I guess how I’m looking at this is only different in a very subtle way… when I use the word ’scapegoat’ I think of a guilty party who is being asked to carry ALL the guilt to distract from the fact that lots of other parties share the fault. When I see so many newspapers eagerly pointing the finger at ’size zero models’ I hear warning alarm bells. I find myself asking “what’s the down side of this sudden awareness?’

I commented on this particular post because I think all the issues come together here. For instance, here’s a really difficult question: Is this family at fault - or are they victims?

A more useful question might be: Could individual designers (etc) work differently if they wanted to - or does society only allow designers (etc) to be successful if they comply with social norms?

What the fashion industry does makes me extemely angry. The post a few weeks ago with Dove video really showed what damage it does. But… I tend to think of social attitudes coming first - and parties like the fashion industry following on behind. Of course this is a chicken and egg argument because the result of the industry’s behaviour is to magnify social beliefs - and so on and so forth.

Is there a point of obsessing so much about these fine details? I think so because this helps us to work out how to make change happen. Lets push the fashion industry very hard if we think we’ll change something - but without losing sight of how subtle things are.

Thanks for asking for an explanation.

Unfortunately, we can not control what the media covers or emphasizes. There is no protest big enough to create any lasting change in that area which is very frustrating. But, I agree with you that the media and the public needs to tackle the stereotype of what real beauty is. In conversations with each other. There is so much judgement about body image because the public sense of what is real has become so skewed.

Thanks for explaining your point of view. I do appreciate it.

I would just like to subscribe to what you said regarding Donatella’s commenting on the issue versus her own responsibility to the youngster as a mother. It reminded me of how some eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa foremost among them, are seen by many worldwide experts in this field as a direct consequence of the necessarily difficult relationship a daghter forms with a dysfunctional mother who has herself an unhealthy relationship to food and her own body, and is often uncomfortable with her own femaleness. That great classic, Susie Orbach’s Fat Is A Feminist Issue, is I think a real eye-opener on this topic.

I’m glad someone finally put the angle of Donatella’s own responsibility in the development of her daughter’s unhealthy body image. In most other coverage of anorexia nervosa in general, whether the sufferer is famous or not, the mother is presented as an unambiguous figure of tragedy, on whom a tragic disease has been visited through her daughter, and who retains the status of careful caring mother, and best person to judge said daghter’s good, rather than someone whose own failure to try to address their issues has resulted in some serious and obvious fallout for their children–which is crazy when you see what a difference TRYING can make in the daughter’s self-regard.

Sometimes I swear it sounds almost as though the mother suffers more! Ah well. I guess we live in a weird world.

“It serves the powerful in society if we are distracted into campaigning for changes in the fashion industry because we’ll spend lots of time and effort and achieve very little.”

Who are the powerful from your point of view? Who are you referring to? Also, how does it distract? Also, please explain how else you see change happening if not through protesting, sharing ideas through protesting and/or campaigning?

I’m not trying to be reproachful. I’m just finding your statement ambiguous. Hopefully you’ll elaborate. Thanks.

Use of her skeletal image in photos is so disrespectful.
I am also very interested to see how her mother approaches the use of models in the fashion industry when marketing her clothing line in the future, or if she even comments publicly re: the use of thin (shapeless) models. I really hope she sees the direct link. It is there. Ultimately, it is the Donatella’s who can create immediate change and the greatest impact regarding this issue. Making a statement on behalf of all women struggling with unrealistic body image expectations and self acceptance is long overdue from a leader in the fashion industry.

I hope she does something positive for women with a statement regarding the body image issue that has long been generated by the fashion industry. With the increased instances of anorexia in men and women and anorexia occurring in children at a younger age than ever before it’s time someone did. I hope her daughter beats this illness.