Words have a meaning; I mean, if to say something you use certain words instead of some others a reason there must be – and in fact there is.
One of the most inflated, hackneyed and used at random words in fashion is “anorexia”. I won’t write too much today ‘cause after all that’s not the real point, but you know, if “the industry” uses it to have something to go against and propose all of a sudden and quite hypocritically the sporadic moments it feels guilty for the girls which uses and of which in good part after all couldn’t care less, “ordinary people” too tend to use the word at random – and ignoring consequences of words which, if pronounced, by someone (surprise!) are heard.
First of all, people usually tend to ignore what anorexia actually is, so an eating disorder (in fact it’s not about how thin, skinny or slender you are). Then, and that’s the real point, at least because of what I want to write about today… there’s one thing I can’t understand: why if I tell a girl she’s “a ugly fatty” the thing is offensive (and in fact I agree, it is), and people who consider and point out models like “anorexic broomsticks” (or something like that, similar expressions are after all the same) are after all ok? Isn’t it offensive as well? DON’T YOU THINK TO TELL A GIRL SHE’S ANOREXIC OR ANYWAY SICK (WAIT: I WROTE A GIRL?! YEP GUYS, SURPRISE!, MODELS ARE GIRLS JUST LIKE YOU, OR YOUR FRIENDS, OR YOUR LITTLE SISTER…) MAY SOMEHOW HURT HER? I really can’t understand why for many people some things are really really offensive and some others aren’t, but ok, if things are this way there certainly must be a reason, and a quite smart one, which for the record I totally ignore… in fact I guess I must be wrong, if considering the whole question, so girls and how their bodies are and look, I take as fundamental starting point two simple concepts like HEALTH and CARING RESPECT (I underline “caring” ‘cause respect should be about other people and their feelings, and not something you somehow think you have to do), way too often ignored.
Yes, right, you may think think “c’mon, they’re models!, they’re overflowing with confidence and self-esteem, they’re bulletproof from this point of view!”, but guess what?, ignoring the fact some models (not generally and not so many, but there are) may be considered kind of ugly in “everyday life”, a good number of times whether those gorgeous goddesses / very pretty cuties walked a lot of blue chip shows or appeared in important campaigns, well, they simply aren’t (bulletproof) – like any other girl of their age isn’t after all (it’s about how the industry fortify and suddenly dismantle your confidence and certainties too if you want, but let’s ignore the thing, at least here, and just consider how easy to hurt a girl, especially if quite young the way a lot of models are, is).
To close, one other little thing I actually can’t understand. The thing would need a looong and thorough analysis, ‘cause it’s interesting but very complicated, but… hehe no, don’t worry, I won’t do it today. 🙂
But what I can’t understand is this thing of the “real woman” (it must be some kind of biblical, legendary or mythological figure I guess), which you’re right, why not?, if you want somehow has to do with that “Belle vere” cover of Vogue Italia too. Nowadays people tend to consider “fashion system” / “fashion industry” (whatever those things mean) and its messages about pretty thin girls quite harmful, and ok, you may be right, you may be not, you may think that after all
1) if there are parents and an educational system you can’t see why on earth they should (and / or could) be replaced by fashion and its messages, and
2) those same people you happen to see during fashion weeks (a quite improbable circus after all) and who should consider fashion magazines like holy bible after all with the way a lot of time they (improbably) dress (hehe I guess liable to arrest) they reveal a certain impermeability to messages they should blindly make theirs,
but the most stupid thing you can do is to say something’s better and therefore right by opposition.
To say “real women” are others, or generally “real beauty” is about something else is as wrong as saying some models represent the best beauty possible. I repeat, the thing is longer and there would be a lot to say, but briefly the point, at least because of what I want to say today, is: it’s quite stupid and nonsense to say or think only certain girls / women with certain curves and who embody a certain femininity are “real” (whatever it means), ‘cause… well, first of all it would mean girls I use to date (in fact I generally find way more attractive those girls some people may consider “anorexic broomsticks”, more than those you can find enrolled in the “Bombshells Party”) and whatever we did and do is somehow “virtual”, and the thing would honestly cause me a dumbfounded confusion… hehe *_*’
Then, most important, to say or think things like that means to forget what beauty is really all about, DIVERSITY (of course without ignoring, and that’s a wonderful thing in fact, it’s a question of personal taste each of us as too) – and then why not?, HEALTH and CARING RESPECT I had the chance to mention above as well.
PS I just had the chance to read Franca Sozzani’s speech at Harvard, and… in fact I wrote this post yesterday so it has nothing to do with that speech, even if… can I take the opportunity to say in good part I quite liked it but I expected something more too?, or simply something else if you want? Yes, that’s how things are; I found (among others) things like “We will release another issue dedicated to health, that is to say featuring curvy and not curvy women, but all healthy” quite… quite “Whaaaat?!”, don’t you do it now?, is that what you’re saying or what?, and those “We will do our best” too conceptual blunders… but ok, this was only some kind of little and extemporaneous post scriptum…