Tuesday, September 01, 2009

On Beauty

By now, pretty much everyone has seen this picture:It is model Lizzie Miller. This picture appeared in the September issue of Glamour, and has since received attention across the globe.
The letters of praise have been piling into Glamour offices, thanking them for finally portraying an image of what a woman actually looks like. The influx of support has prompted the magazine's editor to give serious reconsideration to each of the images that go into the magazine and to pledge that they will continue to celebrate all kinds of beauty. (Don't be surprised if you see more models like this in upcoming months.)

I, personally, am in love with this woman. She is sexy, confident, and happy. And she's only 20!

I suppose that I could turn this into a debate about healthy body image, the media and why skinny sells, but instead, I'd just like to take the opportunity to give a HUGE shout out to a magazine who (maybe) actually understands that while we may be somewhat disturbingly obsessed with thin as a culture, underneath it all, what we really want is to know that we are okay just the way we are: unairbrushed, untouched, and unapologetically ourselves.

Kudos to you, Glamour!

4 comments:

Lisa Cox said...

The media’s flooded with reports about the damaging effects that unrealistic advertising messages have on our body image. But, if you turn the page or change the channel, there are only more images and messages perpetuating the problem.

I worked in the advertising, media and modelling industries for over a decade... So I've seen the distortion of body image from both sides of the camera lens.

I LOVE THE IMAGE (above).

Advertisements don’t create themselves. They follow demand. Advertisements use flawless models because you (or maybe not you, but a lot of people like you) buy the product.

I’d also love to hear your thoughts on these issues so feel free to email me at lisacox@mail.org or check out www.LisaCoxPresents.com

<<>>

Lisa Cox is an Author, Public Speaker and Role Model to thousands of young people.

She has worked and studied in the media for over a decade and written ‘Does my bum look big in this ad?’ – The handbook for teens about popular culture and body image.

Lisa now works to educate and empower young people and enhance their media literacy. She promotes a healthy body image, self esteem and positive role models with her own unique story of survival and triumph. You can read more at www.LisaCoxPresents.com

Sarah said...

I might actually subscribe to Glamour because of that. They make a pledge, and I'm sold.

andrew said...

So, ONE photo in a magazine indicates a cultural shift? They floated that image out there to judge response. My bet is readers won't hold the pressure to them and this whole thing will blow over in a month or two. Don't expect the skinny airbrushed buxom babes to disappear any time soon.

Want to prove me wrong? Keep those cards and letters coming. Let advertisers know. Because if you forget, so will they.

emily said...

Have you seen the October issue? There's an article RE: the topic of using plus-size models in their magazine and a promise to keep doing it. I'm curious to see if they really will.