Long before the GOP completely lost it and became utterly obsessed with ladies' naughty bits, there has been a War on Women waged since forever. Now that we're no longer property outright, the salvos, etc. became more subtle and insidious. We may have moved beyond wasp-waist corsets, rib removals and the like, but the inherent objectification of women remains, as does pressure on women to achieve some sort of ideal.
What is that ideal? A bunch of hooey, as we will explore under the squiggeldy-doo.
On top of that, plastic surgery has proliferated like mad in recent years. You would be really surprised at how many of the celebrities we know and watch have had work done. In Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment and fashion industry, it is the norm and not the exception. But most people don't realize how much work/augmentation has been done and the net result is young girls, once again, trying to emulate looks that are impossible to achieve naturally.
I'd bet this year's salary that over half the women in this community have dieted at some point in their lives. I know I have. And I'd wager that every woman in this community either knows someone who suffered an eating disorder or did so themselves. With all these unrealistic body images we are inundated with by the media, it's a wonder any girl makes it through with an ounce of self-esteem.
It wasn't always like this. Marilyn had some meat on her bones; I think she wore a size 12 or so. The vogue of stick-thin didn't come around until Twiggy hit the catwalk sometime in the 60s. I don't know how, but that trend must be reversed; it is imperative that we make more strides towards presenting healthy body images for young girls.
To that end, I give mad props to Sir Mix-a-lot. Yes; I'm serious. Sir Mix-a-lot, in his own lusty way, really made quite a statement with what is, understandably, regarded as a joke song.
I'm tired of magazines saying flat butts are the thing.
...I ain't talkin' about Playboy, cuz silcone parts are made for toys.
...When it comes to females, Cosmo ain't got nothin' to do with my selection.
...Cosmo says you fat? Well I ain't down with that.
...To the beanpole things in the magazines, you ain't it, Miss Thang.
I also love the graphic with "
Cosmopygian" instead of "Cosmopolitan" and his repeated admonition that women "shake that
healthy butt!"
Sir Mix-a-lot has found a new ally on this front: the Israeli Knesset. It seems Israelis, too, like their women to look like women. More importantly, they seem to understand just how devastating all these unrealistic body images can be on young women.
Models who want to strut the Tel Aviv runways or pose for ads that will appear on the Israeli market must produce a current medical document stating that they’re not malnourished; the law uses the World Health Organization definition -- a body mass index of below 18.5, or under 125 pounds for a 5-foot-9 woman.
The law also requires any Israeli print ads that are digitally manipulated to make models look thinner have a statement informing readers of the artificial rendering.
It’s intended to not only protect the health of models but to fight against eating disorders and body image problems in young Israeli teens trying to emulate skeletal-looking images they see splashed on billboards and magazine covers.
I cannot applaud the Knesset enough and I sincerely hope that this becomes Israel's greatest export. This is huge progress for women, and society at large, everywhere. Yes, we've come a long way, but there's still miles to go. This is a great next step for all of us.