June 27, 2008
It wasn’t that long ago that various media (from magazines to blogs)spoke up in disbelief over My Beautiful Mommy, a children’s book by Michael Salzhauer. Anything I have to say about the book won’t be anything new, but needless to say, it’s problematic given its glamourisation of plastic surgery.
Some good news, though? Well, it seems it’s been available for some time now, but I got an email from Susan Johnston this week about her book, Princess Bubble. From the website:
The star of the book, Princess Bubble, is confused by traditional social messages that tell her that she has to find a prince to be happy. Princess Bubble enjoys traveling and helping others, recently graduated from college and is happy, so she seeks understanding as to why she needs to find a prince. After a fun little adventure, she discovers what the really meaning of true happiness is.
Although my sister is slightly too old for illustrated books, I just may pick this up for her, and that way I can check it out for myself. If not, I’m sure the Women’s Centre could use a copy!
2 Comments | 
Body Image Ideals, Gender Roles | 
Permalink
Posted by Derek
March 25, 2008
Just when you thought there wasn’t enough pressure on young girls to be skinny and conventionally attractive, here comes Miss Bimbo. An Internet game aimed at girls as young as nine-years-old, Miss Bimbo teaches girls how to “take care of their bimbos.” This includes taking diet pills and getting breast implants.
Apparently, the game was launched a month ago and has already attracted 200,000 players. Parents are rightly concerned about the game, “fearing it could send the wrong message about eating disorders and plastic surgery to young girls.”
From creator Nicolas Jacquart:
“If they eat too much chocolate in the game, it is bad for their bimbos’ bodies and their happiness levels compared to if they eat fruit and vegetables, which reinforces positive healthy eating messages.
“The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them, just reflecting real life.”
Other creators of the game have labeled it as “harmless fun.” Harmless fun, my ass. I’ll give the game the one possible credit I can: As the creator said, it encourages healthy eating, but even that is tarnished by the reasons behind it. Eating healthily is great, yes, but there are no studies to suggest it will help someone achieve ideal weight standards. It’s funny how Jacquart decides what they are relaying to girls and what they aren’t: While both eating healthily and getting breast implants reward the players, the game is only encouraging girls to eat heathier, not get breast implants. Give me a break.
There’s really so much to say about this, but I feel that, at least for most of you, it’s nothing you haven’t heard before. This just feels particularly insidious because it’s a game marketed at girls, who get to seek virtual boob jobs and starve themselves on the monitor before them, all to become glamourous and get “a billionaire boyfriend.”
Thanks to Liz for the link.
6 Comments | 
Body Image Ideals, Objectification | 
Permalink
Posted by Derek
November 12, 2007
Via Feministing:
Contributed by Jaclyn Friedman
I created the Big Moves calendar not just as a much-needed fundraiser for our tiny, broke-ass, volunteer-run organization, but also as an antidote to the narrow (pun-intended) images of beauty I’m bombarded with every day. In a world where Glamour sees fit to photoshop America Ferrara down to a size-nothing (and has the nerve to run the headline “1st Annual Figure Flattery Issue” right next to it), where images of “fat” women are used as sure-thing motivation to get you to buy whatever it is that will make you Not Like That, I wanted to reclaim the glamor of the Calendar Girl and make it something new and powerful. I wanted to glamorize the kind of real beauty that has nothing to do with what you weigh.
That’s not just a cliche — the women in this calendar are beautiful because they’re confident, because they’re brave enough to insist on being artists and performers against all social messages, because that’s what makes them feel alive. It’s an honor to perform with them, and it was a true privilege to shoot them for the calendar. These are my compatriots onstage and off — my fatties, as we’ve taken to calling each other with pride, no matter what our size.
We are women mending what’s broken in our lives, and my hope is that this calendar will mend some of what’s broken in all of our lives. I can’t wait to spend every day next year with this kind of beauty, and I hope that you will, too.
Note about the calendars: The slides how has lo-res versions of the pictures for quick-loading purposes. The actual pics are gorgeous high res and color saturated.
No Comments » | 
Activism, Body Image Ideals | 
Permalink
Posted by Derek
November 12, 2007
Dear Editors of Maxim Magazine,
I came across your magazine the other day and noticed something I hadn’t before. Right below the title of your magazine, on the cover, are the words, “Your life made better.” Now, I thought about this for a while and decided I couldn’t come up with a way that Maxim magazine betters anyone’s life.
What draws most people to your magazine, it seems, is the plethora of (conventionally) attractive and mostly-nude women within its pages. I’m afraid the only potential benefit I see here is that your magazine then becomes a means for men to yank their pud. There are by far more negative effects than positive of your magazine. I am, I think, quite safe in stating that the emphasis your magazine places on an ideal—and impossible to attain—beauty standard is not beneficial to the
women of the world. Rather, your magazine is another instrument for oppression, as it reinforces these body image ideals. As women struggle to attain these impossible ideals, many become anorexic or bulimic. It’s no coincidence these conditions affect women at much higher rates than men. Your magazine, along with countless other forms of media, is, essentially, killing these women.
Now, I’m sure you’ve heard all of that before. With this knowledge, though, you, the editors of this widely popular magazine, can do something to live up to your claim that Maxim betters people’s lives. I challenge you to go against the status quo. It doesn’t have to be wildly radical, but do something different. I dare you to feature larger models in your magazine. I urge you to start showing off women’s intelligence or hard work rather than broadcasting them as pieces of meat to be inspected and drooled over. I have my doubts you’ll follow through, but who knows, you might surprise me. Let’s see if you have the “balls” to do this. I am very much looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Derek Warwick
Update: I should have clarified that I did, in fact, e-mail them this letter since that wasn’t made very clear.
18 Comments | Activism, Body Image Ideals, Letters, Objectification | Permalink
Posted by Derek
It wasn’t that long ago that various media (from magazines to blogs)spoke up in disbelief over My Beautiful Mommy, a children’s book by Michael Salzhauer. Anything I have to say about the book won’t be anything new, but needless to say, it’s problematic given its glamourisation of plastic surgery.
