Tuesday, January 1, 2008

OMFG! I can't believe this

My aunt sent me an email titled "You think fat is ugly?" I was expecting some joke about fat people, but what it was instead, well, the following pictures left me speechless and in tears for these women. I really don't think their bodies are in the shape nature intended for them. I don't pay much attention to fashion, and I don't watch fashion shows when they are televised. These pictures make me damned glad I don't, but at the same time, they also make me so fucking mad that models are pushed into this state in order to work. And they wonder why women have bad body image and low self-esteem.

































































































This last picture is particularly bad, IMO. Are they trying to say that the model holding the cookie is the good model (because she's so thin?) and that the other model is bad (because she's trying to eat the cookie?). I'm assuming here, since we've had it beaten into us that it's what we eat that makes us fat, and it's usually the cookies, pies, cakes, candy, and doughnuts that are blamed. But I'm sorry, that model who's trying to eat that cookie? She is so far from fat that if that's the message, they're failing miserably.
To me, all of these models look like skeletons with skin, and I've never met anyone who was naturally that thin. I could be wrong about this, I've been wrong before, but damn................

19 comments:

  1. Ever heard the saying "you can never be too rich or too thin?" These pictures just prove the latter is definitely not true.

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  2. No kidding. I agree with my aunt, her comment on these was that she would keep her fat ass, thank you very much.

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  3. All of those are photoshopped.

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  4. http://www.snopes.com/photos/people/models.asp

    Obviously photoshopped.

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  5. Ok, I've been duped. After looking at the original models (before photoshopping), they are still thin (and could possibly be that way naturally), but a couple still look like walking skeletons to me. And even after seeing the originals, I'll still keep my fat, thank you.

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  6. Yeah, I'm seeing Photoshop there, too, except... I've seen some of the originals of these, and they're nearly as bad. And since I'm pretty sure they're all pictures of models who did die of complications related to anorexia (I recognize Ana Carolina Reston and Luisel Ramos), the point is still valid.

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  7. Thanks, Kate. I just don't understand why designers think models have to look like clothes hangers. If a clothes hanger is what they want, use a fucking robot, for god's sake. It shouldn't be that damned hard to take an anorexic mannequin and roboticize it (but then, women wouldn't think that they could get thin enough to wear the damned clothes and probably wouldn't buy them, which wouldn't be such a loss, as far as I can see).

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  8. Hi Vesta. Good to see you back. Hope the hub's surgery went well.

    I used one of these same photos in a post....didn't know they were photoshopped.

    Anybody sure the fatter(ha ha) "originals" aren't the photoshopped ones?

    In any case, these girls look anorexic & unhealthy. Somebody should buy them a burger.

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  9. Hi Kat - Yeah, DH's surgery went well, he's been walking without crutches since they sent him home that same day.
    I'm not sure buying them a burger would solve anything. If they have an eating disorder that is making/keeping them that thin, you could put food in front of them all day and they either wouldn't eat it, or would eat it and then purge like hell to get rid of it. What needs to change is this hysteria about fat = unhealthy and that thin is a moral imperative. If everyone could be accepted for the wonderful human beings they are, just as they are, without the judgment on looks/size/sex/color/race/etc/etc/etc, this world would be an awesome place. I just don't see it happening any time soon. There are too many people who have to have someone on whom they can look down so that they will feel better about themselves (and too many people unwilling to give up the power they think it gives them).

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  10. Yeah, and I just saw that some of these girls died of anorexia. Sad. Meant no disrespect to the deceased.

    So glad his surgery went well. Sounds like he is well on his way to a full recovery.

    Looking forward to reading your posts this year. Need to get my behind in gear here pretty soon.

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  11. This is one those internet chain mail things. It shows up every so often. Even though the originals have been "photoshopped" I think it's an interesting device to drive a message home.

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  12. In any case, these girls look anorexic & unhealthy. Somebody should buy them a burger.

