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You’re reading the About-Face blog, so I’m gonna guess that you’re interested in the various messed-up ways women and girls are portrayed in media, and how it can really damage our self-esteem and self-respect. Well, now there’s a movie about it! It’s the new documentary “America the Beautiful,” and you should really go see it.
The trailer:
I saw the documentary last night in San Francisco, and I almost lost my s*&# watching the editors of Elle Girl and Seventeen magazines talking about how they need to show the thin body ideal only, or they’re “out of a job.” Really — no care for the fact that you are contributing to eating disorders, self-hatred, and general depression in young women? And the answer: No, really, none at all.
And then there’s Gerren, a 12-year-old model whose mother lets her wear next to nothing on the catwalk, but won’t let her wear a bra to school because she doesn’t think it’s appropriate. Through my work with About-Face, I’ve spoken to more moms than I can count who give their daughters the very same mixed messages.
There are just so many pertinent, poignant bits in this film, one being that the whole thing flows really well and nails the problem of our culture’s beauty obsession in a way that no somewhat-smart woman can deny. And two being that it’s an African-American man who made the film and who includes many other African-Americans who truly have something to say.
If you look carefully, you’ll spot two About-Face posters in the film! (I wish About-Face had been around to be in the movie!)
Really, I could go on and on. But I won’t.
Bring your mom, bring your friends, bring your sister. Hey, bring your brother. Cuz guys need to know this stuff too. (Plus there are quite a few bits about men and their body image too.)
I saw the film in San Francisco, where it opens at the new Sundance Kabuki on Friday. Click here for other theaters throughout the nation.
Take Action:
1) See the movie! Bring your people! Click here for theaters throughout the nation.
2) E-mail the filmmaker, Darryl Roberts, about why you appreciate the movie so well (even if you haven’t seen it yet).
3) Call or walk into your local theater and ask them to show this film.
4) Comment on the online or print articles about this film (including this one), singing its praises and adding to an intelligent debate.
–J.B.
August 27th, 2008
Normally, I look up to Canada as an example – I even talk about moving there if the next election goes sour. I find their publicly-funded health care system and their official position of non-involvement in the war on Iraq both refreshing and laudable. I tend to think of Canadians as peaceful, level-headed, practical Midwesterners. After reading about Canadian-based Plain Jane Couture, I fear I’ve been brushing with too broad a stroke.
The Plain Jane Couture line features a large logo of a woman’s silhouette. Now, before you envision the reclining silhouette typically gracing the mud flaps of an 18-wheeler, think again. This silhouette is of a woman standing with a pair of underwear around her ankles. The logo is about the size of a hand, so there is no missing this degrading detail. 
The Canadian designers, Hardip (hard-up?) and Zoum state that they make clothes for the kind of women they like. (I would tend to believe that this logo represents the kind of woman they never get, but that is just my speculation.) They define their kind of woman as “cute, fun, witty and wild.†I challenge you to find a single model on the website that fits that description. On the contrary, I would suggest spineless, malnourished, pale and angry. Additionally, I know a lot of witty women – and none of them would consider wearing such a demeaning image of women on their clothes.
But it gets worse; these two go on to say that their patrons “hold the new voice of feminism.†Shortly thereafter, they state, “Jane permanently has her panties around her ankles. And quite frankly, that’s where they want them to stay.†Sure makes getting around difficult for poor Jane, especially if she plays hockey up there in Montreal. C’mon boys, no one is buying your attempt to sell feminism with permanent sexual availability. 
Again, and I’m quoting: Their line is nonchalant, fun, cheeky and likes to ‘take the piss’. I’d like to offer my editing services again in order to make this sentence more accurate: Their line is adolescent, degrading, pedestrian and likely to never get off the ground.
I’d like to remind Hardip and Zoum that there are a lot of young girls who are inundated with hundreds of humiliating images of women on a daily basis. It’s time to man up, boys. Do either of you have sisters, nieces, daughters, or girlfriends? If you answered yes, why not be true to them, honor them even, and be a different kind of company? Be the clothing company whose advertising doesn’t disgrace, offend, or confuse girls and women. Be the company that refuses to have a size zero. Be the company that cares about what women think. Be the company that actively demonstrates that how and what a woman thinks is far more important that how she looks. Be the company that acknowledges the intellectual contributions of women. You could even use a brain as your logo - now that’s sexy. –Amy Scott
August 7th, 2007
Just wanted to let you know that our brand-new, rockin’ Gallery of Offenders has been posted! Can you help by submitting #10?
(We’ll be opening a special area for comments soon!)
– J.B.
April 9th, 2007
When a popular British tabloid published a story on Kate Winslet’s secret plans to see a diet doctor, the actress not only got furious and made a public statement, but she’s also suing Grazia Magazine! Way to take action! Kate said:
“I will continue to say what I feel about this issue of women being thin and emaciated. It’s just out of control . . . I know I’m a role model to young women. It’s a role that I take very, very seriously and I would never want anyone to ever think I was a hypocrite in doing something like going to a diet doctor, for goodness sake. I mean, it’s really, really ridiculous.”
I must say, it’s nice to hear that as a celebrity, Kate Winslet feels a sense of responsibility to the public. Ahem, unlike most other celebrities we’ve heard about recently.
Tell us what you think by adding a comment!
–A.J.
February 22nd, 2007
One of my best friends, Alison, is expecting her first child this March. Auntie Alyza sure has a nice ring to it, no? Alison is one of the few women in my life who rarely critiques her body — something many women have trouble with in general.
Because many of her loved ones live out of state, Alison uses MySpace to keep her long-distance friends updated on the hows and whats of her pregnancy. We visually track her pregnancy with pictures she posts every week. It’s been a delight! What I love about these pictures are her poses. Alison does funny plies, uber-sarcastic “sexy model” expressions, funny 80’s midriff shots, and every once in a while, she takes a simple shot of her glowing, smiling self. Alison’s baby boy will be lucky to grow up in a body-positive household! It’s refreshing knowing a pregnant woman is having fun with her body, since most of us feel burdened by the extra pounds.
Here’s what Alison says:
“People have joked that I’ve been gaining some weight. They make sure to tell me that they are joking, but I never take it seriously because I know that I am gaining the right amount of weight per my pre-pregnancy size. I eat so I’m full and know that I am nourishing another growing life.
“Earlier last year, I interviewed for a nanny job with this lady who was due to have twins. She was a ridiculous exerciser. Despite being pregnant with twins, she said she had only gained around 25 pounds. That’s the bare minimum that a woman like me should be gaining with ONE child. It kills me that some women are more concerned about their weight and image during pregnancy than creating another life.”
Alison is a great role model for all of us, not just the pregnant ones! This is why I love Alison — she’s a great role model What’s your take?
– A.J.
February 8th, 2007
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And then there’s Gerren, a 12-year-old model whose mother lets her wear next to nothing on the catwalk, but won’t let her wear a bra to school because she doesn’t think it’s appropriate. Through my work with About-Face, I’ve spoken to more moms than I can count who give their daughters the very same mixed messages.