as I am now " I do this and it helps immensely it has given me allot of confidence. So what do you think are we ready to start seeing our selves as we are ?

This is me loving myself as I am today. Sorry about the crop I didn't have
The other woman's consent to use there photo for this post