Discount fashion retailer Forever 21 is adding another item on the drop-down menu of “body parts to feel self-conscious about”: knee caps. The web site featuring their skirt-purchasing options has more than 100 items in which the models’ kneecaps are completely airbrushed out, or are cleverly obscured so only a hint of curvature is detectable…. Continue Reading →
Vaginal dissatisfaction exposes a lack of diversity in sex education
I’m still trying to scoop my jaw off of my keyboard after viewing this documentary, The Perfect Vagina, in which UK-based writer Lisa Rogers delves into the world of vaginal cosmetic surgery. Primarily following an adolescent girl and two mothers who are dissatisfied with the shape and size of their vaginas, she documents the frighteningly… Continue Reading →
H&M heralds the dawn of the “virtual mannequin”
Between print media, TV ads, and virtual promotions, we media watchdogs have seen it all — rib cages, spines, cleavage, you name it. Though the women portrayed in most catalogs are typically white, unhealthily underweight, and sexualized, we could at least find solace in the fact that their bodies were their bodies — a.k.a, not… Continue Reading →
Negative body talk is alive and well among college women
As a college freshman, I’m constantly being exposed to the living habits of other women. In a dorm, you quickly learn the rituals of college life, both in the academic and social senses. Unfortunately, amidst hectic class schedules and fun-filled social lives, college students are not exempt from the impact of the negative body image messages… Continue Reading →
Dressing for whose shape, exactly?
A few days ago, I heard a young woman, about my age, express the sentiment, “Women should really dress for the body type they have, not the one they want.” She isn’t alone in her thinking. It seems finding flattering clothing is a universal concern for women. In department store dressing rooms, we search for… Continue Reading →
Is a breast-implant voucher a good gift for a 7 year old?
Recently, there seems to have been a spate of moms encouraging their daughters to have cosmetic procedures. First, there was “Botox Mom” Kerry Campbell, who claimed to have injected her 8-year-old daughter Britney’s face with Botox. Then, “Human Barbie” Sarah Burge gave her 7-year-old daughter Poppy a voucher to get breast implants once she turns 16. The… Continue Reading →
What does pubic hair have to do with cervical cancer?
You’d think nothing, right? Well the Canadian Cancer Society sure has a surprise for you! Julyna, which I’m pretty sure is supposed to rhyme with vagina, is a new public health campaign which asks women to “trim their pubic hair into a creative design and solicit donations for doing so from friends and family.” Apparently,… Continue Reading →
Victoria’s Secret uses Adriana Lima’s ribs and hip bones to sell perfume
Don’t worry ladies, Victoria’s Secret values more than big breasts. They also really revere protruding bones and concave abdomens. Seriously, what is this? Delighted to receive some V.S. coupons in the mail (yes, I’m an “Angel V.I.P.” credit card carrier), my glee quickly turned to shock as I was assaulted by Adriana Lima’s prominent ribcage. Whether… Continue Reading →
PETA pushes shock value. Again.
Newsflash PETA: Nudity and shock value are only novel for so long. I guess I can give PETA points for creativity and timeliness, but how many points do I subtract for consistent sexism, misogyny and, um…hardly ever depicting a single animal? The latest controversy-causing PETA ads poke fun at the body scan machines used at… Continue Reading →