The subway is hot and crowded and I mop my forehead with a cloth. A woman in her 80s is having a friendly chat with the stranger next to her. When she sees me, standing squarely on my two feet to keep my balance and dressed in a sundress with an empire waist, she assumes… Continue Reading →
Does #ThighReading help or hurt body-positivity?
Thanks to the advent of social media, we live in a culture where it’s easier than ever to share parts of our lives with others. That’s great news for the body-positive movement, which has started using the Twitter hashtag #ThighReading as a way to celebrate realistic, unaltered depictions of women’s bodies. This trend began after a Twitter user… Continue Reading →
You’re allowed to get married if you’re fat
Being in my late 20s, I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years going to weddings, including the weddings of a lot of my closest friends. I’ve watched as they stressed out about their extended families and worried about what music to play; I’ve talked with them as they picked dresses and… Continue Reading →
Holland’s Next Top Model just made a huge mistake
Recently, I was working on a part of my PhD thesis wherein I had to describe why my research about body image is important for the broader public. Piece of cake. But my supervisor wasn’t pleased with the final product: “You need to make it crystal clear that body image is a hot topic in… Continue Reading →
Why my potato chips are healthier than the diet mentality
Saturday afternoon: another Netflix marathon, full relaxation mode… Until the TV screen is taken over by a pile of steaming, fluffy French toast, seductively dripping with sticky, golden maple syrup. “Yum,” I think. All of a sudden, the breakfast of dreams is destroyed as a towering box of Special K lands smack on top of… Continue Reading →
“Era of the Big Booty”? No thanks.
I’m not a prude, and I don’t like to judge other women’s personal choices. But I do care an awful lot about how women are portrayed (and portray themselves!) in the media. We’re now averaging 13.6 hours of media consumption per person per day, which means the stories we see played out in the media… Continue Reading →
Plus Size Princess blog inspires body positivity
Although social media breeds negativity and outrageous haters, it also brings wonderful sites like Plus Size Princess to our attention. I found this website through a YouTube video about dating as a plus size female. Despite the fact that I am not plus size, I love to watch these videos to gain confidence. Reading About-Face’s… Continue Reading →
Mature models show the beauty of aging
Word of the day: “Gerascophobia.” It is commonly defined as the abnormal and persistent fear of growing old or aging. Also known as modern American culture. It’s no secret that the media idolizes youth. As women age, Botox, plastic surgery, and a generous dose of Photoshop are purported as the recipe for immortality. If you’re… Continue Reading →
Lose hate, not weight: an interview with the absolutely fabulous Virgie Tovar
Last month I attended a couple workshops that were presented by Virgie Tovar, a body image expert and coach. Virgie has also edited the book Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love, and Fashion. The workshops were awesome and inspiring, leaving me feeling great about myself and wanting to spread the word about how… Continue Reading →