I sketched this out yesterday and used Photoshop to add colour. It was an idea I came up with whilst being blasted with media images of various celebrated women who have had butt implants and who influence millions of women with their (celebrated) bodies. Examples here, here and here...
Click to enlarge.
My point being, it disappoints me that years roll on and women still put their energy and focus into looking the way they think will garner attention from men, getting their self-worth from men's approval. The hot issue in this post is butt implants. In the US there was a 98% increase in butt implant procedures since 2014 (a staggering 75,591 butt implants were performed worldwide in 2011 alone). It's yet another body part women feel pressured to address, and here I'd thought that making your arse look bigger had finally died out with the Edwardians.
I champion all women. I am not attacking women who go under the knife to gain these kinds of curves and I am certainly not attacking women born with curves. I am not body-shaming. Rather, I ask the question - couldn't we women do better by investing energy somewhere other than worrying about and changing the way we look?
Dr Caroline Heldman says it so much better (please do watch her Ted Talk here).
Some of her best nuggets of wisdom in the above talk were...
With pictures of objectified women everywhere, "we women are being sold this idea - that this is how we get our value ...we see male attention as the Holy Grail of our existence. "
"We raise our little boys to view their bodies as tools to master their environment, we raise our little girls to view their bodies as projects to constantly be improved. What if women started to view their bodies as tools to master their environment? As tools to get you from one place to the next, as these amazing vehicles for moving through the world in a new way. "
She talks about the negative effects of self-objectification and habitual body-monitoring (which western women engage in every 30 seconds) and points out that it "takes up more mental space that could be better used completing math tests, completing your homework.... " and also that "it lowers political efficacy and the belief that you have a voice in politics, and it lowers the ability to get along with other women. "
She concludes with this powerful thought.
"I'd like you to imagine a world where girls and women don't spend an hour every morning putting on their makeup and doing their hair.
I'd like you to imagine a world where women are valued for what they say and what they do rather than the way they look.
I would like you to imagine a world where instead of spending time on dress and appearance, we actually direct our energies to dealing with serious problems like human trafficking, sexualized violence, homophobia, poverty, hunger. "
"I'd like you to imagine a world where girls and women don't spend an hour every morning putting on their makeup and doing their hair.
I'd like you to imagine a world where women are valued for what they say and what they do rather than the way they look.
I would like you to imagine a world where instead of spending time on dress and appearance, we actually direct our energies to dealing with serious problems like human trafficking, sexualized violence, homophobia, poverty, hunger. "
Worth thinking about, isn't it?
In other news, I am working on my next character for 'Good Witches Bad Witches' (bit slowly as I've had other things to juggle) and she'll be up here soon. kim kardashian butt implants ass coco ass
3 comments:
I very much agree on this with you.
So much time is wasted on such silliness like everyday make-up and hair removal and working out to look a certain way. People tend to go to such extremes just for appearance.
And when you point that out, the sole argument is "but I like to take care of myself, I don't want to look like a hobo"... as if that would even be an argument, showering, putting fresh clothes on and combing your hair is all fine. Spending daily 1 hour for your make-up, 1 hour for running and 1 hour to get your hair perfect is taking it too far.
Then some women will tell you "I need to loose 3 Kg, I'll feel better once I reach this goal", when they don't even realize that they are perfectly healthy and fine, but always want to be "better looking". They think they do it for themselves, when they really are pressured by society.
So yes, go ahead and talk about it. I'm sure many young girls are following your work, so you might be the voice they need to hear.
I so agree. What if that time spent on worrying about appearance was spent on focusing on developing their talents- whether they are an athlete, scholar, or an artist? I look at some of the young girls today worrying about what designer bag and shoes they have and whether the should eat this or that, when they are already thin as rails, and eating junk food in the process to boot. Their little heads are not filled with any meaningful dialogue and they couldn't tell you who their local senator is or any basic facts of American history but they can tell you every life story of the Kardashians from TV and what they're wearing. Sadly, I know women my age who never go beyond the diet, purge, exercise and what to wear themes in their conversation. It is amazing how society still inflicts this on women, even in this era.
I agree. I always told myself I'd adore my wrinkles. Though, now that I have them in ways different than I imagined, it's a little more challenging. But, I believe the journey to loving one's self, and it's really a journey, is one that we must go alone. Friends join us at times, support us. And, I believe that the discouragement or challenges we face are there to offer us a chance to love ourselves more deeply, should we so choose. It all begins with the self talk. Are we, moment by moment, choosing to believe we are amazing or unworthy? The choice is always ours.
You might enjoy this post by Brooks Ann about sketching a custom wedding dress. http://www.brooksann.com/sketching-erins-custom-wedding-dress/ I thought she did a wonderful job showcasing the woman's features. Something we could all hold the belief of is that the universe supports us in showcasing our best self, and as a result, we show our best self to our self and the world. Sounds odd, but so helpful for creating a life I love to live in a body I've grown to adore!
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