    Suggesting a very thin person, especially one who is anorexic, eat a burger is on the same level of offensiveness as telling a fat person to put down that burger. Trading one insult for another isn't really constructive.

    Many of these photos are manipulated, sure, but it doesn't stop them from becoming pro-ana fodder for scores of girls and women who aspire to look as thin or even thinner than the Photoshopped images. And as Kate noted, the before images weren't all that much different.

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  13. Yeah, these models are photoshopped. Unfortunately, not by much.

    One popular model (I won't name her) is known for her bones protruding out of her back. Another popular model (I won't name her either) just went on a tangent because she had to share a runway with plus-size models. Basically, she sad "fat people are not fashion models." And it rumored that ANOTHER model (only 15) has been admitted to an eating disorder clinic for anorexia.

    The fashion industry is sick and should be held responsible for its actions on society and the young girls who develop life-threatening habits in order to achieve the "look" wanted.

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  14. I just found this blog, and I'm very glad (same series of links through which I found BFB - awesome!) Seeing the non-photoshopped originals was only slightly better - the last photo in particular, of the sitting woman - she looks so starved.

    I have a lot of questions, as I've never participated in online fat discussions before. I'm somewhere in the upper 200 range and 5'2" - and since I got fat during a very long undiagnosed illness of the endocrine system, one that had me wheelchair-bound, then bedridden, and finally very very nearly killed me, the last thing on my mind has EVER been losing weight. Recently I've had people tell me I ought to lose weight because I just must be sick, and if I care about my children, blah blah. Uh - I am healthier than I've been in a decade and have a chance to live now - who gives a sh** about getting skinny? I'm lucky and glad to be alive. The last thing I need or want is BS comments about my weight from "concerned" and "caring" people who know absolutely zilch about my health. Actually that includes doctors. Not to hijack here - if you can recommend somewhere where I can ask a slew of questions I'd surely appreciate it.

    Also I'm so sorry about your friend on the sidebar - that surgery has scared the crap out of me since it has become the magic bullet for so many people. I'm just waiting for a doctor to dare suggest to me that I mutilate my digestive system - or anyone else. I feel a storm coming when that ever comes up.

    Anyway, like I say if anyone can suggest a forum for my many questions, please do let me know. I'll be checking back here and as soon as I make up an account I'll also come back with my logged in self so people can drop me a line.

    Thanks!

    Anniee

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  15. By the way, I was bored and sitting here with the snopes page open, enlarging the unretouched photos and holding them up to the shopped ones, and on some the proportions aren't changed, or just changed in one place. In many places they left the proportions exactly the same and just added some shadows (and some paleness) to look like ribs and such. On ones where the bodies are left the same they thin out the arms even more (though the arms are still skeletal.) The third picture of the one with the beautiful face, they thinned out her side-boob (she does have pretty implants) added rib shadows and thinned out the already way too thin arms. You know, I kind of wish they had just sent them out un-shopped because to me they are still shocking. Tragically, many many many people look at the unshopped ones and tape them to their fridges so they will starve themselves half to death. Or to death. Really, we can all be that thin...all it takes is a Dachau or an Auschwitz and everyone looks like that. You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I WILL keep my fat, thanks. At least I know for sure that starvation kills, whereas the science coming out on fat is far less damning.

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  16. Rachel,
    I see where my comment was offensive. I don't always think before I type.

    I guess I meant somebody should DO something. Somebody should notice. Somebody should make a move...buy a burger.

    When I was anorexic all I got was thunderous praise...from everybody...parents included. I wish somebody would have sat me down, bought me a burger, and said, "Eat". I wouldn't have eaten the burger, but I would have known somebody noticed I was sick & cared.

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  17. Anniee - BFB is a good place to ask questions and get good answers. Shapely Prose is another good source of answers just by reading past posts and comments. And you can email me anytime (I should be back online by Tuesday at the latest, the 8th, my pc is in the shop being revamped so I'm on DH's, which doesn't have all my bookmarks and stuff).

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